Patriots Coaches Joe Judge, Matt Patricia Offer Thoughts On Mac Jones

We don’t know much about what Joe Judge and Matt Patricia will be doing this season, but we do know they both will be coaching on the offensive side of the ball for the Patriots.

So, by default, they’ll be working closely with Mac Jones. And, like many others, Patricia and Judge like what they’ve seen from the sophomore quarterback.

Patricia, who rejoined New England last year as a “senior football advisor” after being fired as head coach of the Detroit Lions, confirmed Monday that he currently is working with offensive linemen but deflected questions about potentially calling plays on offense. Judge, back with the Patriots after recently being fired by the New York Giants in January, was similarly mum on play-calling rumors but confirmed he is working closely with Jones and other skill players.

Multiple rumors indicate Patricia primarily will coach the offensive line with Judge working as the quarterbacks coach. At least one report indicates they could compete during training camp for lead play-calling duties.

While speaking with reporters Monday, both offered their thoughts on Jones, who is coming off an impressive rookie campaign.

Judge: “I liked the way he handled and commanded the huddle and the team last year when we practiced against him,” Judge said about Patriots-Giants joint practices last summer. “That was the thing that stood out to me. Not the completions, incompletions, whatever it may be. It was just really seeing him interact. … I had the opportunity to listen to both huddles. When he stepped into the huddle, you could hear command, you could see the players’ eyes on him. That’s something that really stood out to me when you walked off the field. Like, ‘OK, they’re going to be all right with this young guy.'”

Patricia: “Just kinda watching him last year and, really, coming out of college … one of the things you notice about Mac right away when you’re around him a lot is just how hard he works. He’s a very, very bright kid. He picks up the offense very quickly. He’s got, just, a great football mind. And that’s something, as a young player … you look at players that are coming into the league, and you think, ‘How much can they handle? How much can they do? Where are the stumbling blocks? Where are you going to run to any sort of brick walls?’ I think he just tried to really plow ahead and it was pretty remarkable, with our offensive system and the cadences and the different communication with the looks and the formations and the plays. Really, for a young guy, he just didn’t miss a beat. It was very, very impressive from that standpoint. And he works extremely hard.”

Judge and Patricia likely will get extended work with Jones next Monday when the Patriots begin organized team activity (OTA) workouts.