Tag: joe judge

Mac Jones shares his reaction to Patriots adding Joe Judge to offensive staff

How might Joe Judge change the trajectory of Mac Jones’ career?

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqby79hc76t2s390 player_id=none image=https://patriotswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has seen the majority of the team’s offensive staff — and his support system — depart for Las Vegas.

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels took the Raiders’ vacancy at head coach. And McDaniels brought the following assistants with him: receivers coach Mick Lombardi, assistant quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. New England looks diminished in terms of coaching talent on the offensive side of the ball — especially considering running backs coach Ivan Fears is expected to retire.

So … now what?

Well, the Patriots added former Giants coach Joe Judge, who is a former receivers coach and special teams coordinator. He’s rejoining the team as an offensive coaching assistant.

“I know he’s gonna be a part of our group and we’re excited,” Jones said of Judge during an interview with Phil Perry for Nex Pats Podcast last week. “I know he has a lot of experience with our system and all that, so I’m looking forward to meeting him. I talked to him a little bit in the practices and training camp (in 2021). I don’t really know him very well personally or anything, but I’m sure we’re gonna talk and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

Judge’s offense in New York struggled, largely due to issues from Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who hasn’t panned out since the team drafted him in the first round in 2019. New England’s success in 2022 will rely upon the team’s ability to get the most out of Jones, who had a solid rookie season but will need to be substantially better if the Patriots are to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

[listicle id=118311]

Could Matt Patricia factor into Patriots’ plan for offensive coaching staff?

Matt Patricia started on the offensive side of the ball with the Patriots for two seasons.

Simply put, the New England Patriots have some work to do to rebuild the coaching staff on offense.

Josh McDaniels, who took the Las Vegas Raiders head-coaching job, was the first domino to fall. Then followed assistant quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, wide receivers coach Mick Lombardi and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo — all joining the Raiders.

The only real clarity on replacements for these departures is the return of Joe Judge, who’s taking the role of an offensive assistant. Judge, formerly the Patriots’ special teams coordinator, left for two seasons to coach the New York Giants. He finished with a 10-23 record and as it currently stands, he’s better off in an assistant coaching role.

Judge coached defense early in his career and has primarily spent time as a special teams coach over the past decade. His expertise isn’t with offense and he’ll need help while navigating this new role.

Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien seemed like a strong candidate, having spent a year as the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2011. But it doesn’t appear the Patriots will bring him in as their next offensive coordinator. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport shut that idea down by saying it will reportedly be Judge’s offense — and that New England will go without an offensive coordinator. They split the duties into a committee.

This is where Matt Patricia’s name could come into the fold.

Outside of Patricia’s three-year head coaching stint with the Detroit Lions, he’s been a loyal confidant to Bill Belichick since 2004. His first two years as an NFL coach were with the Patriots as an offensive assistant and assistant offensive line coach. He had the experience on the offensive side of the ball for three years in Detroit with Matthew Stafford, who just won a Super Bowl, in his locker room.

Patricia is currently a senior football advisor for the Patriots, but his background is on the sidelines and in the mix as a coach. Despite having less experience on the defensive side of the ball, Patricia and Judge have institutional knowledge and the trust of Belichick.

These factors are extremely important when it comes to shaping a young quarterback, like Mac Jones, and cultivating an offense that compliments the Patriots’ defense. Rapoport also reported that Belichick could play a role in offensive play-calling, similar to what he does on defense currently. But the Patriots clearly need more experience on the offensive side of the ball. While Patricia doesn’t have offensive-specific, he does have plenty of coaching experience in a number of roles, from head coach to defensive coordinator to positional coach. Perhaps he’d bring stability to that offensive staff.

It’s difficult to anticipate or predict Belichick’s next move, but he could take the coaches he trusts to spearhead the offensive operation while elevating assistant coaches to help develop Jones and fill the necessary roles.

Fortunately, the Patriots retained Jerod Mayo and the defensive side has continuity. Belichick’s biggest priority is handling the 16 unrestricted free agents and building an offensive coaching staff that he believes in.

Patricia could be a necessary piece to build on the latter.

[listicle id=118311]

Ian Rapoport believes Patriots pass on Bill O’Brien, coach offense by committee

Ian Rapoport believes the Patriots skip out on Bill O’Brien, utilize Joe Judge and coach the offense by committee.

