The Alex Van Pelt-led New England Patriots offense may be finding its groove with rookie quarterback Drake Maye under center.
Since taking over for veteran Jacoby Brissett, Maye has rejuvenated the group with his ability to make plays through the air and on the ground. While Maye has received plenty of praise for his quick development, his offensive coordinator's efforts to set him up for success haven't gone unnoticed.
Defensive coaches for the Patriots' last two opponents -- the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears -- shared their thoughts on Van Pelt and the Pats offense in conversations with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
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"This is from a Titans coach, defensive side of the ball," Breer said on Sunday's Patriots Pregame Live.
"'The offense is similar to the Browns' with Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett, which is where AVP was. Not as much what they were doing with Deshaun Watson. Run the ball, a lot of quick game, creating easy throws and quick reads for the quarterback. They're running a lot formations out of 12 personnel -- that's two tight ends -- and running play-action out of that with a good amount of empty to give Drake a clear picture of ways to get the ball out fast.
"'The tight ends are solid, the backs are good, but the line and receivers aren't good, which limits them. So AVP is making it as simple as he can for the rookie.' "
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The Bears coach thought highly of both Van Pelt and Maye.
"Here's a Bears coach," Breer added. "'AVP does a good job of keeping the quarterback out of third and long. Not a complicated offense in terms of personnel grouping, motions, or shifts. I think once they improve the offensive line and get the outside run game going, the quarterback will be much better because of the boot and play-action passing game. Their offensive line struggles with outside zone because they lack athleticism. But Drake is legit. He has all the tools to be really good but needs help at the skill positions.'
"And as for them lacking motion, because I know that this is a big thing when it comes to creativity to the offense, this coach said, 'I mean, motion definitely puts more stress on a defense, but it's also more on the quarterback with communication and timing. So I think keeping the picture clear for the quarterback really helps Drake out. The juice ain't worth the squeeze sometimes.'
"So again, AVP is a respected guy across the NFL, and those are defensive coaches from the last two teams they played who really think that Van Pelt's done a good job of getting Drake up and running and putting him in a position to succeed early in his career."
It's no secret the Patriots still need to surround Maye with playmakers and protection up front. The wide receiver corps and offensive line remain the two glaring weaknesses on the roster. But even without those weapons, the 22-year-old's rookie campaign has been perhaps even more promising than many expected when he was drafted third overall in April.
As for Van Pelt, the jury remains on out on whether he should be a one-and-done as the Pats' OC. If his offense continues to trend upward over the last few weeks of the season, he could earn himself at least one more year as Jerod Mayo's right-hand man.