Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
What Josh McDaniels said about coaching against former Patriots staffers and his younger brother
Many of the Texans coaches have connections to either the Patriots or McDaniels.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will see plenty of similar faces on the opposing sideline this week when New England hosts Houston.
His counterpart, Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley, is a former Patriots offensive assistant and tight-ends coach who worked under McDaniels during a previous stint in New England.
Texans offensive line coach Cole Popovich spent several seasons with the Patriots in various capacities including assistant running backs coach and assistant offensive line coach. Houston special teams coordinator Frank Ross is a former Patriots scout.
“Super excited that they’ve all had opportunities to move forward and do different things in their career,” McDaniels said of facing the former Patriots staffers. “They’ve obviously done a nice job of the things they’re responsible for. Looking forward to the competition part of it, but you know, you have friends on every team.”
Advertisement:
“If you’re in the league long enough you have friends across the sideline with every game you play and this will certainly be no different. The fact that we know each other because we’ve worked together for a while, I don’t really go too far into the advantage gained or not gained. We all have an opportunity to do whatever we want to do this week schematically and it’s ultimately going to come down to our players.”
The connections don’t stop there. Texans GM Nick Caserio spent a dozen years as the Patriots’ director of player personnel.
McDaniels’s brother, Ben McDaniels, is the Texans’ wide receivers coach.
Advertisement:
“It was a great experience being able to watch him play after I got done playing and all the rest of it,” McDaniels said. “Kind of grew up in a coaches’ household with my dad and just super proud of what he’s been able to do.”
“Obviously these are interesting situations when you find yourself competing with your sibling, but a little bit more interesting for my parents than anybody else. We’re looking forward to the opportunity and I know he’s trying to beat us like we’re trying to beat him.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said there’s some carryover between McDaniels’s offense and what the Texans run under Caley.
“There’s some L.A. stuff., there’s some stuff that he probably learned when he was here, and then what you do is you come in with a base idea,” Vrabel said. “Start in the run game, and then protection, and then whatever ideas that the new coaches have, you kind of formulate and kind of figure out what fits and what everybody’s comfortable with. So, I’m sure there’s elements of every stop that some of those guys have made.”
Vrabel was asked if the coaches’ familiarity with McDaniels will help the Texans’ defense.
Advertisement:
“I mean, again, if they know what call is coming, then we should try to get those coaches,” Vrabel said. “I think that there’s certain styles of offense. Got all our tape and got all theirs. So, if they know what Josh is calling or they know what we’re calling, then they’ve got a jump on us.”
The Patriots averaged the second-most points (28.8) in the NFL during the regular-season. The Texans defense (17.2 per game) allowed the second-fewest.
McDaniels, Drake Maye, and the rest of the Patriots offense will face their most formidable test yet.
“This will be a hell of a game and it’s going to be an enormous challenge,” McDaniels said. “One of us will lose and one of us will win. We know that going into the game. I know I’m going to do everything in my power to help us win the game.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com