The New England Patriots have a reputation for sending tons of coaches under the HC Bill Belichick “umbrella” throughout the league. Former Patriots DC Matt Patricia is no exception. He coached the Patriots and was their DC from 2012 to 2018. In 2018, he took an opportunity in Detroit where he was given the chance to be the HC for the Detroit Lions. Patricia coached the Lions from 2018 to 2020, ultimately, he was fired. However, due to his production previously with the Patriots, Belichick had no second thoughts about allowing him to rejoin his coaching staff. As he’s done with current Las Vegas Raiders HC Josh McDaniels, as well.ESPN reporter Mike Reiss recently spoke publicly about the intensity and leadership of Patricia and former New York Giants HC Joe Judge. During practice, he describes how one can feel the leading presence and respect both coaches receive from their players. “If you were on the field (for practice) and closed your eyes & listened, you would know who the leading presence is for the offense among the coaches – Matt Patricia & Joe Judge ….. I’m told don’t be surprised if it’s Matt Patricia.”
ALL the latest Patriots news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Patriots newsletter here!
Can Matt Patricia fill in the shoes of McDaniels?
While Patricia has never dealt with the offensive side of the ball throughout all his years in coaching, it seems Belichick trusts him to do so. Patricia will have big shoes to fill with the departure of McDaniels. In 2021, McDaniel’s offense ranked 15th overall and averaged 27.7 points per game, according to StatMuse.Patricia struggled as an HC in Detroit for certain. However, while heavily criticized by former players and media someone who stood by his side is Belichick. He sees value within Patricia and he understands Patricia has helped contribute to 3 of the 6 Super Bowls throughout their run.“He does a lot of things. Helps me in a lot of ways,” Belichick said at the NFL’s manual meeting. “He does a lot of things. He has a lot of experience. He’s done things when he was here and then, of course, he had his experiences in Detroit. And then last year, with things like Covid rules and that type of thing, Matt’s had a lot of different roles for us, and he’s been a big help to me and the organization.”
Belichick Sets the Record Straight for the Fans and Media
Belichick continues throughout the meeting to emphasize this is nothing new for the Patriots. In the past, there have been several coaches who’ve carried multiple roles throughout the season. He mentions McDaniels and current Giants HC Brain Daboll both playing parts in the defense before transitioning to the offensive side of the ball. Belichick assures the media that before the 2022 season begins there will be defined roles and everything will work out.“We’ve had a lot of coaches take multiple responsibilities,” he said. “Josh and Brian Daboll were on defense and then went to offense, Matt was on offense and went to defense, and so forth and so on. I’m not really worried about that. I think a good coach is a good coach, and Matt’s a great coach, and Joe’s a great coach. They’ll help us no matter what position they coach. …“Everybody will have a defined role like they always do. The offseason’s the offseason. Once we get onto the field, coaching the players, and game-planning and things like that, then that will all work itself out.”
No comments:
Post a Comment