Josh McDaniels Says Patriots' Slow Start is 'Normal'

FOXBORO — Josh McDaniels walked up to the podium for his weekly media availability Thursday afternoon and immediately fielded a question about the offense's slow start. The New England Patriots, sitting at 1-1, haven't looked the best with the football. That's been the big talking point this week.

But the slow start — where the Patriots have 604 total yards of offense and two total touchdowns — isn't new for McDaniels. The offensive coordinator touched on seasons in the past where the Patriots started off on the wrong foot. He mentioned 2014, 2018, 2021 and 2025 — all seasons where the team made the playoffs.

Three of those years ended in trips to the Super Bowl, and a pair of them took home the title.

"I think it's normal," McDaniels said ahead of Thursday's practice. "This time of the year is generally an extension of the work you've done in training camp."

Don't Lose Sleep Over Slow Offensive Start

So while the outside world might be panicking over two less-than-stellar games, McDaniels isn't losing any sleep.

Sep 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I've lived through a bunch of them," McDaniels said. "We all have high expectations and hopes for starting the season looking a certain way, and what it requires is just a lot of hard work and improvement."

Sure, there's plenty that could go better. Drake Maye hasn't lived up to the immense pressure placed on him following an MVP-caliber season. He's thrown four picks, three of them in the opener, and isn't racking up the points that fantasy owners might have hoped.

Other than a TreVeyon Henderson 39-yard scamper in Week 2, the running game has looked dormant. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball away on the opening drive against the Steelers, and nothing is coming easy on the ground.

A.J. Brown remains sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, and no wide receiver has found the end zone through four quarters. The sky must be falling!

Not so fast. The Patriots — who didn't play many, if not any of their starters during the preseason — are viewing this first month as an extension of the summer. It's a mindset that the Patriots carried a lot during the Bill Belichick years, and it's why these slow starts never really hindered the team once November and December rolled around.

Will Patriots Have Similar Bounce Back To Past Champs?

The hope is that continues in 2026.

"The first month of the season is about growth and improvement," McDaniels said. "Progress is a big word and if you jerk the wheel and turn the car into the wall, you're gonna have a problem. So, I think our guys are really working hard at it.

"Squeezing harder to try to get a result that you are looking for is oftentimes a bad, a bad formula."

The past two performances are in the rearview mirror, that's something Mike Vrabel has stressed. Now it's onto the Jacksonville Jaguars, division winners from a season ago and a defense that can get after the quarterback.

"I think they fly around. I think the biggest thing, they’re running the football," Maye said Wednesday. "They have a good front. Then, I think they’re well-coached. You can tell they have an ability to fly to the football, try to punch it out. I think one of the best things about their defense is they can do a lot of different things in different ways."

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws the ball under pressure from Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) in the first half during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Maye and McDaniels will have their hands full this weekend. The Jaguars have nabbed an interception in seven-straight regular season games.

But even though the first two weeks might not have been the shiniest, Week 3 down in Florida has a chance to right the ship.

"We're hydrating, we're practicing and we'll be ready to go," McDaniels said.

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