The New England Patriots could go without naming an offensive coordinator this year.

With the departure of Josh McDaniels, the Patriots returned Joe Judge and named him an offensive assistant. Judge coached special teams for eight seasons for the Patriots and he then spent two years as the New York Giants’ head coach — finishing with a 10-23 record.

Because of his lack of offensive experience, the thought remained that Bill O’Brien would return to Foxborough and take the offensive coordinator position. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said on Thursday that the Patriots plan to use Judge and a group of other coaches to handle the offensive duties.

Which, for many, came as an unexpected shock.

“I do believe Bill O’Brien was considered. I think it’s something he would have considered as well. But in the end, it ends up being Joe Judge on the offensive side of the ball, not special teams,” Rapoport said Thursday on WEEI’s Gresh & Keefe. “The way the Patriots are configured, it’s always a little different. They’ve gone [years] without a defensive coordinator. They’ve gone years without an offensive coordinator. They have had one in action, but not actually promoted them in a way of shielding them from the press making sure they don’t have to answer questions. They’ve structured things differently.

“I think it’s possible that this may be it on the offensive side of the ball. I feel like it would be Judge with some added responsibility, Nick Caley with some added responsibility, Mick Lombardi with some added responsibility and kind of do it all as a group and make a decision on an OC potentially next year.”

Bill Belichick has used the same concept on defense for years as he’s had Steve Belichick, Jerod Mayo and Brian Flores as de facto coordinators in recent history. The difference is — Judge has much less experience on the offensive side of the ball and he has a second-year quarterback in Mac Jones to develop.

Rapoport also mentioned that Belichick could have more influence on the offense. Regardless, it looks like the Patriots’ offense will be coached by committee this year.

[listicle id=118311]

Michael Irvin warned Jason Garrett he couldn’t fix the Giants

Michael Irvin says he warned Jason Garrett to stay away from the New York Giants because he couldn’t fix their mess.

Two weeks after the Dallas Cowboys allowed the contract of head coach Jason Garrett to expire back in January of 2020, he was hired by the New York Giants as their offensive coordinator.

Garrett was excited and grateful for the opportunity, but several in his circle didn’t share in that optimism. One such Negative Nancy came by way of retired Cowboys legend and current NFL analyst, Michael Irvin.

Irvin believed the Giants were a lost cause — something beyond Garrett’s scope of repair — and that the coach would merely be spinning his wheels in East Rutherford.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know about that one, man,'” Irvin recalled to Newsday. “He’s such a fighter. He’s a winner. He wanted to go and do it. He said ‘I’m a coach, it’s what I do. I can fix it. I can fix it.’ I said to him then, ‘I don’t know if you can fix it.’

“And I’m saying this to you now: ‘I don’t know if I can fix it.'”

Irvin certainly couldn’t fix the team but that’s a different sidebar. Garrett, of course, would have had much better odds at fixing the Giants given his extensive experience as a coach, but that’s not how things panned out.

Garrett was let go midway through his second season as Giants’ offensive coordinator, and justifiably so. The offense took a major step back from Pat Shurmur’s bunch and were barely functioning on an NFL level. But even following his departure, things only got worse.

In the end, not only was Garrett fired, but head coach Joe Judge and much of his staff were sent packing, too.

So, how can the Giants be fixed? That’s a question Irvin still can’t answer even after Garrett’s attempt.

“Dude,” Irvin said, “we don’t have the time to go through all of that.”

Irvin may not, but general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll do. They’re now tasked with doing what Dave Gettleman, Judge and Garrett could not.

[pickup_prop id=”20252″]

[listicle id=688002]

Report: Patriots may not fill offensive coordinator position for 2022

The New England Patriots may not fill the offensive coordinator position, with more responsibilities potentially falling to Joe Judge.

There may not be a replacement for Josh McDaniels after all. On Tuesday, it was reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport that the New England Patriots may not fill the offensive coordinator position. This is partly due to the fact that they now have Joe judge back in the fold.

Judge returned to New England on Tuesday, coming back to the organization as an offensive assistant. He previously served as the special teams coach in New England from 2015-2019. It is possible that he could take on a larger role, which may mean that New England will not look for an offensive coordinator.

With several Patriots personnel leaving to Vegas, and Judge returning to New England, the Patriots have had a busy offseason so far in terms of personnel movement.

