Former Patriots quarterback has strong words for Matt Patricia

Since his return to New England earlier this year, Matt Patricia has endured a lot of criticism. After being fired from his head coaching position in Detroit, many questioned Bill Belichick’s decision to bring his former defensive coordinator back on the staff. The concerns heightened shortly thereafter when Patricia presumably took over offensive play-calling duties after Josh McDaniels’ departure.

Although he hasn’t been officially named the offensive coordinator, Patricia was seen throughout the preseason calling plays and working with the offensive line. Joe Judge would partake in the offense as well and would focus on working with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Watching the offense struggle consistently through preseason practices and games set off alarms in those doubting Patricia’s fitness to fill McDaniels’ shoes. Because of his inexperience working with the offense, it became abundantly clear that what was happening was simply not working.

The offensive line couldn’t protect their quarterback, receivers couldn’t get open and Jones struggled to complete passes and maintain composure through pressure. The original concerns over the re-hiring of Patricia were brought up once again in conjunction with what was being seen throughout the summer.

Once the regular season began, not much changed in the Patriots’ first game against the Dolphins. In a brutal loss to a divisional rival, the offensive line was a complete disaster allowing two sacks for -20 yards and three QB hits including a strip sack for a touchdown. Given the performance offensively as a whole, it seemed fair for Patricia to be heavily scrutinized as it was certainly a game the team could’ve won.

Since that week one game, the Patriots offense has drastically improved. Despite their now 2-3 record, the offensive line has steadily become one of the most consistent units on the team. In their latest showing against the Lions in week five, Zappe was kept off the ground and barely pressured in their big win. It was a far cry from their performance throughout the entirety of the preseason.

Watching the offense’s progression over the last few weeks has caught the eye of several in the media, including former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel. When discussing the game in his latest appearance with NBC Sports Boston on Sunday, Cassel proclaimed that Patricia’s growth in his new position warrants praises now rather than questioning.

"“I think there was a tremendous amount of pressure coming into this season, deservedly so. But you look at him — and I was with him in Detroit. I also was with him when he was an offensive line assistant when I first got to New England. And I’ll tell you what, he’s really bright. And there’s nobody that works harder than Matt Patricia. I’ve always figured out that he’s going to find a way to make it work.”"

He went on to describe the different types of plays Patricia is implementing successfully and said it was clear the offense was finally starting to click.

"“You can see the evolution of this offense from Week 1 to what happened Week 2, 3, 4. Now we’re in Week 5 and you can see there’s a rhythm to this game. There’s not a lot of procedural issues at the line of scrimmage.”"

Cassel then complimented his former coordinator for how he has adjusted to so many changes at quarterback; from Mac Jones suffering an ankle sprain, to then working with Brian Hoyer in his absence, to developing a game plan curated around rookie Bailey Zappe, he’s made it work over the last few weeks.

"“So the variation of the run game, but then also understanding who your quarterback is. Understanding he’s a rookie on his first start, Getting him some good throws. Getting him into rhythm. Some screen passes as well. He didn’t overwhelm him with a lot of stuff, but I think he’s doing a tremendous job. The way that this offensive line’s playing too, he deserves a lot of credit for that.”"

How should Patricia’s performance be viewed since week one’s debacle? Cassel said he deserves to be praised.

"“A lot of people want to beat him up. I’m telling you, I want to praise him. He’s doing a great job.”"

Considering where the offense began this season, the Patriots dominating win over the highest-scoring offense in the Lions is nothing short of impressive. As they continue to improve every week and every game, Cassel’s point is completely valid and it’s time for Patricia to get his flowers. No matter the situation, he’s proven to put in the work to make the team better. And so far, it’s working.