Patriots Rumors: Matt Patricia Took OC Role as Favor to Bill Belichick

Matt Patricia wasn't all that enthusiastic about taking over as the New England Patriots de facto offensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 NFL season.

The Boston Globe's Ben Volin reported Wednesday that Patricia "didn't really want to be offensive coordinator, but did it as a favor to Belichick, who needed someone he could trust."

Officially, the Patriots didn't have an offensive coordinator, and Patricia was the offensive line coach and a senior football advisor. But he basically ran the offense as the designated play-caller.

It was a puzzling decision from the start.

Patricia's coaching stock was at its nadir thanks to a three-year run with the Detroit Lions when he posted a 13-29-1 record.

But Josh McDaniels followed a similar arc, returning to the Patriots in 2012 following a terrible spell coaching the Denver Broncos. He ultimately parlayed his second run with New England into not one but two head coaching opportunities if you count the time he left the Indianapolis Colts at the altar.

For Patricia, the doubt largely stemmed from the fact he had spent almost his entire coaching career to that point focusing on the defensive side of the ball. He served as an offensive assistant in 2004 and assistant offensive line coach in 2005, which was the extent of his specialization on offense in the NFL.

Volin described Patricia as "the least qualified offensive coordinator in the NFL in 2022."

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Patriots finished 24th in offensive efficiency, down from ninth when McDaniels was the offensive coordinator in 2021, per Football Outsiders. Mac Jones' development on the field stagnated as well, and it briefly led to a quarterback battle in New England.

Patricia is no longer in charge of the offense, with Bill O'Brien being hired for the OC role. But his promotion in the first place was the kind of thing that raises serious questions about the Patriots' continued direction in a post-Tom Brady era.

Belichick's is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

But New England hasn't won a playoff game since 2018 and missed the postseason altogether in two of the last three years.

Even a legendary figure such as Belichick can only coast on past success for so long.

Depending on how the 2023 season unfolds, you can't help but wonder whether the Patriots may have to ponder some difficult changes regarding their coaching situation.