Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley is among the coaches who play a part of bringing together a game plan for that particular week. Steven Senne/Associated Press
Patriots play caller Matt Patricia has help devising offensive game plan every week
While Matt Patricia is calling the offensive plays on Sunday, he’s not solely responsible for devising the game plan each week.
In the past, certain assistants would help former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in different areas. For example, former assistant Chad O’Shea was heavily involved in the red zone offense. And more recently, tight ends coach Nick Caley would deal with third down.
Now?
According to Caley, everyone has a hand in the plan for each opponent on Sunday, along with play caller and offensive line coach Patricia and Coach Bill Belichick.
“Right now, we game plan collectively in terms of scouting report stuff,” said Caley. “I’m not doing really third down, in terms of the scouting report, but we all game plan it together in terms of design and plays, and stuff like that.”
Asked if he had specific role within that context, Caley once again stressed it was a group effort along with Patricia, and expanded a bit further.
“We work together,” he said. “Honestly, the way we’ve done it collectively here is we’re putting together the scouting report as we get going here week by week, and we’ll present that as a unit collectively, together.”
THE PATRIOTS could have tested out punter Jake Bailey’s arm in Sunday’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On the pivotal play that Steelers returner Gunner Olzsewski muffed a punt – with Brenden Schooler recovering – the Steelers were a man short. They only had 10 players on their punt-return team.
Because of that, Schooler had a free release downfield. Instead of punting, Bailey could have pulled the ball back and fired it to the open Schooler.
Speaking with Patriots special teams coordinator Cam Achord, he said they have that play in their back pocket, and didn’t necessarily rule out Bailey throwing the ball in that situation in the future.
They just took a pass on it Sunday.
“There’s a couple different things in that situation,” Achord said in a video conference. “Obviously, if he’s uncovered, there’s an opportunity to throw him the ball or there’s an opportunity to punt to him and you’re going get good field position for sure. Depending on the situation in the game right there, the elements go into it, but there’s definitely an opportunity for Jake to throw it to him.
“Obviously, Jake has a good arm and can throw. So there are situations where that will definitely happen. … It just depends what we have alerted on the sideline. So there’s a chance you could definitely throw that ball, for sure.”
As it turned out Sunday, Olzsewski fumbled the punt, Schooler recovered, and that led to Damien Harris scoring what proved to be the deciding touchdown in the 17-14 win.
THE BALTIMORE Ravens are field-goal favorites over New England ahead of their matchup Sunday at Gillette Stadium, according to Las Vegas sportsbooks.
After a stunning collapse in a Week 2 loss to Miami, the Ravens are three-point favorites over the Patriots, who fell to the hosting Dolphins in Week 1 before bouncing back Sunday with a narrow road win over the Steelers.
Sunday’s game will be the Patriots’ home opener. New England went 4-5 at Gillette Stadium last season and 5-4 against the spread.
The Patriots lead the all-time series 11-4 and have won four of their past five meetings. The Ravens were touchdown favorites entering their 2020 matchup in New England but lost, 23-17, in a rain-soaked prime-time game. They’re 0-6 in regular-season games in New England.
The over-under for Sunday’s game is 43 points.
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