New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt offered something of a response Thursday after head coach Jerod Mayo seemingly threw him under the bus earlier in the week.
Van Pelt has been criticized for his reluctance to use rookie quarterback Drake Maye in the run game since Maye took over as starter. The talking point gained relevance this week, when Van Pelt refused to run a quarterback sneak for Maye in two separate short-yardage situations, seemingly drawing the ire of Mayo.
On Thursday, Van Pelt offered something of a defense of his strategy. He said he would be more aggressive with Maye in terms of using defined quarterback runs if the Patriots were in the playoff race, but is instead opting to protect the rookie.
“If it’s 3rd and 2 and we’re trying to get to a playoff spot, we’re going to use every means necessary to get those plays and put our guys in the best position,” Van Pelt said. “I’ve been around the quarterback run game in Cleveland and we lost our quarterback for the year. I know what it entails. I know what comes with that. There is a big risk that’s involved. If it’s a playoff situation or gotta have it to win the game, when that comes up, we’ll make that determination.”
Van Pelt spent three seasons as the Browns’ offensive coordinator. He appears to be alluding to the season-ending injury Deshaun Watson suffered in 2023, though that was to Watson’s shoulder and not necessarily the result of heavy usage in the run game.
Maye has demonstrated his outstanding mobility at times this season, even if the Patriots are somewhat reluctant to build it into their gameplan. They definitely have legitimate reasons for that stance, but there are moments when it would probably be the smart play.
