INDIANAPOLIS — The New England Patriots badly needed someone to fix their offense after the Matt Patricia/Joe Judge experiment went awry this season.
Nick Caserio believes Bill O’Brien is the perfect man for the job.
Caserio worked with O’Brien during the latter’s initial stint with the Patriots, which spanned from 2007 to 2011 and included three seasons as New England’s offensive play-caller. In a conversation with NESN.com at the NFL Scouting Combine, the Houston Texans general manager raved about O’Brien’s coaching prowess and called him an ideal addition to Bill Belichick’s staff.
“I loved it,” Caserio said, recalling their five-year overlap in Foxboro. “Loved working with him. He was great to work with. We had a lot of success together. He’s a very smart, thoughtful coach that can adjust and adapt regardless of the circumstance. You go back and look at some of the things we did offensively in the different years. A couple of those years, we were living in more 12 personnel (with) how we deployed the tight ends.”
In O’Brien’s three seasons in charge of New England’s offense, the Patriots ranked sixth, first and third in scoring and first, first and third in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. Tom Brady won one of his three NFL MVP awards under O’Brien’s watch, and his game-planning helped Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez put together the best season ever by a tight end duo.
O’Brien’s extensive experience coaching quarterbacks — he later worked with Deshaun Watson in Houston and possible No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young at Alabama — should be an asset for Mac Jones, who regressed under Patricia and Judge’s tutelage in 2022. His prior success with tight ends also could help New England finally get its money’s worth out of high-priced signees Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith.
“Billy’s had success wherever he’s been, whether as a head coach or as a coordinator,” said Caserio, who coached Patriots receivers in 2007 before shifting back to the front office for O’Brien’s final four seasons. “He’s been part of a lot of great offenses. I think he’s going to do a great job. I think he’s going to be a great asset to the organization. He’s going to be a great asset to the players. I’m sure he’s excited about the opportunity to come home, so I’m certainly excited for him.”
Caserio’s comments echoed remarks from former Patriots coordinator Josh McDaniels, who also applauded O’Brien’s strong track record of offensive success.
Hiring O’Brien was one of Belichick’s first offseason moves after the Patriots finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. The 53-year-old Andover, Mass., native will serve as New England’s offensive coordinator and QBs coach, spearheading a staff that includes two other newcomers in Adrian Klemm (O-line) and Will Lawing (tight ends).
Judge attended the East-West Shrine Bowl and NFL combine with the Patriots and is expected to remain on staff in an unspecified new position. Patricia’s status with the team remains unclear.
Both Patricia and Judge lacked experience in their respective roles calling plays and coaching quarterbacks, and the Patriots’ offense suffered as a result. That group should be in much better hands in 2023.
“We had a good working relationship,” Caserio said of O’Brien. “He’s very invested in football. He’s very invested in the process. He’s very shrewd and he’s very smart when it comes to offensive football, and he can adjust and adapt. Personally and professionally, I have a lot of respect, appreciation and admiration for him, and I certainly wish him nothing but the best.”
