When in doubt, blame Matt Patricia. That was the motto for many New England Patriots fans through the first couple weeks of the 2022 season.
But the Patriots offense has steadily improved since Week 3. Even with third-string rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe taking over for the injured Mac Jones, New England has been able to score 26 points against the Baltimore Ravens, force overtime with 24 points on the Green Bay Packers, and roll to a 29-0 rout of the Detroit Lions.
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It hasn't been perfect. Far from it, in fact. But while there's a long way to go for the Patriots offense, our Tom E. Curran believes Patricia deserves some credit for how far he's already come as a play-caller.
He explained why on Tuesday's edition of Quick Slants.
"Since the second half of the Steelers game, the Patriots offense has been pretty OK. Not outstanding, certainly not explosive. But they have nine touchdowns in five games, so we're not going to do cartwheels. That's tied for 23rd in the league. And they're still not a very good red-zone team," Curran said.
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"Before you start handing out a whole bunch of platitudes and accolades to Josh McDaniels, remember this. Compare it to last year at the five-game mark. Under Josh McDaniels they had -- oh, wait a minute, they had eight offensive touchdowns and they also sucked in the red zone. And that team had the same starter all the way through the first five games, a first-round pick. This one has had for the last eight quarters a guy that looks a little bit like Ollie from Hoosiers.
"So, advantage 2022 Patriots? And Matt Patricia? And it should keep trending upward because it did last year and the Patriots are going into a softer part of the schedule. Will they average 34 points per game after their 2-3 start this year like they did last year? I don't see that happening. I'll be candid. Then again, I didn't see this level of competency that we've been seeing through the first five games of the Patriots' offense."
Curran isn't the only one giving Patricia his flowers. Former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel also heaped praise on him following Sunday's win over Detroit.
Patricia and the Pats offense have a chance to build off their recent success with favorable upcoming matchups vs. the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and then the Jets again. That stretch will tell us much more about Patricia's progress in his new role.
You can watch the full episode of "Quick Slants" with Curran and Kay Adams below: