Matt Patricia and Joe Judge under the spotlight as Patriots offensive coordinators
The Patriots finished the preseason with a 1-2 record and the offense, under the orders of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, generated more questions than answers.
Josh McDaniels’ departure to Las Vegas left the New England Patriot’s offensive coordinator position open. Bill Belichick opted not to have a stand in coach and appointed Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as the Pats’ offensive managers. And at the end of the preseason, a whole heap of questions need to be answered at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots faced the Giants, Panthers and Raiders and finished with a 1-2 record and the problems in offense were all too clear in the last game, scoring only six points. Six points!
The attacking problems look even worse considering that in three games they averaged just 15.7 points, making them the sixth worst offense in the league.
Rushing is notably ineffective for the Patriots: in their games they produced 282 yards (average 94 yards per game) and two touchdowns; that ranks them as the twentieth most productive attack in exhibition matches.
When throwing the football, it appears the Patriots are more effective with their 243.3 yards per game (11th place in the NFL). Yet the club’s QBs, led primarily by Bailey Zappe in the preseason, had only two touchdown passes to four interceptions.
And it’s not just the offense for the Pats, they are also doubts over the defense
The defense also doesn’t look like the dominant unit Bill Belichick presented in 2021. Their 297 yards-allowed average is the 14th-lowest in the NFL in the preseason, 18.7 points per game puts them in the thirteenth rung; although the aerial defense could be the strong point with 191.7 allowed yards per game (10th place in the league).