NFL writer Peter King has given some interesting thoughts regarding the New England Patriots and how head coach Bill Belichick will deal with play-calling. 

This is set to be a very interesting season for the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick. Having moved on from quarterback Tom Brady at the end of the 2019 season, the debate about which man deserves the most credit for the Patriots dynasty isn’t leaning in the head coach’s favour.

In 2020 he suffered a rare losing season with Cam Newton as the quarterback as they went 7-9, but that allowed him to draft the heir to Brady’s throne in the form of Mac Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft where things immediately took an upward turn. 

With the rookie Jones under centre, the Patriots rose to second in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills with a 10-7 record and reached the playoffs before being knocked out by said Bills. This upcoming season could be a big one for Belichick’s legacy as he looks to prove he played a bigger role in the Patriots’ success, and you feel he would have to at least match the one Super Bowl that Brady has won with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to launch a decent argument. 

But there are still a few things that need to be worked out for Belichick, Jones and the offense, and that’s who is in charge of calling the plays. 

What do we know so far? 

Following offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ departure as he went to take charge of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Patriots have been looking for someone who can take over from play-calling duties on the offensive side of the ball, as they are entering the preseason without someone with the title of offensive coordinator. 

They have the same problem on defence, but it’s understood that outside linebackers coach Stephen Belichick will continue the play-calling role on that side. 

Belichick has discussed the matter ahead of training camp, stating (via NBCSports) that "We're not really big on titles and all that. So, I think everybody -- it's important that we work together and create a good final product. So, that's what we're going to try to do. It's what we've always done."

"Look, I'm the head coach. Ultimately I'm responsible for everything. So, we'll just leave it at that. That's the way it is."

But Peter King seems to think he knows who is likely to take the role.

What’s he said?

Writing in his Football Morning In America column having visited Patriots training camp as part of his preseason tour, King thinks that the role will fall to someone who is experienced in the Belichick system, but who hasn’t had a lot of experience when it comes to the job:

“Regarding coaching the quarterbacks and calling the offense, it looks like play-calling could land in the headset of senior football adviser/offensive line coach Matt Patricia. We’ll see how that goes. In 26 years as a football coach, Patricia has never had the title of quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator, running backs coach, wide receivers coach or tight ends coach. Not to say it’s disqualifying, but it’ll be interesting to watch. I won’t be surprised if Belichick eventually has a significant hand in play-calling.”

Giving the role to Patricia, someone who has been predominantly a defensive man, even serving as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2012-2017, would be something of a risk. The options in the team aren’t exactly plentiful, as former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge is available but has predominantly worked in special teams.  

As always when it comes to Belichick he deserves the benefit of the doubt based on his track record, but whether or not this is the right path to be following, especially considering how close we are to the season, we’ll just have to wait and see.