"It's not going in a good direction" - Patriots players reportedly upset with Joe Judge and Matt Patricia running the offense

The New England Patriots face difficulties in camp

Since the New England Patriots' star quarterback Tom Brady left for brighter shores, the team has been trying to reclaim its identity. After a failed experiment with former NFL MVP Cam Newton, the Patriots drafted Mac Jones to lead them. They made their way back to the playoffs, where they were dismantled by division rivals Buffalo Bills in a 47-17 loss.

To prepare for the upcoming 2022 season, Bill Belichick and the Patriots brought back a couple of coaches who didn't find success as head coaches elsewhere. Former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is back as a senior football advisor after his stint with the Detroit Lions. Joe judge returns as an offensive assistant after things didn't work out with the New York Giants.

"Initial reports I'm getting back are not good at all and that includes what they're hearing from the players internally...it's not going in a good direction."

-- @GregABedard on the #Patriots Coaching situation

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Greg A. Bedard is the founder of the Boston Sports Journal website and is the host of the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast. He recently relayed reports he's heard coming out of the New England Patriots camp.

Bedard said:

“I’ve heard from people in the last couple of days, about what’s going on with the offensive coaching staff, and the initial reports I’m getting back are not good at all. And that includes what they're hearing from the players internally. Like, it’s not going in a good direction.”

Bedard also responded to Judge's comment that it is important for all Patriots coaches to coach all skill players.

“I don’t need Matt Patricia as the offensive line coach getting involved with Mac Jones. You got five players, plus bench players on the offensive line to worry about. Billy Yates is around, but Matt’s got enough on his plate. You know, the wide receivers coach Troy Brown and Ross Douglas, like I don’t need them involved with the running backs and vice versa."

In strong language, Bedard added that he was worried about Judge prioritizing things that don't matter much:

"Like, I’m hoping Joe Judge is just saying that to like waste time and talk, but I think he’s serious about it. And to me, what worries me, is that if he’s already making a priority out of things that don’t mean jack c**p, then what about the finer points?”

The Patriots find themselves in a more challenging division facing more talented teams

The Patriots seem to have an overabundance of coaching going on. The two failed head coaches are drifting into other areas to have their brains picked, taking attention away from their primary responsibilities, as Bedard pointed out.

With the apparent lack of an offensive coordinator and questionable draft choices, the Patriots still feel they can find their way back to their former glory. But even with all this, and now reports that the team is a cluttered mess that the players are not happy with, no one doubts Belichick's moves.

It will be interesting to see how things go in the new season, especially in an AFC East that will be far more challenging than Belichick is used to.