Does Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt Need to Change His Philosophy?

Alex Van Pelt says the right things. The New England Patriots hired Van Pelt, their fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons, early in the offseason. From his introductory press conference, Van Pelt made it clear that he was willing to be flexible with his offensive scheme and do whatever would work best for the team’s personnel. This was noteworthy, given the Patriots lacked any offensive identity in 2023 other than ineptitude.

When Van Pelt came aboard, the Patriots’ 2024 quarterback was unknown. They held the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The two most likely candidates to be drafted were LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, who were not best suited for the same system. It was also possible New England would sign a veteran quarterback in free agency to become their starting quarterback.

“It’s not so much about scheme, it’s about the players and putting those people in position,” Van Pelt said at that first press conference in February.”There’s a lot of different schemes out there, the best ones put the best players in positions to be successful.”

The comment left the impression that the New England Patriots should acquire the best player possible. Alex Van Pelt would figure out which offensive scheme works best from there.

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New England Drafts Drake Maye

With the No. 3 pick. in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected Drake Maye. Daniels went second to the Washington Commanders. Many were excited about the potential relationship between QB and OC. Mike Renner of CBS said Maye is the perfect quarterback for Van Pelt’s system. Taylor Kyles of CLSN called Drake Maye the perfect QB for Alex Van Pelt. Evan Lazar wrote on Patriots.com about how Maye was an ideal fit for Alex Van Pelt’s offense.

These analysts were not wrong. However, the analysis was based on the offense (scheme, system, whatever one prefers) that Van Pelt had previously run with the Cleveland Browns. Van Pelt might have needed to adjust this had Jayden Daniels been the Patriots’ selection. But with Maye, the styles seemed to be a good match.

The 2024 Season, So Far

Through three weeks, the New England Patriots offense is tied for the fewest offensive touchdowns (three) and ranks 31 of 32 NFL teams in passing touchdowns (one). They rank last in both passing yards and total offensive yards. When Van Pelt was asked about the team’s scheme and game plan this week, his answer remained virtually identical to the one he gave back in February.

“We adapt everything to the skillset of our players,” said Van Pelt. “If a guy’s a run-and-shoot quarterback, he’ll play in a run-and-shoot system for us, and we can build it around him. If you have two great running backs, then you’re gonna be in a system where you run the football.

“But the quarterback is always the one we think about first when we game plan. And that will always evolve around what’s best suited for that quarterback.”

New England followed this philosophy through two games. They focused on running the football, giving Rhamondre Stevenson a steady diet of carries. Stevenson had 46 carries for 201 yards and two touchdowns through two games. However, in Week 3 against the New York Jets, the Patriots went away from the running game, attempting to turn previous rushes into play-action passes. It was unsuccessful.

Will McDonald IV leads the way on another @Nyjets sack. #JetUp#NEvsNYJ on Prime Video
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— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2024

New England’s protection and passing attack are both limited. It prevented plays from being made against the Jets, even when the play was well disguised. Van Pelt claims the offense is being designed for what is best suited to Jacoby Brissett, but the Patriots QB has been able to do little more than survive.

Practice Problem?

Head coach Jerod Mayo stated that the team’s quarterbacks have a 70-30 split for practice reps, with Brissett getting 70%. Several questions arise from this scenario.

For starters, do Brissett and Maye run the same offense in practice? According to Van Pelt, the offense is meant to be tailored around the personnel, specifically the quarterback. New England’s top two quarterbacks do not share the same skill set. While Brissett might be a more accurate passer, he doesn’t possess Maye’s arm strength or mobility. Running the same offense for both would not make a lot of sense.

Secondly, if both quarterbacks run the same offense in practice, is this hindering Drake Maye’s development? Is he practicing with an offensive scheme he won’t be running once he becomes QB1 for the Patriots?

And finally, if the two quarterbacks run different offenses in practice, is that best for the team? Using 30% of practice time on a scheme that won’t be seen in games?

Some answers are not quite so black and white. There will be overlap with either approach. Splitting reps does not mean wasting time when Maye is in. But it does make sense to have the entire offense on the same page. The question is, which page should that be?

Prioritizing Winning Now vs. Developing Drake Maye

A primary issue facing the Patriots is comes down to priorities. Is the biggest priority this season to win as many games as possible or to develop their potential franchise rookie as much as they can? In a perfect world, they could attempt to do both, like the 2017 Kansas City Chiefs. But the Patriots are not coming off a 12-4 season with a Pro Bowl QB.

Van Pelt being so flexible with his offense is admirable and makes sense to some degree. However, it might be time to switch things up. Tailoring the offensive scheme around what best suits Drake Maye is in the best interests of the franchise. If Jacoby Brissett runs that offensive more effectively, or the team simply wants Maye to wait longer, that’s fine. But having everyone get on the same page and having that page be what suits Maye best makes sense.

If the Patriots are to stay respectable or better this season, ball security is crucial. Establishing the running game early and often is imperative. Alex Van Pelt is a well-liked and well-respected coach. He can game plan around the limitations with the passing attack and offensive line to some degree, as seen in the first two games. But he’s not a miracle worker.

The 2024 New England Patriots being competitive and picking up wins is great. Winning every week should be the goal of every team, regardless of what tanking fans may think. However, New England can try to win games while molding an offense around Drake Maye, regardless of who is starting. How things are being done now doesn’t maximize potential for the short or long term.

Alex Van Pelt doesn’t necessarily need to change his offensive philosophy, but it might be time to pick a lane.