The 2022 NFL season has been an up-and-down season for the New England Patriots.
The highs consist of winning 5 of 6 in October and into November. The lows consist of horrible late-game losses, including possibly the wildest regular season loss on an inexplicable final play in Las Vegas. But one constant that has remained steady throughout the season is the offense’s complete ineptitude and lack of explosiveness or creativity.
The Patriots rank in the bottom half of the league in almost every major offensive category, including total yards, yards per game, points per game, and red zone scoring, where they rank dead last.
It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that any change will be made because Bill Belichick is entirely unpredictable. But just about anyone can see changes that need to be made, so let’s look at some realistic options for 2023.
Options from outside the New England Patriots organizational tree: Frank Reich
I’m starting with Frank Reich because, in my opinion, he is absolutely the best option, and I’d really love for the idea to pick up steam. He’s not an obvious frontrunner because he is an outsider and doesn’t belong to the Bill Belichick family coaching tree. But that should not matter.
Reich has been excellent with young quarterbacks and has a history of helping turn around sluggish offenses and bringing them to the top half of the league in points scored. Reich was the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia when they drafted Carson Wentz in 2016.
Reich guided Wentz and the Eagles to finish 16th in points thatseason. In 2017, in just his second year, Wentz was the frontrunner for MVP before getting hurt.
The Eagles finished third in points that season and Frank Reich plugged Nick Foles into the offense, and they didn’t skip a beat. They marched to the Super Bowl, where they torched Belichik’s defense for 41 points on 373 passing yards from Foles and 538 total yards.
Foles was named Super Bowl MVP. In 2018 Reich was named the Head Coach of the Indianapolis Colts and led them to finish 5th in the NFL in points. After the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck following the 2018 season Reich still led first-year starter and former Patriot Jacoby Brissett and the Colts’ offense to finish 16th in points.
In 2019, Reich brought on Philip Rivers to play QB, and the Colts again finished in the top 10 in points. In 2020, the Colts finished 9th in points scored with Carson Wentz, proving that Frank can make his offense work with various skill sets and players at the QB position. He’s a phenomenal offensive mind with an excellent track record. He’s a former NFL QB and is a true QB coach. I don’t think there is a better option in 2023 for the Patriots QB room and this struggling New England offense.
Options from outside the Patriots organizational tree: Kliff Kingsbury
Some may consider Kliff a part of the New EnglandPatriots organizational family as he was drafted by Belichick and the Patriots in 2003, but he’s never been on a Bill Belichick coaching staff.
This is an odd one to have on the list, as he is still employed as the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals. And while I disagree and believe he should not lose his job, many speculate that Kingsbury is on the hot seat and may be looking for a new job in 2023.
If he is unemployed, he instantly becomes a legitimate candidate to be the Patriots OC in ’23, as he’s been a part of some of the best high-level offenses in the past decade. Kinsbury started his coaching career for the Division I Houston Cougars alongside brilliant offensive mind Dana Holgerson.
The two led Houston to one of the best offensive seasons in history, quarterbacked by Case Keenum. After Holgerson departed, Kingsbury took over play-calling duties and instantly gained national recognition earning the 2011 Offensive Coordinator of the Year award after Houston averaged over 50 points and nearly 600-yard per game. He then went to Texas A&M and called the offense, which helped QB Johnny Manzel win the Heisman Trophy.
After being hired by Texas Tech as the head coach, Kingsbury turned them into one of college football’s most prolific offenses. There is no doubt he is an innovative and brilliant offensive mind. He also knows how to get the most out of a quarterback’s skill set.
Options from inside the Bill Belichick coaching tree: Bill O’Brien
The talk of a Patriots and Bill O’Brien reunion has already started. The current OC at Alabama has seen his name in headlines as analysts from New England start the search for the Patriots next offensive play caller. And I’m not entirely opposed to it, as it’s a noticeable upgrade from what
the Patriots currently have. But it actually makes no sense for Bill O’Brien. Make no mistake about it; he wants to be an NFL head coach again. And unless Robert Kraft approaches O’Brien about the prospects of being Belichick’s successor, this move doesn’t make sense for Bill’s career path.
O’Brien currently leads one of the top offenses in college football with a streamline of the top offensive recruits in the country. If he wants another NFL head coaching job, there is no reason to leave the juggernaut that is Alabama football. His teams put up numbers, and O’Brien coaches many highly skilled offensive players.
Why would he leave that to come to New England and see if he can turn around this anemic offense? What if they struggle again in 2023? What if he doesn’t think Mac is the guy? Does any of that help him get back to the ranks of NFL head coaches? I don’t believe so.
Options from inside the Bill Belichick coaching tree: Nick Caley
Nick Caley is the current Tigh Ends coach for the New England Patriots. The most apparent reason Belichick may consider him is that he’s been in the building for the past eight seasons.
It’s hard to tell how much influence, if any, he’s been able to have on the 2022 Patriots offense, but the thought of promoting from inside the building sours when you consider just how brutal this season has been. But even before this season, Caley has seen his name on future NFL head coaching lists.
Want your voice heard? Join the Chowder And Champions team!
Belichick clearly likes him if he has been on the staff for the past eight seasons. If he wants to keep him in the building, a promotion to offensive coordinator may need to happen.
Mick Lombardi
For being just 33 years old, Lombardi has had an impressive track record as a professional football coach. He originally started with the New England Patriots in 2011 as a scouting assistant.
In 2013 he was named as an assistant to the head coach for Jim Harbaugh on the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff. After a two-year stint where he served with the Jets as an offensive assistant and an assistant quarterbacks coach, Lombardi made his way back to New England in 2019.
In 2020, Belichick promoted Lombardi to wide receivers coach. In 2022, after being named the Raiders head coach, Josh McDaniels hired Lombardi to be the Raider’s offensive coordinator. While Lombardi has the title in Las Vegas, McDaniels is still the play caller, so Lombardi’s role is limited. Belichick may be inclined to get Lombardi back by offering full-time play-calling duties in 2023.
He’s someone that understands how things work in New England and clearly has a bright future as an NFL coach ahead of him.