As questions regarding the offensive play-caller for the New England Patriots continue to go unanswered, there’s been ongoing speculation about the role Bill Belichick could have on that side of the ball.
Belichick, of course, hasn’t provided much insight into who will be calling offensive plays besides implying that it wasn’t an ongoing competition between offensive line coach Matt Patricia and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge. Those two have continued to split the responsibility throughout training camp, including New England’s preseason opener last week against the New York Giants.
But could Belichick actually be the one who takes over that role when the season gets going? Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer went on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on Wednesday and added another element into the ongoing conversation.
“I know from Patriot-connected people there’s at least some perception out there that Belichick could eventually wind up calling the plays,” Breer said on the radio during the second day of joint practices between the Patriots and Panthers. “And one thing I can tell you for sure, having talked to Panthers people, is that in two minute, the last couple of days, Bill was calling the offense. And it’s one thing that they all noticed.”
The insight into the two-minute drill, while very interesting, could mean very little in the grand scheme of things. Patricia and Judge have been splitting time on the headset with Belichick on it, as well. But it also is rather intriguing given the two-minute offense usually is run during the most important times of the game. Belichick taking on that responsibility rather than having Patricia or Judge practice it themselves might be telling.
That nugget of information from Breer came after he gave his overarching take on the whole situation.
“I think that’s the process they’re going through as much as anything else: Untangling the offense and making it simpler,” Breer said. “The play-calling thing still confounds me. I think that’s hard when your quarterback may not be sure which voice he’s going to hear on game day. And I know this thing might not look great at first, but I didn’t see the train wreck (Wednesday) that maybe I heard about the last few weeks.”
Breer isn’t alone in his take regarding the offense during joint practices. Many reports indicated the progress while noting how the Patriots received positive performances from receivers like DeVante Parker and Nelson Agholor, specifically. The first of two sessions was said to be a “dominant” day for the defense, as well.
The Patriots and Panthers now will get set for their preseason matchup Friday night at Gillette Stadium. All eyes will be on New England’s offense, and specifically the play-caller.
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