[lawrence-related id=118841]

Report: Patriots expected to hire former Giants coach Joe Judge as offensive assistant

The Patriots are working on a deal to bring back Joe Judge as an offensive assistant

The New England Patriots are reportedly seeking to reunite with recently fired New York Giants head coach Joe Judge. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Patriots are working on a deal to bring Judge back to New England as an offensive assistant. It’s expected to get done in the coming days.

Judge was fired last month after guiding the Giants to a 10-23 record over two seasons at the helm. He came to the Giants in 2020 after spending eight years with the Patriots as a special teams assistant from 2012-19.

Judge was recently rumored to be in the running for the Las Vegas Raiders’ special team coordinator opening under new head coach Josh MacDaniels. Judge and McDaniels were both trusted assistants under Bill Belichick, as was defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who recently bolted from the Giants to the Raiders this week in what was a surprising move.

Report: Joe Judge expected to return to Patriots as offensive assistant

The Patriots could see a familiar face in the coaching staff soon.

The New England Patriots are working on a deal to bring Joe Judge back as an offensive assistant, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Judge spent eight seasons with the Patriots as he worked his way up from a special teams assistant to the special teams coordinator. He was the New York Giants’ head coach over the past two seasons, but he finished with a 10-23 record and was fired last month. Judge was looking to get back into a coordinator role this offseason and it appears that he’ll be back alongside Bill Belichick.

The Patriots still need an offensive coordinator due to Josh McDaniels’ departure, but Judge’s lack of play-calling experience likely means he won’t be the replacement.

Bill O’Brien, who spent five seasons with the Patriots, appears to be the favorite to take over the offensive coordinator position.

[listicle id=118287]

Bill Belichick has unique hiring opportunities if everyone swallows their pride

Bill Belichick has an opportunity to take back a number of former Patriots standout coaches. Would it work?

The New England Patriots are headed into another offseason where the NFL greedily yanks talent away from Bill Belichick’s coaching and front-office tree. So far: Belichick lost offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and executive Dave Ziegler.

There may be more, with linebackers coach Jerod Mayo drawing interest for head coach and defensive coordinator positions. Executive Eliot Wolf has also gotten interviews for GM gigs. Running backs coach Ivan Fears is likely to retire, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Those are likely the only other options to depart because the NFL has so often mined the Patriots’ staff for talent. That follows the recent departures of Nick Caserio (front-office), Ernie Adams (front-office), Dante Scarnecchia (coaching), Monti Osenfort (front-office), Brian Flores (coaching), Joe Judge (coaching), Jerry Schuplinski (coaching), Chad O’Shea (coaching) and Patrick Graham (coaching).

It has been a staggering exodus. It’s unclear how Belchick has held it all together with a staff that grows less and less experienced by the year — rather than the other way around.

But because those departures have only enjoyed mixed successes, New England actually has a unique set of hiring opportunities. It could get complicated emotionally, with egos and hurt pride at play. But Belichick could look at the roster of jobless or soon-to-be jobless coaches and put together one of his best staffs in recent memory.

Here’s who’s out there:

  • Bill O’Brien, current Alabama OC and former Houston Texans coach and Patriots OC
  • Brian Flores, former Dolphins coach and Patriots defensive play-caller
  • Joe Judge, former Giants coach and Patriots special teams coordinator
  • Chad O’Shea, former Dolphins OC and Patriots offensive assistant
  • Jerry Schuplinski, former Giants QBs coach and Patriots assistant QBs coach
  • Adam Gase, former Jets coach and close friend to McDaniels
  • George Godsey, Dolphins current co-offensive coordinator, former Texans offensive coordinator and Patriots offensive assistant
  • Brian Hoyer, Patriots QB (who projects well as an assistant coach)

It’s easy to see this talent on paper and say: HIRE THEM BILL! NOW! (Though I’m sure some of these names are more controversial to Patriots fans than others.)

It’s much harder for Belichick to determine the nuanced staffing dynamics that might shake up New England’s pecking order if he hired some of these candidates. Positional coaches work long and hard to climb up the totem pole and a massive influx of returning talent may frustrate those coordinators-in-training.

