There were many initial questions about Mike Vrabel's decision to bring back Josh McDaniels as the Patriots' offensive coordinator this offseason, mostly about how he would pair with Drake Maye, since he hadn't been very successful with quarterbacks other than Tom Brady.
Despite that, he has helped elevate the 23-year-old to the most impressive second-year jump seen in recent memory, if ever, and McDaniels has given a lot of credit for that from his time away from the NFL after being fired by the Raiders.
His intellect in working with a player like Maye has put the Patriots in a position to compete in the playoffs, with some of his recent play-calling reminiscent of some of the most successful years in New England's dynasty.
That's something that several analysts have noticed, even former players like wide receiver Chris Hogan, who mentioned some of the trick calls that were made against the Dolphins in Week 18 as a reason to believe there are more plays like that likely to be seen, as they head into the playoffs.
And that might be required if they hope to go beyond the first round.
Chris Hogan believes we'll see even more trickery from Josh McDaniels as the Patriots begin the postseason
During a recent episode of "The Patriots Report," Hogan credited McDaniels for his recent playcalling and firmly believes more is on the way, and based on what we've already seen and how successful it has been, there might be a need for those kinds of calls against the talent they'll inevitably face in the playoffs, hopefully beyond just the Chargers.
.@ChrisHogan_15 & I are both picking the Patriots over the Chargers. And after calling a flea flicker *and* a direct snap vs. Miami, Hogan believes Josh McDaniels has more trickery up his sleeve in the postseason.@BleavNetwork | @FanDuel
— Christopher Price (@cpriceglobe) January 6, 2026
Full ep. here: https://t.co/aDW0LicSS4 pic.twitter.com/QtoRLqRY1f
Although the infamous flea flicker was essentially used in a game that didn't matter much, which justifies Hogan's disappointment, it seems like a sneak peek into what McDaniels has in store for the playoffs.
Because Maye has become comfortable with the game planning throughout the season, and he's been able to watch Tom Brady film, it would be unsurprising if some of his more well-known plays are recycled this weekend, and we'll be talking about a big moment after a (hopeful) win.
Considering the defense they'll be facing i the Chargers, they Patriots might need to rely on some plays they haven't used much or at all to get the momentum in their favor.
Hogan knows what McDaniels is capable of from his years with the Patriots, so his insight means a bit more than any speculation from those in the media. But we've also seen the playcalling evolve throughout the year, so it's inevitable that we'll see a bit more from McDaniels on Sunday night, and it will be interesting to see what that is with Maye under center.