It will be months before there’s any meaningful measurement of newly installed Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s impact, but an early report has signaled that things may be off to a good start.
One of O’Brien’s most important tasks will be getting third-year quarterback Mac Jones back on track after a difficult 2022 season. After throwing 22 touchdown passes as a rookie, Jones’s tally fell to just 14 last season. Most of his other meaningful stats — completion percentage, passing yards, quarterback rating — all declined as well.
To help restore that, Bill Belichick cleared out the offensive coaching leadership of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge (though Judge remains on staff in an as-yet undefined special teams role), replacing the duo with a more traditional coordinator in O’Brien.