Patriots rent Alabama offensive coordinator Invoice O’Brien to run offense

Former Houston Texans coach Invoice O’Brien is returning to the NFL.

The Alabama offensive coordinator will take the identical job with the New England Patriots, the crew officially announced Thursday. O’Brien has been the Crimson Tide’s play-caller for the previous two seasons after he was fired from the Texans in October of 2020.

This will likely be O’Brien’s second stint with the Patriots. He labored as an assistant with the crew from 2007-11 and labored his approach up from offensive analyst to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2011 earlier than he went to be the top coach at Penn State.

New England was in want of an offensive coordinator after its post-Josh McDaniels experiment wasn’t fruitful this previous season. After the longtime OC left New England to develop into the top coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick didn’t immediately substitute McDaniels. Former New York Giants head coach Joe Choose was the crew’s quarterbacks coach whereas former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia was the crew’s offensive line coach. Choose beforehand served as a particular groups coach in his assistant teaching tenure whereas Patricia had been a defensive coach for over a decade.

Patricia ended up because the crew’s play-caller for the 2022 season as New England went 8-9 and missed the playoffs. Second-year QB Mac Jones visibly showed his frustration at times with the offense and took a step again from his first season with McDaniels. Jones had a decrease completion share, averaged 0.5 yards fewer per throw and threw fewer TDs in 2022 than he did as a rookie in 2021.

Total, the Patriots’ offense averaged 5.3 yards per play in 2022 after averaging 5.7 yards a play in 2021. After a season-ending loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots issued an announcement saying the franchise would search for a new offensive coordinator.

Earlier than becoming a member of Alabama, O’Brien coached the Texans for over six seasons. Houston gained the AFC South in 4 of O’Brien’s six full seasons with the crew and completed with at the very least 9 wins in 5 seasons.

The place does Alabama flip?

O’Brien’s departure from Alabama means head coach Nick Saban can have a brand new offensive coordinator and a brand new defensive coordinator in 2023. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding left to take the identical place at Ole Miss.

Saban has proven over the previous decade that he has no challenge with employees turnover. O’Brien was the crew’s fifth offensive coordinator since Lane Kiffin left the varsity in 2016 and he succeeded Steve Sarkisian after Sarkisian grew to become the top coach at Texas following the 2020 season.

Alabama QB Bryce Younger gained the Heisman in 2021 in his first season because the crew’s starter because the transition from Sarkisian to O’Brien was comparatively seamless. The Tide averaged practically 40 factors per sport and gained the SEC title earlier than dropping to Georgia within the nationwide title sport after accidents to its high two receivers.

With Jameson Williams and John Metchie III off to the NFL, Alabama scored extra factors per sport in 2022 however the absence of a top-tier receiver was apparent. Younger typically discovered himself carrying the offense on his shoulders and the crew’s high playmaker and pass-catcher was operating again Jahmyr Gibbs.

Younger will likely be a high choose within the 2023 NFL Draft, so whoever takes over Alabama’s offense will likely be working with a brand new beginning quarterback.