Patriots

Time to Change Patriots Play-Caller? Here's What Belichick Thinks

Belichick's answer about Patriots' play-calling situation is notable originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Is it time to pull the plug on the Matt Patricia Experiment in New England?

Patricia has taken over offensive play-calling duties for the Patriots this season following Josh McDaniels' departure, and the results haven't been pretty: The Patriots rank 24th in the NFL in yards per game and have scored a touchdown on just 37.5 percent of their trips to the red zone, tied for last in the NFL.

Head coach Bill Belichick was asked point-blank Monday morning on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" if he's given thought to changing his offensive play-caller or offensive system amid New England's 6-6 start.

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"I think we need to do what we’re doing better," Belichick responded. "I don’t think at this point making a lot of dramatic changes -- it’s too hard to do that. If we can just do consistently what we were doing, I think we’ll be all right.

"But we just haven’t been able to have enough consistency, and that's hurt us. It’s not one thing. One time, it’s one thing, next time it’s something else. We just have to play and coach more consistently."

That's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Patricia.

Saying, "It's too hard to make dramatic changes at this point in the season" is a lot different than saying, "Matt Patricia is our play-caller going forward." The latter answer could have quieted rumblings about the Patriots replacing Patricia as offensive play-caller next offseason, but Belichick's answer Monday certainly keeps that narrative alive.

You could make a strong case that Patricia doesn't deserve to keep his play-calling title in 2023; several NFL analysts and former players believe New England's offense lacks creativity and discipline, while even players in the Patriots' locker room seem frustrated with Patricia's plan.

There are other options available, too, most notably Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, who was the Patriots' offensive coordinator in 2011 and is "very interested" in returning to the NFL, per The MMQB's Albert Breer.

Patricia could save face if New England's offense improves over the final five games and the team reaches the playoffs. But if that doesn't happen and second-year quarterback Mac Jones continues to struggle, it sounds like Patricia's job could be in jeopardy.

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