Nfl Play-caller Rankings: Patriots In Good Hands With Mcdaniels

NFL play-caller rankings: Patriots in good hands with McDaniels originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The most interesting man in the New England Patriots organization this upcoming might not be the quarterback. It might not be the head coach. It just might be the guy who’ll be relied upon by both through the 2025 season and beyond.

Josh McDaniels is in a fascinating spot in his career. After being fired by the Las Vegas Raiders as their head coach in the middle of the 2023 season, he spent his year away from coaching to study the game. He picked the brains of football people he respects. He’s seen different ways of doing things. And now he has an opportunity to try to revive a Patriots offense that has wallowed in ineptitude since his departure following the 2021 season.

Questions abound. 

How much has he changed? What will define his scheme? Why will he be able to make it work with a staff full of coaches — several of whom have been coordinators or head coaches themselves — with whom he has little working experience? Perhaps most importantly, how much will he do to get the most out of a quarterback whose physical traits he really hasn’t had before?

They’re questions we set out to answer on Next Pats this week. 

???? Next Pats: Why Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye will PRODUCE in 2025 | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

With Maye headed into Year 2, we are in the process of ranking the Patriots among the NFL’s other 31 clubs in three categories — playmakers, play-callers and protection units — to try to quantify exactly what kind of ecosystem the team has built around its young quarterback. Our friends Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of the Move the Sticks podcast and NFL Media call those categories “The Three Ps,” which they’ve deemed critical for the success and growth of any young quarterback.

Last week, we ranked the Patriots playmaker group (running backs, receivers and tight ends) 31st in the league. In our latest installment of this series, focused on play-callers league-wide, McDaniels will rank higher. Decidedly.

Why? He’s shown a clear willingness to adjust, which should serve him well as he takes on this role once again. He ran a spread offense in 2007 that rewrote record books. In 2012, he continued what Bill O’Brien started in operating a dynamic two-tight end scheme that forced the football-watching world to re-think the position. In 2018, McDaniels changed on the fly to become more of a grind-it-out rushing attack with fullback James Develin. In 2020, he shifted from Tom Brady to Cam Newton and used his new quarterback’s legs to his advantage.

In the spring alone, media members were allowed the opportunity to watch McDaniels do what McDaniels does, which is… a little bit of everything. He changed personnel groupings at the drop of a hat, using two backs, two tight ends and a fullback. He changed formations, going from heavier groupings with extra offensive linemen to empty shotgun looks. He used screens, deep shots, and slot receivers were peppered with targets. 

But perhaps what will help McDaniels the most in our rankings of the league’s play-callers is what he did the last time he worked in Foxboro. 

In 2021, he helped a rookie quarterback turn the Patriots into one of the most efficient offenses in the league. You read that right. With Mac Jones, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, Hunter Henry, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, McDaniels helped the Patriots finish sixth in points scored. They also ranked 10th in EPA per play and fourth in success rate. 

It was a remarkable feat that helped him land his second head-coaching gig. Now he’s back. And despite having one of the least-sexy complement of weapons in football once again, he’ll have an opportunity to return the Patriots offense to relevancy. 

Without further adieu, here’s how we ranked the NFL’s play-callers for 2025.

Best of the best

1. Sean McVay – Los Angeles Rams

2. Andy Reid – Kansas City Chiefs

3. Kyle Shanahan – San Francisco 49ers

The wizards

4. Kevin O’Connell – Minnesota Vikings

5. Matt LaFleur – Green Bay Packers

6. Sean Payton – Denver Broncos

7. Ben Johnson – Chicago Bears

The artists

8. Mike McDaniel – Miami Dolphins

9. Kevin Stefanski – Cleveland Browns

10. Todd Monken – Baltimore Ravens

In good hands

11. Josh McDaniels – New England Patriots

12. Brian Daboll – New York Giants

13. Arthur Smith – Pittsburgh Steelers

14. Joe Brady – Buffalo Bills

I’m interested

15. Chip Kelly – Las Vegas Raiders

16. Kliff Kingsbury – Washington Commanders

17. Drew Petzing – Arizona Cardinals

18. Liam Coen – Jacksonville Jaguars

Known commodities

19. Zac Taylor – Cincinnati Bengals

20. Shane Steichen – Indianapolis Colts

21. Greg Roman – Los Angeles Chargers

Need more information

22. Kellen Moore – New Orleans Saints

23. Klint Kubiak – Seattle Seahawks

24. Dave Canales – Carolina Panthers

25. Zac Robinson – Atlanta Falcons

26. Brian Callahan – Tennessee Titans

27. Brian Schottenheimer – Dallas Cowboys

Anyone’s guess

28. Nick Caley – Houston Texans

29. Kevin Patullo – Philadelphia Eagles

30. John Morton – Detroit Lions

31. Tanner Engstrand – New York Jets

32. Josh Grizzard – Tampa Bay Buccaneers