Bill Belichick’s approach to operating the Patriots offense in preseason was so puzzling and seemingly counterproductive that I started wondering whether there was a piece of information that we were missing.
Maybe the plan, once the season begins, would reveal that Belichick, and not longtime defensive coach Matt Patricia or Joe Judge, is the chief play-caller. As much as Belichick’s legend is built on his defensive bona fides, he’s a far more appealing option as Mac Jones’s in-game adviser than Patricia or Judge.
Maybe backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, whose first stint in Foxborough began so long ago (in 2009) that he was a teammate that year of Joey Galloway and Fred Taylor, has more of a say in this than we realize.