Alex Van Pelt’s Goal For Offense Could Divide Patriots Fans

The New England Patriots offense is undergoing an overhaul for the second straight season, and Alex Van Pelt seems to have an interesting emphasis for the unit.

After the disaster of Matt Patricia calling offensive plays, Bill O’Brien was brought in before the 2023 season to steer the ship in the right direction. That turned into an utter failure, and O’Brien took his bags to Chestnut Hill to become the new Boston College head coach.

Based on his tenure with the Cleveland Browns, Van Pelt’s focus for New England likely will be to run the ball and attack with play-action passes downfield. You also can add a heavy emphasis on screen passes, too. That’s according to running back JaMychal Hasty who told reporters Friday that the Patriots offensive coordinator’s goal is to be “to be the best screen team in the NFL,” per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

The sound of that either delighted Patriots fans or caused them to scream in horror. On one hand, one of Maye’s highlights from his second preseason game was a screen pass to Hasty that came well-timed against a blitz. On the other hand, fans might have flashbacks to the ineffective screen game run by Mac Jones during his tenure.

There might be unique concepts around the screen game, but it also could highlight a coaching staff that understands they have a weak offensive line, so instead of generating chunk yards through the run game, the screen game will have to suffice.

This also could be reading way too much into comments from a player whose skillset fits what Van Pelt is looking for and would make a strong case for him to be the third running back on the roster. But with teams hiding their best stuff during the preseason, it might be something for fans to latch onto before the regular season begins.