Josh McDaniels on Patriots’ play-calling: Bill Belichick has ‘foresight’ that others don’t
The Raiders coach offered some perspective on New England's play-calling situation.
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, who spent nearly a decade as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, offered some perspective on New England’s play calling situation after practice on Wednesday.
The Patriots haven’t officially replaced McDaniels. Matt Patricia and Joe Judge have taken turns calling plays, but neither has the title of offensive coordinator. Patricia called most of the plays during last week’s preseason win.
“I think at the end of the day,” McDaniels said. “Bill [Belichick] has a plan for whatever he wants to do and that plan sometimes, he has foresight that some of the rest of us don’t have. I didn’t have it when he pushed me ahead and helped me.”
Patricia has far more experience coaching defense than he does offense. His first job with the Patriots was offensive assistant, and he later became offensive line coach.
But, he spent the decade leading up to his head coaching stint with the Detroit Lions coaching linebackers and safeties before being promoted to defensive coordinator.
There’s precedent for Belichick moving coaches around to different positions. McDaniels even spent some time coaching defense, he recalled.
“I was in a position once where I was on the defensive side of the ball for a couple years,” McDaniels said. “And I moved over and coached quarterbacks for one year. Then all of a sudden, the next thing I’m doing is being ready to call the offense after being on the offensive side for one year and I remember nobody believing that was really the case.”
The Patriots and Raiders wrapped up the second of a pair of joint practices on Wednesday. The teams will meet end the preseason with a game Friday night in Las Vegas.
“At the end of the day, coaching is coaching,” McDaniels said. “I don’t have every answer on offense, I don’t have every answer on defense or the special teams area. That’s why you have a staff. You work together and try to produce the best result you can. And from what I saw yesterday it was as competitive a practice as we could’ve asked for.”
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