Alex Van Pelt seemingly was thrown under the bus after Week 15’s loss, but the Patriots offensive coordinator didn’t let that throw him off.
New England suffered another deflating loss when the Arizona Cardinals beat them, 30-17. Jerod Mayo was quick to deflect blame about offensive play-calling and seemed to point the finger at his offensive coordinator. The head coach’s comments came after Jonathan Kraft was caught by cameras voicing his displeasure about the offense. It was something that came in Van Pelt’s direction.
I know Jonathan was upset and that came out. But nobody was more pissed off than I was,” Van Pelt told reporters Thursday, per The Athletic’s Chad Graff.
Van Pelt admitted he hadn’t spoken to Robert or Jonathan Kraft since the viral clip. He admitted he wouldn’t have changed the calls on a pivotal red-zone opportunity but wasn’t against a sitdown conversation.
“My door’s always open. The Krafts, I answer to those guys,” Van Pelt said, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. “I’ve had great conversations with Robert over the course of the season, Mr. Kraft, and it’s always been positive.”
It’s not the first time Van Pelt needed to answer questions regarding speculation over his job status. Drake Maye remains a public supporter of the 54-year-old. However, mounting losses and frustrating play-calling will have fans continuing to shout at Van Pelt and call for his job.
