Prayers from Patriots fans (and likely Mac Jones) were answered this offseason when the team brought back Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to the staff.
O’Brien, who is entering his second stint with the Patriots, is expected to be a major upgrade from Matt Patricia who was a converted defensive coordinator turned offensive play-caller.
The Patricia experiment was less than satisfactory especially when it came to the development of Jones. After helping lead the Patriots to the playoffs his rookie year, Jones did not take every many leap in his game and even had major issues at times taking care of the football and trusting the offense.
This led to a ton of frustration from Jones and the team which is why O’Brien is back in the building with big expectations.
ESPN’s Matt Hasselbeck is one analyst who has lofty expectations for the pair, as he believes Jones will not only return to his rookie form but be even better.
Matt Hasselbeck expects Bill O'Brien to make an immediate and positive impact on Mac Jones this season. pic.twitter.com/EkZN4C3dTg
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) April 3, 2023
“They’re fortunate to have someone like Bill O’Brien in the building running that offense,” Hasselbeck said per the Boston Herald. “I would expect the version of Mac Jones we saw in the first year, if not better.”
A lot of pressure lies on the shoulders of Jones and O’Brien to get things going this fall.
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