Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt addresses the media on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
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Yeah, that's a tough one. I hate to make comparisons as a coach. It's not fair to either player. Really.
You see similar qualities obviously, the ability to throw the ball down the field, the ability to make plays with his legs. Both are very good at that, obviously. I'm you know, a lot of gauge gap there and experience gap. But you do see similar qualities, that is for sure.
Do you remember.
Absolutely, yeah, any.
Similarities between these two guys A little bit, Yeah, a little bit.
I mean, both guys use their legs. That are advantage for sure.
You know the knock on on Josh, if there was one, was just the accuracy and in the throwing, you know, but obviously he's he's thrown it thron well, playing at a really high level right now. But yeah, there are there are similar similarity. Excuse me, but I hate to make comparisons. I mean, obviously different players, but you do see some of the similar play style.
I see a little bit just about how do you feel?
Yeah, I didn't see it. I had no idea, and and then I just know I was watching tape in the early in the morning and he came in and and said what he you know, what he had said. And then I mean, I have draws back at all costs. I mean, we have a great relationship. We're very commutative.
And I didn't tell I took no offense to that whatsoever. I don't.
I think it was taken out of context, as he said, And we have a great relationship.
And they're very transparently play call thoughts is their regret.
Yeah, I mean there's uh, you know, I know Jonathan was upset and that that came out.
There was nobody more pissed off than I was.
I can promise you that you know, no uh, no good play call or no bad play call works like you know, if that that play works and we block it up, we were we were had it up.
We had the right numbers for the right people, and it didn't work. You know.
Obviously in hindsight, it's easy to look back and say, I wish I'd have done something differently. That's that's always part of a play callers, uh deal after a game, what I call that play again?
In that situation, probably we need a half a yard. You know.
We called a similar play in the goal line and in the Jets game to win it, you know, and that's a that's an attitude play. That's a move guys off the ball, uh, two lead blockers for a good running back. So unfortunately it didn't work out, and that was a big swing in that game. You know, we had a chance there to go down and get back within six points. I thought we'd move the ball up and down the field for the most part of the day. It was a strange game in that regard, But it's tough. If it works, it's a non issue. When it doesn't work, then you always kind of second guess yourself on that call. But again, schematically we had the right call on we just didn't get the job done.
That was mentioned knowing that Jonathan was set. Do you know that strictly from the clips that have gone viral or had you have direct communication with ownership.
On the clips? That was more than anything else.
Again, I guess for you guys, I don't ever really pay attention to much and just keep my head down and go. So it was brought up later on Monday afternoon. I had no idea after the game. So yeah, I understand it's frustration. There's there's no nothing that's not frustrated about losing, you know. I think we're all frustrated, and it goes at multiple levels. When you have three wins, those things can happen.
Te grieves with.
Them as these share. Do you ever conversations with ownership about games or decisions you've made.
Yeah, throughout the course of walking through the hallways.
Nothing that's scheduled each week, but if if they have a question, I'm always open to answer the questions.
I hope the form of a quarterback sneak can be something that's you know, taught or would have you something good.
Some aren't at it.
Brady was great at it, you know, he was from what you see in practice up, we don't see something that you continually work on. You see progression. But what would you see from Drakes too?
Yeah, no, I think so, I do. I do think so. I think we can sneak with Drake. I think he's done in the past. I'm not fearful of that as much. Really just focusing on keeping him out of harm's way and getting him through these last three games healthy. And that's really where it comes to. It's about developing, you know, our quarterback. I think we all feel very confident in his abilities. At the same time, I'd hate to lose him and not let him finish out the season by using him in a way where if we didn't need to, then we didn't have to.
So that's kind of my thought on that.
So you see, that's sort of like you talk about earlier the year.
Sometimes it took off.
You see the benefits of them stay and processing go.
Yeah, absolutely, I think you know, he hasn't run as much asn't needed to. You know, he does a really good job again, his processing ability to see the field know where to go and then know when it is time to run. I go back to a few games ago against Indy, a team that plays a ton of own and he saw him in man coverage and I think he had a forty one yard scramble after that.
