Patriots’ Alex Van Pelt ‘Excited’ To Return To Offensive Play-Calling

FOXBORO, Mass. — While Alex Van Pelt brings several new aspects to the New England Patriots, he will have to reacquaint himself with one coaching skill: calling plays.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski called the plays when Van Pelt served as the offensive coordinator in Cleveland.

That’s not to say Van Pelt hasn’t called plays before. In addition to doing so at previous coaching stops, the 53-year-old put on a masterclass when Stefanski missed a playoff game due to COVID-19 during the 2020 season. In that wild-card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns scored four touchdowns in the first quarter during an eventual 48-37 victory.

Van Pelt also shared he has called plays in Gillette Stadium before. That came during the 2009 season opener in a thrilling comeback victory for the Patriots over Van Pelt’s then-Buffalo Bills. The game also served as Tom Brady’s regular-season return after he tore his ACL in 2008.

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With his next play-calling opportunity in New England as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, Van Pelt embraced the opportunity to implement his previous learning experiences.

“It’s definitely different,” Van Pelt said at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. “There’s more responsibility when you’re calling plays. I’m excited about doing it. I’ve had opportunities to do it in the past.”

Van Pelt joked with reporters that his opportunity with NFL Europe got the process started, though he didn’t always have success.

“I made a ton of mistakes and nobody cared,” Van Pelt joked. “They just wanted to see you kick the ball as much as possible.”

Van Pelt said he looks forward to a “collaborative” effort with input coming from a larger offensive staff.

In terms of the scheme he brings to the Patriots, Van Pelt noted that he has crafted his offense with inspiration from Stefanski’s system, though he believes offenses evolve based on personnel and still takes inspiration from several other systems.

With play-calling duties back on his resume, Van Pelt looks to reshape the Patriots offense, which was the lowest scoring offense in the NFL during the 2023 season.