One of the most memorable scenes from the New England Patriots’ embarrassing offensive collapse in Week 10 was quarterback Mac Jones getting chewed out on the sidelines by offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
It was clear in that very moment that the honeymoon stage was over. Jones was in the middle of the worst performance of his NFL career, and O’Brien wasn’t sugar-coating his coaching.
But then again, when has O’Brien ever been known to sugar-coat anything. His delivery is a hard-nosed style of coaching that may not be for everyone, but his long run of success at both the collegiate and NFL levels suggest it works.
“That’s kind of the way I coach,” O’Brien said, when speaking with media members on Monday morning, via WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “Sometimes, the way to get the point across is to be very demanding and very intense about it. that’s how I coach, that’s how I am.”
Bill O'Brien on the viral clip of him and Mac Jones on the sideline:
"That's kind of the way I coach. Sometimes, the way to get the point across is to be very demanding and very intense about it. that's how I coach, that's how I am."
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) November 20, 2023
There are no certainties Jones will be the starting quarterback under center when the Patriots return from the bye week to face the New York Giants on Sunday.
If he does start, it’s even more questionable what version we end up seeing. Will we continue to see a beaten quarterback that looks to be sapped of his confidence, or can he turn the page and get back to the promising signal-caller that upset the Buffalo Bills just a few weeks back?
