Patriots Coach Matt Patricia Interviews For Defensive Job In AFC

Matt Patricia is interviewing for a job on Sean Payton's staff in Denver after 15 non-consecutive seasons as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots.

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots and senior football advisor Matt Patricia may be headed for ‘Splitsville,’ after all. 

Per an NFL Network report, Patricia interviewed on Wednesday with the Denver Broncos for their vacant defensive coordinator position. Denver recently hired Sean Payton, who guided the New Orleans Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV, as their head coach. 

Patricia is one of three former NFL head coaches considered to be top candidates for the opening, including ex-Patriots nemesis Rex Ryan and former Broncos coach Vance Joseph

The 48-year-old just finished a tumultuous season as New England's offensive architect — a campaign which will hardly be remembered with fondness. The Pats offense regressed from one showing significant promise in 2021, to a subpar unit dwelling among the NFL's bottom teams. The 2022 iteration of Patriots finished 7th-worst in total yards while averaging only 18.1 points per game.

Quarterback Mac Jones also displayed notable discomfort in New England's new offensive system throughout the season. At times, the disconnect between the players and the coaching staff was so overt that Jones was observed hurling expletive-laden frustrations, believed to be in the direction of his coaches. As a result, Patricia was relieved of his duties as offensive play caller and offensive line coach in favor of Bill O’Brien and Adrian Klemm, respectively.

In contrast to his woeful turn as an offensive coach, Patricia is quite accomplished in directing a defense. He served six seasons as the team's defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017. During that span, he won three Super Bowls with the Patriots; two as defensive coordinator, and presided over a defense in 2016 which led the NFL in fewest points allowed.

Patricia’s lone stint as an NFL head coach was largely forgettable. He finished his tenure with a 13–29–1 (.314) record in two and a half seasons as head coach of the Detroit Lions. The team finished last in the NFC North in both of Patricia's full seasons and were in last place at the time of his firing in November 2020. 

Previous reports theorized that Patricia would be “moving upstairs” into an advisory position similar to the one he held in 2021. However, with Detroit's financial obligations to Patricia set to expire at the conclusion of the 2022 season, New England faced a bit of a conundrum. Starting in 2023, the Patriots would be on the hook for Patricia's full salary, which presumably would be significantly more than the conjectured nominal rate he was earning as an advisor to Belichick. 

At present, Patricia has yet to sign an extension with the Patriots. 

If hired by the Broncos, against whom the Patriots are scheduled to play a road game in 2023, he would be joining one of the NFL’s most promising defensive units. The Broncos defense ranked within or adjacent the top 10 in most metrics in 2022, including seventh in total defense and 10th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA. 

Whatever, or wherever, his role may be in the upcoming season. Patricia will neither be calling plays, nor coaching the offensive line in New England next season — to the delight of a large section of the Pats fan base.

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots

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