Mac Jones, Patriots express confidence in ‘new offense’ despite growing pains – AFC East

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Challenging change: One of the reasons Bill Belichick has traditionally promoted from within on his coaching staff is valuing continuity, and players not having to learn a new system with every change.

Offensively, that resulted in Charlie Weis (2000-04) passing the torch to Josh McDaniels (2005-08), who then handed it to Bill O’Brien (2009-11), before McDaniels took it back (2012-21).

This promoted healthy player development, and it’s what many assumed (this reporter included) was at the core of Belichick’s decision to turn to Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as leading offensive coaches in 2022. They would step into a familiar culture and attempt to run the same system, with slight modifications.

But arguably the biggest surprise since the Patriots reported to training camp July 26 is that the system isn’t as close to the same as many thought. Quarterback Mac Jones and receiver Kendrick Bourne are among those who have referred to the “new offense,” with Jones adding: “I think we’re going to figure it out. That takes time and patience.”

The result has been some shaky practices, one last Monday that led center David Andrews to address the entire unit in an extended on-field chat. The next day after a better practice, veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer said no one wants “to come out here and be embarrassed” before adding: “When you’re doing some new things, there’s going to be some growing pains.”

Witnessing the challenging transition sparked obvious questions: Why tear down an offense that Jones thrived in as a rookie? And what exactly are the changes that players are struggling to adjust to?

The primary motivation for the change, according to those familiar with Belichick’s thinking, was to make it easier on players. The volume of the old system had grown so much over 20-plus years — with Tom Brady a huge part of it, and then specific Cam Newton-based wrinkles in 2020 adding another layer to navigate — so the time seemed right to streamline it and return more to the original roots.

Altering verbiage is arguably the most significant part of that change. Many things no longer carry the same meaning, so offensive players are learning a new language and the rules/responsibilities that come along with it.

As for the players’ on-field struggles, the line hasn’t…