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Which Patriots’ coach should call the plays in 2022?

By Lou Scataglia

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (R) talks with Special Teams Coordinator Joe Judge (L) in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots (R) talks with Special Teams Coordinator Joe Judge (L) in the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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As of now, there is not a clear offensive play-caller for Patriots yet this offseason. Which coach should take this responsibility?

So far, during the 2022 NFL offseason, all of Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia, and Joe Judge have all been involved on the offensive side of the ball.  One of the three is likely to call the plays for the Patriots in 2022, but who should it be?

The team obviously lost Josh McDaniels to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, and the team hasn’t been able to pin down a play-caller since.

It’s an unusual situation for the team, but I can’t help but think that it’ll all work itself out as the season progresses.  The Patriots did have one of the highest scoring offenses in the NFL last year with a rookie quarterback, but was that mostly because of McDaniels, who is now getting to work with Derek Carr and Davante Adams.

Again, we’ll see how this plays out when week one approaches, but who of the three names listed is best suited to call plays on offense?

Let’s take a semi-deep dive into each candidate to see who should call the plays.

Joe Judge is rather simple.  Since his coaching career began in 2008, he has served as a special team’s coach/assistant each year, minus the two years he was the head coach of the New York Giants.

Obviously, the Giants’ offense was nothing special in 2020 or 2021, but perhaps that was more because of Daniel Jones, and less because of Judge.

Joe Judge is an offensive assistant for the Patriots.  Even though he is a special team’s coach, a coach at the NFL level has a deep understanding of every phase of the team.  He has been involved with the Patriots since 2012, obviously not including his two years as head coach in New York.

Matt Patricia seems to have a bit more qualifications to be an offensive play-caller.  Minus his three years as head coach of the Detroit Lions, Patricia has coached in an offensive role in two seasons, as an offensive assistant in 2004, and an assistant offensive line coach in 2005.

His longest coaching stint with the club was from 2012-2017, where he was the team’s defensive coordinator.

Again, because he’s an NFL coach, he has a deep knowledge off offense, defense, and special teams, and also brings more offensive coaching experience to the table than Joe Judge has.

Matt Patricia has been with the Patriots longer than Judge as well.

Bill Belichick has been the head coach of the Patriots since 2000, but served in various defensive and special team’s roles since 1976.  He actually also served as the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions in 1977.

Belichick is the best NFL coach of all-time, and I don’t think it’s a question.  He’s seen the game from every angle possible, is the architect of what the New England Patriots have become and is probably the smartest man in every room he walks into.

Belichick’s lack of offensive coaching experience should not deter anyone from thinking he would do a great job.

Belichick is easily the best candidate to call the plays, but perhaps that is not something he would be comfortable taking on his plate so late in his career.

If it’s between Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, I think Patricia is the better candidate to call the Patriots’ plays in 2022, but Belichick could easily make the call for himself.

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