New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, right, watches quarterback Mac Jones during training camp. O’Brien has been a welcomed change, but it is not yet clear how much of a difference it will make on the field. Matt Stone/Boston Herald
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Maybe their soaring level of confidence is legitimate. Or maybe it’s nothing more than a bunch of bravado.
Whatever the case, Bill O’Brien has his offensive unit talking the talk. It remains to be seen if it can walk the walk.
More to the point, can O’Brien live up to the hype of being a miracle worker with this Patriots offense? Can he take a page out of Dante Scarnecchia’s book and do more with less? Make chicken salad out of what’s perceived to be chicken bleep?
The view from football experts across the country is pretty universal when it comes to the team, as well as the offense. The Mac Jones-led unit is good, it’s just not great. Basically, there isn’t much faith the Patriots’ offense will be able to run with Buffalo, Miami and the New York Jets. Even with O’Brien now at the helm, they’ll be done in by a lack of talent. In short, being average just doesn’t cut it.
Predictably, the players have been pushing back on that narrative. What’s surprising, however, is the level of enthusiasm for O’Brien, and buy-in for how he has revamped the offense.
Whether it’s Kendrick Bourne, Mike Gesicki or JuJu Smith-Schuster, there’s been a constant thread, a common message. Perhaps Smith-Schuster summed up the prevailing sentiment best on Monday.
He said their confidence was “super high” and members of the offense were “very confident” heading into Sunday’s Week 1 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He said they couldn’t wait to take the offense for a spin in an actual game and “show the world what we can do.”
Given that, O’Brien already sounds like he’s halfway to pulling off the mission, at least when it comes to establishing a mindset. He’s breathed new life and optimism into the group.
What actually happens on the field, however, remains to be seen.
There isn’t much question Jones will be better than last year under O’Brien’s guidance. He already seems much more at ease, and a lot more comfortable with his new coordinator’s offense. And he should be. Unlike last year, everything is tailored toward what he does best. It revolves around his advanced skill set when it comes to making quick reads, getting the ball all out at warp speed and doing so with accuracy.
No wonder Jones seemed downright giddy throughout the summer.
Bourne, meanwhile, appears reborn after spending last season as an afterthought in Matt Patricia’s offense, while newcomers Gesicki and Smith-Schuster love the look of the offense, and their expected roles.
But again, how much can O’Brien truly lift Jones, who has yet to show an ability to lift the players around him?
How much can he elevate an offensive roster that’s decent, but lacking game-changing talent?
Those questions will be pondered and debated all season.
For what it’s worth, the players seem to have gained some added fuel with all the doubters and people questioning their talent level. Gesicki said they’re embracing the role of being an underdog, but mostly they’ve embraced O’Brien. They believe in him and what he’s been preaching.
“OB’s awesome. He’s been great since the day he got here. He’s instilled confidence in all the players, so everybody wants to play for him,” Gesicki said Wednesday. “Everybody feels confident and comfortable playing for him … and he puts people in position to be successful. So that’s been the fun part. He understands everybody’s skillset and how to utilize the players.”
Once again we’ll soon see how that translates.
Right out of the gate, O’Brien’s crew will face an interesting litmus test. The Eagles boast one of the better defenses in the league, and certainly the NFL’s most imposing pass rush.
Can he possibly devise a plan to score enough points to counter the Eagles’ prolific offense?
Tight end Hunter Henry, another among the converted, believes they have what it takes.
“We feel like we have a lot of talent in that room. I think a lot of guys are excited to go out and show it,” he said Wednesday. “The coaches bring a lot of confidence in us as well. They do a great job of lifting us up. We have a lot of great players in there who are ready to go, and show it.”
Well, it’s time to see if there’s something behind those words. Time to see if they can walk the walk.
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