Devin McCourty was not a fan of Matt Patricia’s ‘experiment’ as Patriots’ offensive play caller

Patriots

“That wasn’t a good thing. There was nothing good about that.”

Devin McCourty achieved plenty of success on the field with Matt Patricia as his defensive coordinator.

But even a former captain in McCourty couldn’t bite his tongue when it came to Patricia’s ill-fated switch over to the Patriots’ offensive personnel during the 2022 season.

A long-time defensive coach in the NFL ranks (including an extended stretch as New England’s DC from 2012-17), Patricia served as New England’s de-facto offensive coordinator last season.

His short tenure as New England’s offensive play-caller was nothing short of a disaster, with both Patrica and Joe Judge implementing a simplified — and still dysfunctional — offense that sapped any momentum from Mac Jones’s Pro-Bowl rookie season.

Speaking on Wednesday during a radio spot with WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” McCourty acknowledged what many have already gleaned from Patricia’s lone season running offense — it was an outright failure. 

“That wasn’t a good thing. There was nothing good about that,” McCourty said of Patricia running the offense. “I think a lot of people talk about the season, but from training camp, there was nothing good about that.”

During Patricia’s lone season running New England’s offense, the Patriots ranked 16th in the NFL in points per game (21.4) and 20th in passing yards per contest (208.0).

Their red-zone offense cratered, with New England ranking last in the league with a 42.2 percent touchdown percentage after bringing the ball within the 20-yard line.

“He’s a really good football coach and a defensive mind, and that’s what he is,” McCourty said of Patricia. “That’s where he’s made his living in the NFL. So, he’s gonna get back to doing that [in Philadelphia]. … But yeah, I think everybody in New England and even Matty P is happy that whole experiment is over, and he’s back to doing what he loves doing, coaching ball and talking defense.”

Jones took the brunt of the punishment in Patricia’s offense last season, finishing his second year in the NFL ranks with just 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions over 14 total games.

But on Tuesday, Jones took the high road on WEEI when asked about his relationship with the former Patriots coach. 

“Coach Patricia is a smart guy and I have a lot of respect for him,” Jones said. “Really enjoyed actually working with him. We put in a lot of hours together. Definitely shot him a text when he headed up there. I wish him nothing but the best. I really do respect him. I have a lot of good times with him, too.”