The question of who’s calling the offensive plays in New England continues to lack any clear answers. Primarily because the man in position to provide clarity chooses not to do so.
After Friday night’s game against the Panthers, during which offensive line coach Matt Patricia seemed to be the only one calling plays, coach Bill Belichick was asked whether what appeared to be the case was.
“Communication with the quarterback, yeah,” Belichick told reporters. “As far as calling the plays, there’s a whole ‘nother process on that, but yeah.”
Belichick called the communication of the plays by Patricia to the quarterback as “normal” and “fine.” It comes a week after both Patricia and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge were sending the plays to the quarterback from the sideline.
Belichick provided a bit of clarity when asked whether the “process” is between him, Patricia, and Judge when it comes to selecting the plays.
“No,” Belichick said.
“So is it falling to anybody else or it’s between you three?” he was asked.
“It’s a process,” Belichick said.
The process can be as simple, as Chris Simms has explained on PFT Live, as Belichick providing a range of options for a given situation — while also reserving the right to swoop in whenever and grumble out a number that corresponds to one of the plays on the quarterback’s wristband.
Ultimately, Belichick runs the show. Every aspect of it. He ran it when Josh McDaniels coordinated the offense, and Belichick runs it now. Maybe he won’t simply say that because he assumes that, by now, everyone knows it.