With the introduction of a new head coach (usually) comes an entire new coaching staff, as well, which was the hope from Patriots fans after watching how poorly the team performed under Jerod Mayo last season. There was a lot of scrutiny on the entire group, but especially on offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, so the consensus wanted to see a more highly regarded play-caller replace him for the 2025 season.
Given the difficulty the team had with finding a suitable replacement for Josh McDaniels over the last three seasons, who would be Van Pelt's successor was a controversial topic. Besides looking for a much more qualified candidate, there was a palatable thirst for someone who would catapult Drake Maye into the next stratosphere, which is not want Van Pelt did during his rookie season.
That inevitably led to a lot of debate when it was announced that McDaniels would return to the role for his third tenure, as many believed his experience was impressive but outdated.
There was a fair argument in that regard, especially when looking at the last few years of McDaniels' time in New England. However, learning that he had actively worked on improving and updating his playbook by spending time at different colleges over the past year brought on a bit more optimism that he was the right guy for Maye.
And now there's even more reason to believe that with the latest comments from former Patriots running back Brandon Bolden.
Josh McDaniels offense is (hopefully) not too good to be true for Drake Maye
During a recent appearance on the "Raw Room" podcast, Bolden spoke about working with McDaniels throughout his Patriots career and the kind of offense he would run.
In a very detailed response, Bolden spoke about the key of what made the Patriots offense so good under the offensive coordinator, pointing out a little-known part of how they would game plan every week.
Former #Patriots RB Brandon Bolden on Josh McDaniels’ offense:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 4, 2025
“The offense is set up for you to take away somebody, so he can find somebody else. This play is for Gronk. Take Gronk away, I’m going to Julian right here. Take Julian away, I’m gonna hit the [running] back. You… pic.twitter.com/jVjWjxXnmj
Because there are so many questions surrounding what his playbook might look like in his return to New England and working with Maye, Bolden's insight is exactly what Patriots fans need to hear and should be excited about.
Looking back on the years Bolden and the teammates he mentioned were on the team, it's hard to argue that Maye wouldn't absolutely thrive under those conditions. Knowing he can watch all the Tom Brady tape he desires and learn firsthand from one of the guys who helped create the GOAT could make the second-year quarterback rise to the top of the league in no time.
Despite the questions regarding McDaniels' fit with the current offense, there's no reason to believe that he won't elevate Maye to the level that Patriots fans have long desired in a quarterback since Brady left in 2020. Couple that with the new regime's desire to put together a much improved offense and the Patriots will be back on track as soon as next season.