The New England Patriots will look to silence skepticism of their offense when beginning the 2022 season.
After refusing to name an offensive coordinator all offseason, former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is poised to call the offense’s plays. The odd dynamic has worried some onlookers, but not Wince Wilfork.
On NBC Sports Boston’s The Gameplan (h/t NESN’s Keagan Stiefel), the former defensive tackle said he’s not surprised by Patricia’s new role.
“No, not at all, because when I was a rookie, he was on the offensive side already,” Wilfork said. “He came on the defensive side after I got there. So, I’ve known Matty P as an offensive guy from day one, when I was there, when I was drafted.”
He believes Patricia will do “a great job” with help from the coaching staff’s strong communication system.
“Matty won’t be calling all the plays. It’s always a team effort, from the coaching staff to the players,” he added. “I have full confidence in Matt, knowing what he’s doing on the offensive side of the ball because he’s proven himself there with me when I was a rookie.”
The offense hasn’t drawn rave reviews in training camp, and the starters failed to find the end zone during New England’s final preseason game. Last week, The Athletic’s Chad Graff wrote that “there’s reason to believe” quarterback Mac Jones “isn’t fully prepared” for his second season.
Yet Jones also supported Patricia, calling the coach “one of the most brilliant people I’ve been around.”
Patricia will look to maintain or improve last year’s 14th-ranked offense, starting with a Week 1 divisional meeting with the Miami Dolphins.