The first domino of the New England Patriots’ offseason has fallen.
Coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft met for their annual postseason debriefing, and change is coming to the team’s offensive coaching staff, according to a report from NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran.
“My understanding is reassignments are going to happen, and several offensive coaches are under consideration for the Patriots’ 2023 staff,” said Curran.
Belichick and Kraft are reportedly in agreement about the team’s disappointing performance this season. The Patriots finished 8-9 after Sunday’s loss at Buffalo, which eliminated them from playoff contention. It marked their second losing season in three years and their fourth straight season without a playoff win.
Belichick, who plans to return for his 24th season as head coach, has just begun the process of rebuilding his offensive staff.
He did not need any convincing that his 2022 staff, led by first-year play-caller Matt Patricia, a career defensive coach, and first-year quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, whose experience is primarily on special teams, needs retooling. It’s unclear whom Belichick could target to replace one or both of them, considering his history of promoting from within.
In his season-ending press conference Monday, Belichick wouldn’t commit to any specific changes. He reiterated the Patriots would “evaluate everything.”
“Our record is right around .500, which is kind of what it’s been all year,” said Belichick, who turns 71 in April. “With that, some good things and some not-so-good things. Nobody’s satisfied with that. That’s not our goal, and we need to try to improve on that. We need to improve on it. So, that’s on all of us.”
Under Patricia and Judge, the Patriots averaged 18.1 offensive points per game, their fewest since 2000. Quarterback Mac Jones regressed statistically in his second season after Belichick said last summer Jones had made “dramatic improvement.”
According to multiple reports, there has been no contact between the Patriots and former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who is seeking a return to the NFL. O’Brien recently finished his second season as the offensive coordinator at Alabama. His contract with the Crimson Tide has expired.
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