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‘That’s the guy I wanted’: Scott Zolak explained why he’s ‘ecstatic’ Patriots hired Josh McDaniels
"He's the most qualified guy that was out there, and they got him. That's the way I look at that."
Scott Zolak’s thoughts on the return of Josh McDaniels: Among the many moves in the Patriots‘ offseason to reshape the team’s coaching staff, one of the more prominent moves has been the re-addition of Josh McDaniels as the team’s offensive coordinator.
McDaniels, 48, is heading into his third stint as Patriots OC. The earlier two tenures produced some of the most successful seasons in team history (both from an offensive production standpoint as well as the win column).
Now, the former Raiders head coach will take on a new challenge: Developing Patriots quarterback Drake Maye as he heads into his second NFL season. One former New England QB, Scott Zolak, recently noted that he was “ecstatic” at the hiring of McDaniels.
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Speaking during a Wednesday segment 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand,” the Patriots’ radio broadcast color commentator rationalized his happiness at the hire because of the potential for the team’s offense to immediately improve, and also for Maye to develop over time.
“That’s the guy I wanted,” Zolak said. “Not just because you know Josh — and we all know Josh — it’s because we’ve got a quarterback, and I want the quarterback to be able to grow, year-to-year-to-year. I want him to understand, and I want him to learn.”
McDaniels spent much of his time with the Patriots previously calling plays for Tom Brady. Yet he also coaxed good seasons out of other quarterbacks aside from the Hall of Famer.
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“This is different than the rookie year of Mac Jones,” Zolak added. “Mac Jones, not as supremely talented as Drake Maye. Pretty good head on him, and Josh I think got the most out of [Mac]. Josh got the most out of Cam Newton, and whatever we want to call that year.”
Zolak also pointed out that, beyond the success he had with Brady, McDaniels also managed to get the best season out of Matt Cassel in 2008 when the backup QB led New England to an 11-5 record.
One concern from fans is that McDaniels might try to force Maye into a system that he’s less comfortable in simply because that’s the playbook the longtime assistant is used to.
“I know this for a fact: He will not force him to run the Brady offense,” Zolak countered. “That was Tom’s offense. They took that thing to another level. Josh is smart. He understands the league.”
“He’s a play-caller, he’s not a head coach,” Zolak concluded of McDaniels. “He’s a really, really freaking good offensive coordinator. He’s the most qualified guy that was out there, and they got him. That’s the way I look at that.
Trivia: Since 1982, no Patriots offensive coordinator has had a better winning percentage than Josh McDaniels (154-55, 73.7-percent). Who ranks second on that list?
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(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: Also won a couple of Super Bowls with the Patriots.
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics survived overtime to secure a 117-113 win over the Clippers. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 25, with Jayson Tatum adding 24.
The Fleet defeated the Sceptres 4-1 thanks to 35 saves from goaltender Aerin Frankel.
And the Bruins lost 5-1 to the Devils. Boston led 1-0 after the first period, but subsequently surrendered five unanswered goals.
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The Celtics’ OT thriller: In case you missed it, here’s the overtime ending in Boston’s Wednesday night road win against the Clippers.
On this day: In 2005, the Patriots avenged an earlier season defeat to the Steelers by defeating Pittsburgh 41-27 in the AFC Championship. Tom Brady, who had to have an IV the night before the game as he battled a 103-degree fever, still managed to throw two touchdown passes and commit no turnovers in an efficient (and clutch) performance.
The win sent the Patriots to a third Super Bowl in four seasons, which New England would win 24-21 over the Eagles.
On this date 18 years ago Brady’s most satisfying non-super bowl win. The flu game. Here are the 2 big plays to Branch. 2004 Season AFC Championship. pic.twitter.com/YoKH6DDPTN
— RandomTomBradyHighlights (@TomBradyDaily) January 23, 2023
Daily highlight: Brazilian forward Rodrygo curled a perfectly weighted shot into the corner of the goal off of an equally quality back-heeled assist from Jude Bellingham in Real Madrid’s 5-1 Champions League win over Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday.
Rodrygo bags his brace in stunning fashion 💫 pic.twitter.com/RYFkGt74Zx
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) January 22, 2025
Trivia answer: Charlie Weis
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