So he sees the field really well.
He understands what he needs to do and when he can and can't run, and when he should or shouldn't progress, So real happy with him.
You're preparing your script when you're.
Scouting the opposition to say those are weaknesses, but you may not be able to exploit them.
So I can't always.
But when you build.
Your script and then even during the course of the game, you have to take things out of.
It based on the way it starts when you see.
How it does.
Absolutely yeah, you absolutely well mark plays off if it's not the you know, a defense you expect. You know they've changed their their game plan and it wasn't what you expected. Yet you definitely delete plays off your call sheet. Yeah, but we felt like we had a good matchup inside to run Downhill throughout the course of the game. And you know that the one play on the fourth down and the third down, you know, we just didn't get that done.
How would you assess the ground games effectness in recent weeks, because it seems like it does have built some momentum, but also in some critical situations, it seems like sometimes they're having last Yeah.
That's where we're at right now. It's situational football. I lost the game for us, and that's what I told the guys. You know, we have to be better in those situations. We had a third and one we didn't get We converted on a fourth and one that wasn't cleanly blocked and reminder, made a heck of a play. We got stuffed on a third and one and fourth and one later those critical situations, short yardage, you know, the two minute, third downs, red zone. Again, we have to play better in situational football in all those areas.
That was your experience playing and coaching is difficult, losing seasons like this one informing how you decided to coach your offense down the streams like three to eleven playoffs at the pigre. I know this is the best way to coach them because of what I've.
Been Yeah, it's never fun. It's never fun. The one thing I'll give these guys a ton of credit. They're still playing extremely hard. You know, there's nobody that's tanked the season or is done for the year. These guys are playing hard for each other. I mean we're battling right up to the very end. You know, Drake runs in in a two minute drive at the end of the game.
There.
I mean, the guys are really playing hard. The big thing is just again, this is about progression. We're trying to keep getting better and developing each week. And you know we're not where we need to be obviously in that regard. But again, it's about this year. They're finishing out strong this year and then taking that into next year. You know, whether we win three in a row or we lose three in a row, it's about playing the right way offensively, and I think those guys, into their credit, have done that.
Had a conversation with Robert or Drop and since that, as.
You mentioned, you know, keeping Drake healthy for these last three games and had a harm's way and with the design quarter backgrounds and things like that. Let's say the record was a little bit different, you know, would you say that Dad would invite calling knows a little bit.
Absolutely, absolutely, Yeah, there's no question you know, if it's third and two and we're trying to get to a playoff spot, then we're going to use every means necessary to get those plays and put our guys in the best position. But you know, again, I've been around the quarterback run game in Cleveland and we lost our quarterback for the year, and so I know what it entails.
I know what comes with that. There is a big risk that's involved.
And again, if it's a playoff situation or it's a guy to have it to win the game, possibly, but when that comes up, we'll make that determination.
I haven't talked to Robert. He mentioned how to talk to Robert.
Yet when you see a clip like that, does that compel you to want to explain to him, Like do you want to talk to.
To explain your decision made?
You know, my door is always open and obviously the you know, the Crafts, I answer to those guys, So if they ever want to come down and talk, my door's open. I've had great conversations with Robert over the course of the season, mister Kraft, and it's it's it's been positive.
So yep, always willing and always available.
Just wondering.
What you made of pay shops media coming in and apologize the things that he said after the game.
Yeah, this is that's part of receiver play. It's not changed since I played.
You know, Andre Reid didn't get enough catches, he'd be be upset.
And I understand that's the competitive nature of these guys.
You know, we had a really good conversation on Monday, and I just reiterated to him, you know, if there's something that you see during the game, we always talk about open communication, come to me during the game. You know, don't don't wait. Let's just try to find solutions during the course of the game. So real, positive conversation with him. Excited to see him come out and make place for us this week. Okay, thanks guys.
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But where the Patriots. Let's just get one thing done, and let's get it done right and then we can worry about versatility. Am I lying to anybody here? Let's just get one thing done. Let's get one thing done right, and then we can move along. That's kind of my biggest thing.
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