Let us state the obvious: the New England Patriots offense will look very different in 2024 than it did in 2023.
That remark is based on the fact that New England has rebuilt its offensive coaching staff, replacing Bill O’Brien with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and several new coaches. (Troy Brown is the only returning member of the staff who worked with the offense in 2023, and his role remains unknown.) The Patriots will also likely have a new starting quarterback, as Mac Jones is slated to be released this offseason.
So, what will the redesigned offensive look like under Van Pelt? At his inaugural press conference on Wednesday, the experienced offensive coordinator did not go into specifics, but he did say he intends to run an offense “similar” to what he ran as the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2023.
“I’ve taken pieces of a lot of different offenses in my time and kind of melded those together for what’s best for us at the time,” Van Pelt said, adding that he’ll aim to play to the strengths of a roster that’s now in flux as it enters free agency and the draft.
“There’s definitely some pieces of the puzzle that aren’t put in place yet,” Van Pelt said in an interview. “That is our job. At the end of the day, once we’ve established everything, we’ll look at who we are and who we have available to us, and then we’ll put the jigsaw together using the pieces we have.
“I believe you should always play to your players’ abilities, regardless of position. So, whatever those folks are, we’ll put them in the greatest possible position to succeed.”
If New England’s offensive resembles Cleveland’s in 2023, it could be a good indication. Under Van Pelt, the Browns were 10th in the NFL in scoring (23.3 points per game), despite going through five starting quarterbacks. They relied primarily on the run game, finishing fourth in the NFL in rush attempts and 12th in rushing yards.
“What I like about what Alex Van Pelt said there is, it’ll basically be the Browns offense,” the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan said on Boston Sports Tonight on Wednesday. “That had a top-10 scoring offense last season, with five different quarterbacks. I’m not sure how many teams could achieve it.
“This offense also relies heavily on play-action. It’s a cheat code, and it’s really versatile. They lead the league in gap runs last year, and three or four years ago, they were one of the league’s most zone-heavy teams.
A style that emphasizes the run game and play-action could be a strong fit for New England, especially if the team selects a quarterback with the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Patriots have an above-average running back in Rhamondre Stevenson and the resources to sign multiple offensive lineman through free agency and the draft. A more conservative offensive approach might help a rookie quarterback mature and avoid a repeat of Mac Jones’ fall from grace in Foxboro.
The Patriots’ whole scheme will not be constructed until more of their roster is complete, but Callahan sees Van Pelt making an influence beyond game plans to help the team recover from two seasons of offensive instability.
“I think they’re counting on Van Pelt as a culture builder, a culture driver, a developer of quarterbacks,” Callahan said in a statement. “It’s not going to be X’s and O’s that put the Patriots over the top.”
