Earlier: Much has been made about the direction of the New England Patriots’ offense this preseason.
Bill Belichick has not named an official offensive coordinator, with assistants Joe Judge and Matt Patricia both having a hand in the operation.
Tonight, it looks like Patricia, whose official title is senior football advisor/offensive line coach, is calling the plays in the preseason opener against the New York Giants.
The Patriots aren’t playing their offensive regulars, but backup quarterback Brian Hoyer led a touchdown drive on their second possession, hitting rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton in the end zone.
Patricia’s playcalling debut has elicited a variety of reactions.
Patricia has a long way to go to prove himself to Patriots fans, but at least his unit put some points on the board early tonight.
You can catch Giants-Patriots on NFL Network.
Update: Well, now we have some intrigue. When rookie third-stringer Bailey Zappe checked in for Hoyer, Joe Judge apparently took over playcalling duties.
Maybe this is just Belichick trying to keep everyone on their toes.