Fresh Blood: Could Fired Cardinals Coach Kliff Kingsbury Fix Patriots Offense?
With their season officially over after a 35-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots must now look toward an offseason that is likely to be filled with change.
First and foremost, an offensive coaching staff that has drawn the ire of fans and owner Robert Kraft alike could see some major shakeup. As such, don't be surprised to see a new face calling plays for the Patriots next season.
One name to watch? Former Arizona Cardinals' coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Kingsbury was fired by the Cardinals Monday morning, becoming yet another victim of Black Monday in the NFL. While there have been no official staff changes from the Patriots - and Bill Belichick sure sounds like he intends to come back for his 24th season in 2023 - it's hard to imagine at least a couple tweaks not being imminent.
The offensive play-calling of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge was, as predicted, abysmal. The Pats finished 7th-worst in total yards and quarterback Mac Jones' performance regressed in between his on-field tirades aimed at his staff.
Now that Kingsbury is on the market, he becomes an intriguing candidate for offensive staff openings across the NFL, which could very soon happen in Foxborough. Dating back to his time as the coach of Texas Tech, he's been considered one of football's brightest offensive minds.
This season the Patriots - despite seven touchdowns from their defense - scored only 21.4 points per game (17th in the NFL). Meanwhile, the Cardinals averaged 20 points per game (20th).
On paper this would make it seem like Kingsbury would be a downgrade, but it is important to take into account the loss of quarterback Kyler Murray with a torn ACL and DeAndre Hopkins' six-game suspension to start the season.
For a better look at what Kingsbury brings to the table offensively, look to 2021 where the Cardinals were the NFL's No. 11 scoring offense at 26.4 points per game.
Speaking of a potential Arizona-New England connection, Patriots' inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo could be a name to watch in Arizona as well with Kingsbury's departure.
The Cleveland Browns have already reportedly requested to interview Mayo for their open defensive coordinator position, but he's made his desire to be a head coach eventually well known.
Of course, this is all hypothetical and mere speculation. However, if the Patriots do hire Kingsbury, he could be the right hire to unlock a Patriots offense that showed glimpses of taking that next step all season long.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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