It's been three seasons since McDaniels was in New England, and players say his offensive scheme can be complex.
FOXBORO. MA – With quick passes and running back screens, 11-on-11 sessions at Patriots training camp looked very familiar to longtime fans on Thursday, July 24.
Josh McDaniels returned to New England as the offensive coordinator of Mike Vrabel's staff, ending a three-season divorce between him and the Patriots. McDaniels is well-known for his use of screens, and fans got a glimpse of that at Day 2 of Patriots training camp as he continues to install his scheme with the new squad.
The offense focused on getting first downs during its 11-on-11 sessions. That meant the use of running backs was high. It wasn’t just the obvious candidate in Antonio Gibson who got targets out of the backfield; physical back Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson also got a big share of plays drawn up for them.
Stevenson’s the only one in the room who’s played under McDaniels in the past. He didn’t have much of a role in the receiving room that year, hauling in 14 passes in his lone season under McDaniels. That’s made him the voice of the room in terms of getting the new playbook down.
“They’re doing a very nice job,” Stevenson said. “It’s going to be steps to it. Josh McDaniels’ offense isn’t easy, so just honing in, just looking at the playbook over and over. They’ll be all right.”
Though no current Patriots were on the roster for New England’s dynasty years, some were there for the last couple of years of McDaniels' previous tenure in New England, namely wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
Bourne said McDaniels' offense is pretty similar to what it was during Bourne’s first season with the Patriots. Bourne finally has a chance for a full season after his 2023 torn ACL shortened his last campaign to 2023. Getting back to something familiar has been a plus for him.
“It’s awesome,” Bourne said. “Not having OTAs, not having training camp [in 2024], having those now, and then having Josh, it just gives me a peace of mind, so I’m playing free. I feel good.”
Hunter Henry, who also had one season in the McDaniels offense, said learning it is like “riding a bike.” The system is still known as complex. Players unfamiliar with McDaniels are still adapting to the scheme, trying to carve out a role in the offense under entirely new leadership.
It’s not just the younger guys, as Stefon Diggs said July 23 that he’s “still grasping” the system. He is excited for what could come, though.
“I’ve seen a lot of receivers in it often have a lot of success,” Diggs said. “We’ve got a lot of weapons, too.”
With Diggs, Bourne, DeMario “Pop” Douglas and rookie Kyle Williams lined up at wide along with the aforementioned running backs, McDaniels will have a lot of weapons that he’ll try to get a fair share of touches. In the past, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, James White and Chris Hogan are among many skill players who found success with his scheme.
A plethora of weapons seems to lean right into what the playbook is built for. It’s exactly what makes Bourne excited most about the offense.
“You can be on the bench and have a role coming in the game, and Josh knows how to put it together,” Bourne said. “That’s just my advice to the whole room, as a sense of just having experience with Josh, that moment will come and are you going to be ready or are you not?”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: With Josh McDaniels back, Patriots offense has a familiar feel
Category: Football
