Broncos raise eyebrows with DC candidate interview

On Thursday, Denver made Patricia's interview moot by hiring Vance Joseph as DC, per NFL Network.

In 2022, Patricia served as offensive play caller for New England, which struggled on offense. New England was seventh worst in yards per game (314.6) and middle of the pack in scoring (21.4 points per game). After a promising rookie season, quarterback Mac Jones regressed in nearly every major category in 2022, including TD passes (22 to 14).

That led head coach Bill Belichick to remove Patricia as play caller after one season and replace him with former NFL head coach Bill O’Brien, who most recently served as Alabama's offensive coordinator. O'Brien will be offensive coordinator in New England.

From 2018-20, Patricia served as Lions head coach, where he went 13-29 before being fired. Detroit finished last in the NFC North each season, and Patricia rubbed the media and fans the wrong way with his gruff demeanor and comments.

From 2012-17, Patricia served as Patriots defensive coordinator, a span that included three Super Bowl titles in New England. He was widely considered a top assistant in the league before becoming a head coach. But that was five seasons ago, and there is now much more data on Patricia as a coach.

Patricia’s recent failures have also caused some to wonder how much of a hand he had in the Patriots’ defense under noted defensive expert Bill Belichick. Patricia, like many other Patriots defensive assistants, hasn’t found success away from Belichick.

The Broncos ultimately passed on Patricia, but it's hard to believe he ever got his foot in the door.