Patriots coaches go full ‘American Gladiators’ on Mac Jones, chase him with pole

You gotta love minicamp season in the NFL

New England Patriots fans are hoping that their offense can rebound this season in the hands of third-year quarterback Mac Jones.

After guiding the Patriots to a playoff berth as a rookie in 2021, Jones and the New England offense took a step back last season. The second-year passer finished the year having completed 65.2% of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, as New England limped to an 8-9 record, good for third in the AFC East.

That makes just one trip to the postseason since Tom Brady departed for the NFC.

The hope that Jones can rebound stems in large part from the return of Bill O’Brien. New England put their offense in the hands of Matt Patricia last season, and the returns were not exactly inspiring. Looking to rebound, the Patriots brought O’Brien back to Foxborough as their offensive coordinator.

O’Brien spent five years with the Patriots, starting out as an offensive assistant before working his way up to offensive coordinator. He helped the Patriots put together some impressive offenses during his tenure, including the 2011 season where Brady threw 39 touchdown passes, and the team was ranked third in points scored.

New England lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, following which O’Brien left for Penn State.

But now he is back, hoping to rekindle some of that previous magic with Jones.

By ... whacking him with a jousting pad right out of “American Gladiators:”

You have to admit, this is an impressive step up from Jon Gruden’s pool noodle.

Will it work? We’ll know in a few months.