Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph clearly doesn’t mind telling it like it is, and he made a point to do so when speaking about the New England Patriots offense on Thursday.
“It’s like a defensive guy is calling the offense,” Joseph said. “It’s like a defensive guy would call plays. Let’s not turn the ball over. Let’s get four yards a play and try to burn clock. That’s what they are doing. And that’s what they’re going to do on Monday night. He’s going to be patient, may take a shot from time to time, but for the most part, it’s running game, quick game and screens.”
“It’s like a defensive guy calling offense.”
Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph on the Patriots offensive play calling. pic.twitter.com/VeNFPHqg06
— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) December 8, 2022
Did Joseph just take a shot at the Patriots’ offensive play-calling?
Not at all. The Cardinals’ defensive coordinator simply answered the question asked to him truthfully. A defensive guy calling the offense is exactly what the Patriots look like with Matt Patricia as the play-caller.
The former longtime defensive coordinator had no extensive experience as an offensive play-caller up to this point, but coach Bill Belichick made the decision to hand him the reins of the offense instead of making an outside hire.
Since that decision, the Patriots offense has sunk to the bottom-half of the league in average points and yards this season. They’re also currently ranked dead last in the league in red zone scoring. The unit has taken a nosedive off a cliff with Patricia overseeing things.
But then again, the Cardinals defense hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, either. That unit is bleeding both yards and points this season. Only the Detroit Lions are allowing more points on average than Joseph’s defense right now.
If the lifeless Patriots offense needed any bulletin board material heading into Monday’s game, these comments are worthy of being mad about.
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