Van Pelt hopes to return as Patriots offensive coordinator in 2025.
Entering Week 18 with a 3-13 record, changes are expected to soon be coming to the New England Patriots coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who was let go by the Cleveland Browns at the end of last season, knows that is part of the business. But if given the opportunity, the coordinator hopes to return next season.
“No, this is a business. We all signed up for this. When we win three games, it’s tough,” Van Pelt said on Thursday. “The thing that I can hang my hat on is that this team has played hard. There’s not been any game where they have not put out their full effort. That’s impressive. It’s easy for a lot of teams and I’ve been around teams that are out of the playoffs and kind of just cruise to the end. We’re going to try to finish strong. We started fast. That was my message to them. We started fast with a win, let’s finish strong with a win at home in front of our crowd.
“Whatever happens after that, we’ll see. I would love to be back. I really like the organization. I like our guys. There’s stuff to build on there, but again, that’s out of my control.”
Things have not been perfect for Van Pelt in his first year as the offense’s full-time play caller. His unit ranks 30th in the league averaging just 16.6 points per game, while New England also checks in near the bottom of the league in red zone and third-down offense.
The stats don’t paint the full picture, however, as Van Pelt has had to work with an offense that lacks talent around rookie quarterback Drake Maye. That has often led to a simplistic offensive approach where creativity often ends up in disaster — as seen by a fumble vs. the Los Angeles Chargers last week on a misdirection reverse.
That turnover highlighted many of the issues with the offense, which Van Pelt takes his fair share of blame for — along with other poor calls throughout the year that the coordinator plans to review and learn from following the season.
“Some of the things I would like to take back are some of the bad calls I’ve made throughout the course of the year,” Van Pelt said. “Really starting with the fumble last week. That was a tough one. Put those guys in a tough spot. There’s a handful of those in each game where you’re like, ‘Man, I wish I would’ve done something differently.’ So keeping that, again the growth and knowledge of where I messed up during the course of the year and where can I be better for them.”
If given another season in charge, Patriots players expect the continuity to allow the offensive scheme to grow in Year 2 under Van Pelt. That could include more of what he ran with Cleveland with a more vertical and play-action pass game to play off an improve rushing attack.
It would also provide stability for Maye, who has been one of many offensive players to give praise for Van Pelt’s work this season. The 22-year-old quarterback has been ready to play each week and has taken strides with his mechanics, crediting Van Pelt and quarterback coach T.C. McCartney along the way.
Not changing his coordinator this offseason could be beneficial to Maye entering his sophomore season.
“You look at a lot of the quarterback development over the years. Hall of Fame guys who have been in systems that were similar or the same year after year after year,” Van Pelt said. “That just builds that knowledge that you have in that system in many different levels. I think it’s important for consistency, continuity especially for younger players to stay within the system.”