Will Belichick Have McDaniels Go Old School In 2021?

Looking at the way the NFL is going and the way the Patriots are built, I do not think we're going to see a lot of traditional 11, 12, or 21 offenses from Josh McDaniels. I believe the Patriots are about to go thin at receiver, regardless if they get Julio Jones or not.

As we all know Cam Newton allows for a very heavy option style run game. While his accuracy rivals NFL backups, his legs make up the difference. Mac Jones is a play action quarterback that can run some RPOs. He doesn't scare people with his legs but his accuracy. While the Patriots may try to continue to keep Newton in the Pocket and run the traditional offense, they are built currently to run something a little different.

I believe the Patriots are built for and are going to evolve to a 13, 14, 22, 23 Personnel set offense. I also believe the Patriots finally have the team with Vitale and Keene to debut a 15 personnel offense set featuring 5 tight ends. They have more than enough inline, move, and h-back tight ends to do it.

With the speed and size of NFL move tight ends, the need for some of the receivers is less than ever before. Sure guys that run a 4.3 are always going to have their place but Slot and flanker roles are slowly being replaced by move (U) tight ends. 

Most teams already use H-Back tight ends instead of fullbacks. In college the H-Backs are being used as Halfbacks. It's only a matter of time before NFL franchises hop on board that bandwagon. Look at guys like Blount, King Henry, and the Patriots rookie Stevenson. Bigger backs are slowly returning.The return of the John Riggins H-back role is nearing. 

The magic three tight end set is upon us and the all tight end set isn't far behind. Bill Belichick is old school football coach and it would take an old school mind to pull this off. 

I have been preaching for years that a modified 3-2-6 defense known as a 5-6 with five defensive linemen and 6 DBs are the future. Dugger and Barmore are the types of players needed for that set. The Patriots have been collecting hybrid players for years. 2020 showed they know how to think outside the box.

And on Offense, Keene, Smith, and Henry are just what the Patriots need to run a magic three tight end set. The thing with the Patriots offensive construction is they can run these concepts with either quarterback, which makes them that much more dangerous. 

They could even Platoon the quarterbacks and do what Pittsburgh did with Tomczak and Stewart in the 90s. Use Cam in the redzone and short yardage situations and Jones the rest of the time. There are so many options for the Patriots in 2021, that teams need to fear the Patriots again.