In the case of special teams coordinator Cam Achord and de-facto defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, Bill’s son, the Patriots would have to try to dredge out a potentially mucky situation, if they brought in Judge and Flores. Would the Patriots add Judge and Flores and name them co-coordinators with the current staffers in place? Or would one of the four coaches have to handle a demotion?

Flores, in particular, is still hunting for a head coaching job, a title which he deserves — and all the more reason to try to acquire him if that head-coaching hunt doesn’t work out. It’s hard to imagine him settling for “co-defensive coordinator” or “linebackers coach,” even if (and maybe especially if) his duties extend far beyond that. So the Patriots might have to make some sort of accommodations to appease his ambition to be a coach again. What about assistant head coach? (No, not assistant to the head coach.) Could Belichick stomach such a title if it meant bringing back Flores?

O’Brien has been a head coach. He might not view Patriots offensive coordinator as much of a promotion from Alabama. (Though, he should view any NFL opportunity as worthwhile after a very ugly ending in Houston.) He — and other offensive coaches — will need to be the Patriots’ focal-point as they attempt to rebuild their staff. McDaniels was not only the offensive coordinator but also the quarterbacks coach. In theory, the Patriots could and probably should hire two coaches to replace him. That’s where Schuplinksi or Gase might present an interesting opportunity.

O’Brien, Judge and Gase are among the many who struggled as head coaches, for one reason or another. Their reputation isn’t perfect. So Belichick and these coaches would have to swallow pride and accept the external criticism that will come with each hire.

And to be clear, I’m not saying Belichick should hire all of these coaches. But maybe he could pick two or three of them to bring depth back into his coaching ranks which have grown depleted. In some cases, it would be a hard sell for the coaches, who may not want to step down into a role with the organization. In other cases, it would be risky, given the criticism Belichick would get externally — and maybe even internally from coaches hoping for promotions. But it could be worthwhile for Belichick to consider all options for his players as the Patriots look to rebuild their franchise around quarterback Mac Jones.

[listicle id=118098]

5 potential candidates for Patriots to replace OC Josh McDaniels

We take a look at potential replacement options for Josh McDaniels as he leaves for Las Vegas.

With Josh McDaniels set to join the Las Vegas Raiders as the head coach, the New England Patriots will need to find a new offensive coordinator.

In terms of the talent pool, there are some familiar names that are listed as candidates. As coaches look to advance from under the Bill Belichick coaching tree, it seems as though Belichick has had his coaching imprint on the entire league.

Now, the organization may have to look into that talent pool as they look to find someone else to lead the offense. Let’s take a look at five potential candidates to replace McDaniels.

Brian Daboll wants his Giants to be ‘smart, tough and dependable’

In his first words as New York Giants head coach, Brian Daboll breaks down what he expects from his players, staff and the organization.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=none image=https://giantswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

The New York Giants will officially introduce Brian Daboll as their next head coach on Monday morning, but his first words in the new position came through Bob Papa.

Daboll sat down with Papa on Sunday and described what his Giants will look like and what he expects from everyone in the organization.

“Smart, tough and dependable,” Daboll said. “We’re going to have to do a good job of bringing in the right kind of people. Again, it’s a challenging process to make sure you’re putting together the team that can be competitive week in and week out.”

That vision sounds very familiar to the one laid out by Daboll’s predecessor and close friend, Joe Judge. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise since they both learned and developed under Bill Belichick and Nick Saban.

Daboll took another page out of Judge’s playbook when discussing what he expects from his assistant coaches and the coaching staff as a whole.

“You want good leaders and good teachers — guys that can build something within their room. Guys that can inspire and that are good listeners and learners, and that can develop people,” Daboll said. “Not just players, but the support staff and things like that. But you’ve got to be able to teach and you’ve got to know what you’re talking about. You need to be authentic. You need to be consistent.”

It’s all about the relationships, as Judge once said.

“Relationships are foundations here … with all of the players,” Daboll said. “Getting to know them, what their strengths and weaknesses are. And getting to know them outside of the building — what makes them tick?”

That’s why, Daboll says like Judge before him, it’s important to be “authentic” with the players and staff. If you’re not, they’ll see right through that.

“It’s important to be authentic. You can learn from a lot of different coaches and a lot of different people but at the end of the day, players, support staff and people will see right through you if you’re not authentic. That’s what I try to be,” Daboll said.

Are you experiencing some deja vu, Giants fans?

Follow the Giants Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts