Earlier this year, when Mike Vrabel did a complete reset of the Patriots’ main staff, there was one key member he brought in: someone who was a very familiar face to New England, Josh McDaniels.
He originally joined the Patriots’ staff around the same time Vrabel actually started playing for the Patriots. New England hired McDaniels as a personal assistant in 2001. That same year, the Patriots signed Vrabel as a free agent.
The Start of Josh McDaniels
McDaniels was later elevated in 2006 to Offensive Coordinator and was very successful during that time, having a record of 39-9. His most impressive achievement was in 2007, when he had a record of 16-0 in the regular season, which remains the record for most wins in a regular season. He ended up leaving New England in 2008 to become the head coach for the Broncos.
Unfortunately for him, it was very unsuccessful; in his Broncos head coaching tenure, he would go 11-17, being fired by the organization during his second season.
He then became the Titans’ offensive coordinator, and it wasn’t much better, as the Titans scored the fewest points in the NFL and had the worst record in the AFC that year. Fortunately for McDaniels, the Patriots would bring him back in after losing their offensive coordinator, Bill O’Brien, who left the Patriots to become the Penn State head coach.
It paid off Big time for the Patriots, as he won three Super Bowls for the Patriots franchise, cementing the dynasty. Also, during this tenure, he would have 15 top eight most points scored, top five most yards for an offense four times, and also never miss the playoffs during this time.
Time for Another Try?
After another very successful offensive coordinator stint with the Patriots, McDaniels thought it was time to try again at becoming a head coach, as he became the head coach for the Raiders. Unfortunately for him, it wouldn’t be different from his time as the Broncos head coach, as it ended up in another mid-season firing, finishing his Raiders head coaching tenure with a record of 9-16.
For the Patriots, it wasn’t much better, as they went 16-35. Since the loss of McDaniels, this offense has been a shell of its former self. With the last two of those seasons, the offense finished in the bottom 30 for points scored. The Patriots knew it was time for a change and brought on Mike Vrabel as the next head coach, and with that, Vrabel needed a new offensive coordinator. He ended up turning to his former offensive coordinator during his time as a Patriot and hired Josh McDaniels.
One More Try
He revived this offense; currently, the Patriots are the second-ranked points-scored offense. The sophomore quarterback Drake Maye, who showed flashes of greatness in his rookie season, now has the second-best odds in the MVP race. The new WR1 Stefon Diggs has broken 1000 yards receiving, which hasn’t been done since 2019.
Safe to say without him, the Patriots’ offense just isn’t the same; he deserves his flowers. Without McDaniels, there might never have been a Patriots dynasty to begin with. The offense that was in the bottom 30 for points scored is now second in the NFL because of Him, and for that, it’s time that he gets the respect he deserves.
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