New offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien is already making an impact on his return to New England Patriots as they try to bounce back from a disappointing season marred poor play and coaching.
Quarterback Mac Jones endured a sophomore slump after an encouraging rookie year, although he was certainly not helped by the coaching setup around him with head coach Bill Belichick tasking defensive minds Matt Patricia and Joe Judge to run the offense.
The Pats missed the playoffs, finishing 8-9 after losing five of the final seven games down the stretch, prompting a re-think ahead of a crucial training camp this summer as Belichick and his staff look to steer Jones back on track heading into his third year.
Former Houston Texans head coach O'Brien has rejoined the staff more than a decade on from leaving New England, and according to NFL insider Mike Giardi, he has already made his mark back in Foxborough, with a firm warning sent to Jones and his teammates that another season of moribund play on offence will not be tolerated.
"For whatever reasons last year – coaching, talent, attitude – there were a lot of bad plays on tape," a source familiar with the Patriots' receiving group told Giardi. "This year, that won't be tolerated. Do it right, or you'll be standing next to him, watching."
The Patriots built their dynasty – winning six Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Belichick in tandem – on ruthlessness in their decision-making and obsessing over execution, and news that higher standards are being demanded on offense will delight fans after watching one of the NFL's least dynamic teams last season.
O'Brien was most recently the offensive coordinator at Alabama, working with last month's first overall pick Bryce Young, but he was also on the Patriots' staff from 2007-11.
He was the offensive coordinator in his final year in Foxborough when the Pats racked up a 13-3 record with one of the most explosive passing attacks in the NFL as Tom Brady led the team to the Super Bowl only to suffer a shock defeat to Eli Manning and the New York Giants.
O'Brien briefly worked with Jones – who is working with his third coordinator in three seasons – in 2021 when the quarterback was preparing to enter the NFL Draft. The process coincided with O'Brien joining the coaching staff in Tuscaloosa and Jones helped him get acclimated with the facility and the verbiage of the offence.
Former first-round pick Jones led New England to the playoffs in his rookie year with a respectable passer rating of 92.5 before being blown out by the Buffalo Bills in the Wildcard round, but his play regressed in year two and he finished the season with a rating of 84.8 and his passing yards and completion percentage dipped significantly.
O'Brien is the man charged with getting him back on track and, speaking in April after his appointment was confirmed, the new OC told ESPN Jones had a clean slate going into the new season.
"Fresh start," he said. "It's really not anything about what's gone on in the past. That's one of our themes on offence, to move forward."
