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Patriots: An in-depth analysis of OC Josh McDaniels’ play-calls

By Mark Dhooge

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - FEBRUARY 02: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots talks during the New England Patriots practice on February 2, 2018 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The New England Patriots will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on February 4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - FEBRUARY 02: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots talks during the New England Patriots practice on February 2, 2018 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The New England Patriots will play the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII on February 4. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Being an Offensive Coordinator in the NFL isn’t easy; every decision is subject to criticism, from owners to head coaches to fans. More importantly, every call is critical to the outcome of the game and choosing the wrong play can oftentimes be costly.

New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels might be used to that pressure, having just finished his 12th season calling plays for the Patriots. But the 2020 season was a difficult one for McDaniels and the Pats offense for a few reasons:

  • COVID-19 protocols shifted daily operations
  • Roster lacked talent and depth
  • Cam Newton (QB1) joined the organization two months before the start of the season

All of the above proved to be too tall an order for the Patriots. And when you finish with the first losing season in 20 years, there’s plenty of blame to go around. So how much blame should be thrown Josh McDaniels’ way?

While he might be one of the top offensive coordinators in the NFL, there’s one glaring fact going against the Pats OC: their offense has sputtered down the stretch each of the last two seasons.

To get a better look at what the Patriots’ biggest issues were, I charted games at various points in the 2020 season.

  • Week 1 vs MIA
  • Week 7 vs SF
  • Week 11 vs HOU
  • Week 17 vs NYJ

The way an offensive coordinator calls a game can give you insight into what he thinks are the offenses biggest issues. So let’s take a look at what happened with the Patriots offense as the season progressed.

Week 1 vs Miami Dolphins

Personnel Groups: 8

Run Concepts: 10

QB Designed Runs: 14

Play-Action: 10

2-Man Pass Concepts: 12

3-Man Pass Concepts: 6

Top Runs: Lead, Power, Trap

Top Pass: Slant/Diagonal

Week 7 vs San Francisco 49ers

Personnel Groups: 3

Run Concepts: 9

QB Designed Runs: 3

Play-Action: 6

2-Man Pass Concepts: 12

3-Man Pass Concepts: 7

Top Runs: Draw, Trap

Top Pass: Go/Option

Week 11 vs Houston Texans

Personnel Groups: 4

Run Concepts: 9

QB Designed Runs: 3

Play-Action: 11

2-Man Pass Concepts: 21

3-Man Pass Concepts: 5

Top Runs: Crack Toss, Counter

Top Pass: HB Screen

Week 17 vs New York Jets

Personnel Groups: 2

Run Concepts: 8

QB Designed Runs: 8

Play-Action: 4

2-Man Pass Concepts: 14

3-Man Pass Concepts: 7

Top Runs: Trap, Power, Counter

Top Pass: In/Seam, Go/Option, Return/Wheel

One thing these charts identify, and what was obvious watching the games live, is how the Patriots offense lacked creativity. The complete run game was installed during preseason and used for all 16 games.

The passing attack utilized more two-man route combinations, which limited the passing game and gave Cam Newton little to work with. While Newton had his fair share of struggles this season, having mostly two options in the passing game each play certainly didn’t help.

So why did McDaniels seem to draw up the same game script week after week?

Injuries and lack of talent/depth.

Some injuries that affected the offense were more obvious than most. Julian Edelman’s absence made a young WR room have to grow up fast. And we all know about the TE struggles this year.

But while the skill position injuries were well-known, one position group that had to shuffle around due to injuries was the offensive line. Being one of the best run blocking groups in football made it easier to overlook their struggles with pass protection.

Was it all the O-Line’s fault? Of course not. QB play, receivers struggling to get open, and RBs in pass pro all played a part. But it’s definitely worth noting that when Isaiah Wynn went down, the Patriots’ pass protection suffered.

No question week to week game plans and opponents dictate how the game script changes. And while I think it’s fair to give McDaniels a pass on the 2020 season after all they were up against, if he doesn’t get the offense playing at a high level in 2021, it might be time for a change.

So if I’m Josh McDaniels, I’d be in Bill Belichick’s office every day trying to convince him to go get Allen Robinson II and Jonnu Smith.

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