Report: Bill O’Brien taking interesting approach with Patriots’ offense

Alabama Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien during warm ups before the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal game at the 86th Cotton Bowl in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. Credit: Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY NETWORK

Bill O’Brien made a name for himself during his first stint as an offensive coordinator and assistant with the New England Patriots more than a decade ago, and many have expected him to bring back the same system he used then. Apparently the coach has taken a bit of a different approach.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, O’Brien has been using more from the system he ran at Alabama than the one he built for Tom Brady and company back in 2011. That makes sense, of course, since O’Brien is trying to cater to Mac Jones’ strengths.

As Howe notes, Steve Sarkisian is the one who implemented the offense that Jones ran at Alabama. Nick Saban thought so highly of the system that he had O’Brien learn it when O’Brien took over as offensive coordinator after Sarkisian’s departure. While O’Brien never formally coached Jones at Alabama, Jones remained on campus for a while after declaring for the NFL Draft to help O’Brien with Sarkisian’s offense.

In other words, the quarterback and offensive coordinator should be very much on the same page in New England. Howe says Jones and O’Brien have “hit it off” since they began working together again.

The Patriots expect Jones to make significant strides in his third NFL season. Jones openly butted heads with the team’s offensive coaches last year. There is little question O’Brien was his preferred choice, so it is now up to Jones to prove that last year’s disaster was out of his control.