PLAY-CALLER HOLDS THE KEY TO JONES’ SUCCESS
The relationship between the quarterback and playcaller is one of the most important on a football team.
In some cases, an offensive coordinator, play-caller, and quarterbacks coach is the same person. Josh McDaniels, for instance, held all three roles when he was with the Patriots. He was the one constant, the lone voice in the quarterback’s ear on game days. During the week, he was his primary teacher and coach.
And it worked well that way for the Patriots.
McDaniels and Tom Brady were in lockstep when the GOAT resided in Foxboro. And that was how it was with McDaniels bringing Mac Jones along as a rookie last year.
When asked for one word that best describes the importance of the relationship between the quarterback and the coach holding the play sheet, or the guy instructing him on the sidelines, SiriusXM NFL analyst Jim Miller, a former NFL quarterback, replied: “Crucial.”
“I think it’s huge for situational play,” said Miller. “Whomever it is, is going to be the guy in Mac Jones’ ear telling him what to do on the sidelines between every series. He’s the most important guy for Mac.”
Whomever it is needs to guide Jones and help steer him toward making a Year 2 leap. There is nothing more important for the Patriots than accomplishing that mission.
That’s why it’s puzzling that either Joe Judge, Matt Patricia, or possibly even Nick Caley, coaches who have little to no experience calling plays or instructing quarterbacks, will be that guy, that vital lifeline for
Jones.
In an offense-driven league filled with superstar play-callers, the Patriots have chosen an interesting path to replace McDaniels.
Miller, who was with the Patriots during the 2004 season and earned a Super Bowl ring as a backup to Brady, actually wouldn’t be surprised if Bill Belichick is standing behind Curtain No. 4, making sure it all works.
That’s the only way this makes sense.
“When I was there, it was Charlie (Weis), and while you’d hear from him every day, it was Bill who was
guiding everything,” said Miller. “Bill ran the (quarterback) meetings. And Bill would be on the sideline telling Charlie what to do. ‘Charlie, we need more of this. Charlie, we need more of that. This is what they’re doing on first and second down. You need to call these plays.’
“So maybe Bill’s going to oversee it, like he did with Charlie,” Miller went on. “And maybe he’s trusting that Joe Judge can be the one to do it. Because he’s the one who talks to Mac Jones the most. It’s no different than what happened with Josh McDaniels. Once Bill became confident that
Josh could do it, then Josh became the voice with the quarterback after Charlie left.”
Miller’s right. With Judge now the quarterbacks coach, he’s most likely going to be the one who sits with Jones on the sidelines and talks with him after every offensive series.
Former Patriots backup Scott Zolak had multiple coordinators during his time in Foxboro, but also had a separate quarterback coach. In his day, the QB coach wasn’t the offensive coordinator.
“The quarterback coach was the buffer,” said Zolak, co-host of the “Bertrand &
Zolak” show on 98.5, The Sports Hub. “He’s the guy you kind of go to, and I don’t want to say settles the room down, but if we had any problems, it would be defused by him before it got to the coordinator.”
Zolak also believes from the lot of coaches, the one in Mac’s ear on the sideline is the most important or “crucial” as Miller put it.
“Who’s the guy going over the surface pad, who’s the guy going over the polaroids in between series,” said Zolak. “As much as we love to say it was Tom’s offense, he was listening to everything Josh or Billy (O’Brien) or Charlie said.
The quarterback gets instructed by whoever that is.”
It’s obvious Belichick trusts Judge, as well as Patricia, even if they’re somewhat out of their element.
Patricia did spend one year with Dante Scarnecchia helping coach the offensive line, but made his bones as a defensive coach. Judge, meanwhile, worked a year with the receivers, but established himself as a special teams coach.
Both had failed gigs as a head coach, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t handle leading a specific position.
Caley, meanwhile, aspires to be an offensive coordinator. At the moment, he would only acknowledge coaching the tight ends.
Whoever winds up the play-caller will be the primary voice for Jones, with Belichick likely looking over his shoulder. Judge indicated there would also be quite a bit of collaboration with all of the offensive coaches.
“Yeah, I think there will be a collaborative effort,” said Miller, “but I do think that one voice has to come from one guy.”
Having multiple voices spells trouble.
Miller pointed to what happened in Miami last year, when former head coach Brian Flores had cooffensive coordinators Eric Studesville and George Godsey.
“With two offensive coordinators, who was calling the plays there? Nobody still knows to this day,” said Miller. “It was a disaster.”
Whether it’s two coordinators, or one, a young quarterback can be hurt by having a bad play-caller, or someone who’s learning the job on the fly. And right now, Jones’ development should be the priority. He needs to be put in a posi
tion to succeed.
