Bill O’Brien is bringing some of Alabama to New England.
The new Patriots offensive coordinator is incorporating bits of the offensive system he used during his tenure with Nick Saban at the University of Alabama, where New England’s quarterback, Mac Jones was previously under center, according to a report Wednesday from The Athletic.
When O’Brien landed in Alabama in 2021, he was tasked to learn the system originated by his predecessor, Steve Sarkisian, who left to coach at Texas.
Jones, drafted by the Patriots in April of that year, stayed on campus to help bring O’Brien up to speed, The Athletic reported.
O’Brien and Jones “have hit it off since reacquainting,” per the outlet, which notes how the third-year quarterback looks “much more comfortable running a familiar system.”
The word coming out of Patriots camp is a stark contrast compared to last year, when Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, New England’s former defensive and special teams coordinators, respectively, ran the offense following the departure of longtime coordinator Josh McDaniels in the 2022 offseason.
Last year’s system was highly ridiculed, with Jones frequently at the center of sideline outbursts.
Further, the Patriots ranked 26th in yards per contest and were barely above average in terms of putting points on the board, ranking 17th in the league.
Jones, who finished his sophomore season with 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, said earlier this month how he’s looking to improve in all areas across the board.
“Sometimes the most confident people come from a year where they might not have been their best. I feel like that’s where I’m at,” Jones said, according to ESPN. “Really great people are formed through ups and downs. Some of the learning experiences I had last year will really help. There’s a lot of things I can do better as a person, as a player.”
Jones completed 52 of his 64 pass attempts (81.3 percent) during competitive team drills at minicamp.
Although that may not be an accurate indicator of Jones’ potential completion percentage during actual NFL games, it does provide a glimpse into how confident the quarterback is in O’Brien’s system.