Some eyebrows have been raised at the thought of Matt Patricia taking over the New England Patriots offense. Nevertheless, one former Patriots legend is confident that the coach can get it done.
Vince Wilfork was with the Patriots for 11 years and saw Patricia work with the coaching staff over the course of his career. He is just the latest in a string of Patriots to praise the work that Patricia is doing.
Former running back James White indicated he had confidence in the offensive system. Mac Jones sung Patricia’s praises following the team’s second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
Current and former Patriots seem to be on board with Patricia, despite public opinion. Wilfork, who claimed he wasn’t surprised with his former defensive coach switching to offense, added his opinion to the mix on NBC Sports Boston’s “The Gameplan.”
“No, not [surprised] at all, because when I was a rookie, he was on the offensive side already,” said Wilfork. “He came on the defensive side after I got there. I’ve known Matty P for being an offensive guy from day one when I was there, when I was drafted.
“So I don’t think it’s by mistake, and I think Matty’s going to do a great job over there because one thing I know with Bill [Belichick], is they have a lot of communication going on and everybody is always in the mix with everything. So Matt won’t be calling all the plays. It’s always a team effort, from the coaching staff to the players. I have full confidence in Matt, knowing what he’s doing on the offensive side of the ball because he’s proven himself there with me when I was a rookie.”
"I have full confidence in Matt [Patricia] knowing what he's doing on the offensive side of the ball."
Vince Wilfork joins The Gameplan and explains why Matt Patricia switching to offense doesn't surprise him at all pic.twitter.com/Ydi0zWYYWg
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) September 7, 2022
Patricia will have his work cut out for him as he helps New England take on an aggressive Miami Dolphins defense. The play-calling will certainly be intriguing, as the Patriots will look for a fast start against a Dolphins team they have not beaten since 2020.
A win on Sunday would certainly boost confidence in the offense, as New England looks to keep pace with the elite in the division.