How hard is it to get the grasp of being a good offensive play-caller?
Miller relayed a conversation he had with Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, who assumed the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn at midseason after an 0-8 start.
There was an obvious learning curve initially, but the way it worked, Lynn still coordinated the Lions’
rushing attack, while tight ends coach Ben Johnson took over as the pass-game coordinator while Campbell handled the green dot communication system – with play-calling input from Lynn – to the quarterback.
“He had never done it before last year,” Miller said of Campbell.
“He said it was about four games where he started to feel comfortable, but he’d still beat himself up on some calls.”
Like, the crucial thirddown call that didn’t work. Or, not going for it on fourth down. Campbell couldn’t help but second-guess some of his decisions early on.
That might be how it starts for Judge, Patricia, or whoever, until it becomes more comfortable.
The X-Factor in all of this? Jones.
With him having such a good rookie season, and being so advanced with the playbook, that might allow for a first-year play-caller to work his way through all the minefields.
“I think there was a level of freedom and trust there with Mac last year that they can build upon,” said Miller. “The Patriots know they can get in and out of plays with Mac, that he’ll get them in the right play with the (defensive look) that’s presented.
“That takes a lot of pressure off the OC because you know your quarterback is always going to get you in the right play, with the right protection. And I do think Mac Jones offers that level of freedom.”
Zolak agreed. “From what I hear, Mac is really advanced for a Year 2 guy mentally, as far as handling things,” said Zolak. “That’s a credit to him, and should help the process.”
And while Miller doesn’t envision Belichick holding the play sheet or huge laminated card with all the plays on game day, he’ll offer his two cents to Judge or whoever the play-caller happens to be.
Miller then told the story of how he charted all the defensive looks on game days with the Patriots, and Belichick would occasionally want the intel on what was happening on certain downs with respect to coverages.
If there was a pattern, Belichick would then tell the play-caller to call a certain play on a specific down.
In any case, Miller believed however the dynamics play out with Jones, it will work because there will be some level of oversight from Belichick.
“I don’t see a problem at all,” said Miller. “I think Bill wants to manage it, and delegate with the coaches he wants, that are going to execute what he wants, and what he envisions.”
Then, it’ll be up to Jones to execute. And we’ll soon see if he takes a step back, or a step forward in that scenario.
More Zappe love
Count Miller as another fan of quarterback Bailey Zappe, the Patriots’ 2022 fourth-round pick.
“I watched him. He’s sharp, he’s a heady player,” said Miller. “I think if he were called in to play, it’s not like he’s going to wet his pants. The kid can play. I like him.”
Miller however, added some big picture perspective. He doesn’t think Zappe is starter material, but he should develop into a very good backup, which is pretty much the expectation.
“He’s like Chase Daniel. You trust him that he can come out there and play, and lead your team and not do something stupid to cost you a game,” said Miller. “I don’t think his arm is above average. I don’t think he’s above average athletically. But he can function, and he’s going to keep you in the game. He’s situationally sharp.”
Collective chip
Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, speaking via videoconference Tuesday, said getting croaked by Buffalo both in the regular and post-season, has left a sizable chip on the shoulder of both the players and coaching staff.
“Any time you lose in the playoffs the way we did, there’s definitely a chip on our shoulders, definitely a period of time when you look in the mirror,” said Mayo. “I would say when you look in our room now, we have some guys who are hungry and ready to work and ready to pick up the scheme and go out and play.
“But we’re just trying to focus on this year, and not really have the guys look too much into last year. We’re trying to focus on this year and move forward and put a good product on the field.”
Burrow expects more
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and his favorite receiver Ja’Marr Chase spoke with the media last week following an OTA session.
Burrow says even though the team lost in the Super Bowl to the Rams, having gotten to the dance has only made the Bengals better.
“We have the experience now. Going into last year, we knew we were good, but I think going into the playoffs, we knew we could win but we weren’t really sure what it took,” Burrow said via the team’s website. “We just went out there and played really hard and together as a team and it worked out. Now, we know what it takes and we have that experience in our back pockets going forward.”
Chase, by the way, referred to his on-field bond with Burrow as “Silent Ninja.”
“We can talk in silence,” he said. “That’s pretty cool.”
Chase, however, knows they’ve made enough noise that the Bengals, the defending AFC champs, now have a bullseye on their collective backs.
“Now we just have to add to the expectation we’re one of the best in the league and we have to keep that expectation and roll with it,” Chase said. “Every game’s a tough game in the NFL. We’re not worried about our X. Everybody has an X on their back.
“I feel confident about how far we went last year, if we’re being real honest. That’s all the confidence we need right there.”