Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hires a familiar face to lead his offense
The New England Patriots have made another hire, marking another reunion. The Patriots will hire Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator. He will take over for Alex Van Pelt, who was the offensive coordinator last season; he currently remains on the staff as of right now.
McDaniels is no stranger to the Patriots; the 44-year-old first joined the franchise in 2001 as a personnel assistant and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2006, he was named the offensive coordinator, a position he held until 2008, when he left to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos.
He would soon return in 2012 and stay until 2021. Under his leadership, the Patriots' offense flourished, setting numerous records and leading the team to several playoff appearances and multiple Super Bowl victories.
Along with Tom Brady at quarterback, McDaniels' innovative play-calling and strategic acumen were instrumental in the Patriots' Super Bowl victories in the 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018 seasons.
Now with the Mike Vrabel era underway, the thinking is to start to capture that same magic back in Foxboro. McDaniels last appeared on the sidelines for New England in 2021. That year he coached an offensive unit led by quarterback Mac Jones to a top ten offense and helped the team to their only playoff appearance since Tom Brady left. Not only did McDaniels get the best out of Jones, but the offense of the Patriots has not looked the same since McDaniels left.
In 2021, the Patriots ranked seventh in the league with 26.6 points per game and ranked 15th with 350.7 yards per game. Both marks are season highs compared to the Patriots previous three seasons. This past season the Patriots scored 17 points per game (30th in NFL) and averaged 292 yards per game (31st).
Now McDaniels will get another chance at running a Patriots offense, but this time they will be led by a young promising quarterback in Drake Maye. McDaniels touched on his initial thoughts on him on the Games with Names podcast with Julian Edelman.
“He’s got great size, really athletic. I don’t think he’s quite as big as Josh (Allen) is. Guys like that, that have those kind of attributes, you can use to run the football with too. The games I’ve seen, he has done a good job in.”
McDaniels also complimented the pocket presence of Maye after watching him in his first preseason.
“He is stepping up in the pocket. For a young guy, that’s not always the easiest thing get them to do. I saw him multiple times last night move forward.
McDaniels has already shown he can elevate the current Patriots players. His offense in 2021 led to career seasons for two offensive weapons.
Both wide receiver Kendrick Bourne and tight end Hunter Henry were in their first year in New England with McDaniels in 2021. Bourne had a career year when he gathered in 55 receptions (70 targets) for 800 yards and 5 touchdowns. Ever since McDaniels left, Bourne has yet to top 450 yards in a season. Some of that can be attributed to Bourne tearing his ACL in 2023, but there is no doubting the success he had under McDaniels. For Henry, he had a career-high nine touchdowns in 2021 as he was a frequent red zone target.
Ultimately, New England does have substantial roster holes that need to be filled at wide receiver and offensive line if they want to get back to being a playoff contender. However, having an experienced and successful offensive coordinator goes a long way.
The rehiring of McDaniels is a strategic move that holds great promise for the team's future. His proven track record and ability to develop talent make him an invaluable asset to the Patriots.
The expected synergy between McDaniels and Vrabel has a chance to reignite the team and drive Maye and the Patriots to new heights. As the season unfolds, it will be fascinating to witness the evolution of the Patriots' offense and the lasting impact he has on their franchise quarterback.
