Mac Jones explains how Bill O’Brien's, Matt Patricia’s coaching styles differ
The offensive disconnect on a week-to-week basis was clear to anyone who watched a New England Patriots game in 2022.
So when head coach Bill Belichick decided to shake things up during the offseason, it was clear that a reunion with former offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien was the shot in the arm the team needed.
O’Brien and Jones spent quite a bit of time together from April through June. The two have reportedly built quite a rapport, and O'Brien's offensive philosophy — one that resembles what the Pats ran under former offensive coordinator and current Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels plus what Alabama runs under Nick Saban — plays to quarterback Mac Jones' strengths.
The 24-year-old QB has experience with both, as does O’Brien, who seems to be open to giving Jones a bit more freedom offensively than Patricia did.
“We definitely are on the same page, and we’re building that trust,” Jones recently told SI.com’s Albert Breer. “That’s one thing that’s big between the quarterback and the coordinator, regardless of who it is: He has to trust you, and then you have to be able to trust him.”
Jones saw his first preseason action in Saturday’s 21-17 win over the Green Bay Packers. He completed 6-of-9 passes for 52 yards, and while those numbers may not jump off the page, it’s a marked improvement from the two preseason games Jones played in last season.
Less than three weeks away from the Pats’ season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 10, O’Brien’s addition seems to be paying off in spades as Jones appears to be in a much better headspace than he was at the same point last year when Matt Patricia was calling plays.
“[O’Brien is] a straight-up guy, not only as a coach but as a person,” Jones added. “He’s going to let you know, ‘Hey, you’re not doing this right. Hey, you’re doing this really well.’ Some coaches will tell you, but then they don’t give you a plan to fix it. I think the coolest part is he gives you the plan, and then from there, you got to go out and execute it. Something might pop up in OTAs where I did something wrong. He’s like, ‘Well, do this throw instead of that throw.’ Next thing you know, it comes up today at practice.”
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