If there were a worse week for Matt Patricia and the New England Patriots to play the Las Vegas Raiders, I can’t find it on the schedule.
On Sunday in Las Vegas (4:05 p.m. ET on FOX), Patricia, the Patriots’ current offensive playcaller, will go up against former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who won six Super Bowls with New England.
And Mac Jones misses his ex.
It was abundantly clear on Monday night that the Patriots second-year QB is growing tired of Patricia’s offense. Jones grew dismissive of Patricia during the course of the game with body language that demonstrated obvious strain in their relationship, even in a win.
Mac Jones has colorful outburst with Patriots coaches
Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes discuss New England’s Week 14 win over Arizona. QB Mac Jones was seen having a verbal altercation with Patriots coaches during the first half and then hugging it out later.
Jones completed 68.6% of his passes for 235 yards and an interception. Twelve of his 24 completions were on screen passes. That stat should raise an eyebrow because, just one week after Jones was spotted on the sideline yelling “the quick game sucks” at Patricia, the offensive playcaller dialed up a game plan loaded with the quick game.
Was the game plan a flex from Patricia on Jones? Either way, the offense looks different than it did in 2021, when McDaniels designed and called plays. Jones looks substantially worse.
So since we’re playing a game of compare and contrast, let’s compare Jones’ comments on Patricia to his comments on McDaniels over the past few weeks.
First: Patricia.
“I think I want to be coached harder. I want to be a better player,” Jones said postgame on Dec. 1 after New England’s 24-10 loss to Buffalo. “The coaches have given us everything they’ve got.”
What Jones didn’t say: Everything they’ve got has not been enough.
OK, now let’s check in on what Jones said about McDaniels.
“I think Josh is a great coach. He pushed me really hard and coached me hard,” the Patriots quarterback said Tuesday on WEEI sports radio.
If these two comments are a coincidence, then it’s a striking one.
With one coach (McDaniels), Jones got the hard coaching he wanted. With his current coach (Patricia), Jones is left wanting more.
The most obvious point of regression for Jones is his touchdown to interception ratio. In 2021, he threw 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 17 games. In 2022, Jones has seven touchdowns and eight interceptions in 10 games. You can point to the offensive line as a source of Jones’ issues. But Patricia is also New England’s offensive line coach. So he must take fault for the lackluster game plans and playcalling — along with the poor protection from the offensive line in the passing game.
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We already knew McDaniels was an excellent coordinator before he left the Patriots. His departure merely affirmed that. And it’s growing pretty clear, simultaneously, that Patricia isn’t the man for the job.
Bill Belichick has deferred personnel decisions to the offseason, so — for now — we’ll table the discussion of what the Patriots will do about the underachieving tandem of Jones and Patricia. For now, they’re stuck with each other.
The Patriots-Raiders game will be an interesting opportunity for McDaniels to prove he’s a capable head coach. Back when he was the head coach in Denver, McDaniels beat Belichick. Former Belichick assistants have a strange history of taking down their former employers. And that’s why McDaniels’ 5-8 Raiders — who have also underachieved this year — have a good shot at beating New England.
It’s almost impossible to imagine the Raiders making the postseason. They’d surely have to win out in the final four games — and have some other teams lose out. I don’t see Vegas beating the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17 or the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18. Maybe the Raiders steal one, but not both.
But if McDaniels can win two or three games in this final stretch, then maybe he can retain his job for 2023.
That’s what this game is about for McDaniels, Patricia and Jones: survival.
With all three of them struggling in 2022, their employers have to wonder whether they’re truly the men for the job. And during the offseason, all three of them are in danger of getting replaced. A win would go a long way in affirming confidence. McDaniels has to remind Raiders owner Mark Davis why he’s a competent head coach. Patricia and Jones have to remind Belichick that they’re competent.
Naturally, McDaniels downplayed the importance of this particular matchup.
“This is an important game for the Raiders, whether we were playing the Patriots or another team,” he said last week. “I don’t really put any stock into the different things. … It is what it is.”
Maybe.
Still, it’s possible — even probable — that someone on the losing end of this game will also lose his job in the next five months. Because right now, they all look like they’re out of their depth.
