New England Patriots

McDaniels reveals his No. 1 goal for Patriots offense in new video

“I’m excited about what we're going to build here."

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The New England Patriots found their quarterback of the future during the 2024 NFL season, and now they need to make sure he reaches his potential.

Drake Maye, who the Patriots selected with the No. 3 pick in last year's draft, enjoyed a strong rookie campaign in New England. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, in addition to 421 rushing yards (7.8 per carry) and two more scores. And he did all of this with arguably the worst group of wide receivers in football, in addition to a lackluster offensive line.

The man who will be tasked with developing Maye in Year 2 and beyond is Josh McDaniels, who the Patriots hired this week to replace Alex Van Pelt as their new offensive coordinator.

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This will be McDaniels' third stint as the Patriots' OC. He previously held the job from 2006 through 2008, and then again from 2012 through 2021.

In an interview with the team, McDaniels laid out his vision for the Patriots offense, including his No. 1 goal for the group.

“Offense only takes the field for one reason and that’s to try to put points on the board,” McDaniels said in a video posted to the team's official YouTube channel. “So our No. 1 goal will be to take care of (the football) and the second part of that is to score as much as we can.”

Turnovers were a huge reason why the Patriots won just four games for a second straight season. New England's 23 turnovers were the sixth-highest total in the league, and only four teams lost more fumbles than the Patriots' 12. Maye threw 11 interceptions and lost six fumbles. Starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson's seven fumbles (three lost) were the most by a non-quarterback.

The Patriots have to take much better care of the football next season, so it's no surprise that McDaniels is going to emphasize that from Day 1.

Scoring more points is an obvious goal for the Patriots offense, but this is not a new problem that needs to be addressed.

After finishing tied for last place in points scored in 2023, the Patriots ranked 30th out of 32 teams in points scored this past season. An inability to convert on third down played a huge part in that lack of scoring as New England ranked 29th in third down conversion percentage.

After taking a year off from coaching, McDaniels has had plenty of time to watch film, observe the entire league and figure out how he can improve as a play-caller and coach.

“This year has given me an opportunity to really consider all aspects of what this job entails,” McDaniels said in the video. “I’m excited about what we're going to build here and the evolution of our offensive scheme, our offensive attitude, the way we do things, how we practice and ultimately, how we go about playing.”

McDaniels has enjoyed great success developing quarterbacks in New England. He got the most out of Tom Brady, Matt Cassel and Mac Jones. If he can do the same with Maye, the Patriots' rebuild should take a positive step forward in 2025.

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