Alex Van Pelt received a lot of criticism from fans over the state of New England’s offense, but a Patriots insider believes the offensive coordinator deserves much more credit.
New England ranked 30th in offensive DVOA and EPA per play after Week 6. Drake Maye provided hope when he helped the offense score 21 points, the most it scored all season, in a loss to the Houston Texans. Maye’s development will be key for the rest of the season, but some fans and analysts wondered if Van Pelt was the right man for the job. NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran made the case for the offensive coordinator as being the most beneficial person for the rookie quarterback.
“I think Van Pelt helps him the most as much as we’re having fun treating him as a piñata because of where they rank in the metric of NFL production on offense. It’s a horrible roster,” Curran told Adam Jones and Rich Keefe on WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” on Tuesday. “We continue to look at this guy and be surprised there’s a sun up there. It’s a bad roster. Alex Van Pelt I think is the one thing you can look at that’s helping them. Former quarterback of the league, understands and has developed quarterbacks, is installing a regiment that I think has made Drake Maye look over the course of time from when he was drafted in April to now. He’s miles different. He’s better than he was in April.”
Maye will get his second start when the Patriots play the Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday in London. The matchup projects to be easier for the rookie than the Texans defense, but there will be a keen eye on the play-calling for Maye’s next start.
Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
