The Patriots’ offense finally has some juice, and Dan Orlovsky thinks Josh McDaniels deserves a healthy share of the credit.
After New England rolled past the Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 in Week 5, Drake Maye looked much more like the quarterback who had been in the MVP conversation last season. He threw four touchdown passes in the win, and the turnaround over the last two games has been hard to miss.
On “NFL Live,” while waiting for the pregame coverage before “Monday Night Football” between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams, Orlovsky broke down what he liked about McDaniels’ play calling against Las Vegas.
“Giving credit to Josh McDaniels here,” Orlovsky said. “I loved the way he used a bunch of four-by-one formations.
Really like this new wrinkle from @Patriots OC McDaniels#nfllive @MikeReiss pic.twitter.com/VFWDjldWS6
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 12, 2026
Four on one side, one on the other. One, for protection.
Two, they ran the same concept out of a bunch of different looks called dagger… So, Josh McDaniels [was] using kind of a somewhat similar formation, but [in] different ways to get to it… I think it just allowed Drake [Maye] to be explosive down the field in the past game.”
That kind of design seems to have unlocked something for Maye. The 24-year-old has gone from a rough opening stretch - one touchdown pass in the first three games - to a far more explosive two-game run, with seven touchdown passes and 643 passing yards over the last two contests.
The Patriots will get a chance to keep the momentum going in Week 6, when they host the 2-3 New York Jets.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have Just Telegraphged A Needed Boost At Receiver
The Patriots have spent much of training camp and the early part of the season juggling injuries, with 19 players already landing on injured reserve and that total possibly climbing again after the latest wave of knocks. Even so, the offense managed to look functional against the Raiders, which offered at least a small reminder that the receiver room can still survive the attrition long enough to keep moving.
Mack Hollins trip to injured reserve only sharpened the focus on what comes next at wideout, especially with the unit so thin already. A.J. Brown is first eligible to return in Week 6 after missing the required four games with an ankle sprain, and the roster move has prompted the obvious question in New England: whether the Patriots were simply making room for a much-needed boost at receiver. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Have Found Their Right Tackle Sooner Than Expected
The Patriots offensive line has been hit hard by injuries, with Mike Onwenu and Will Campbell among the players affected, and that has forced some quick shuffling up front. In that mix, Caleb Lomu has started to look like more than just a temporary patch. The first-round pick stepped in at right tackle during a recent game and held up well enough to put himself squarely in the conversation for a bigger role.
For a team trying to stabilize one of the most important spots on the line, that matters. New England is already thinking ahead to life beyond Morgan Moses, and Lomus early work suggests the Patriots may have found a possible long-term answer sooner than expected. What makes the picture even more interesting is how quickly the rookie has had to adapt to the job while the line around him keeps changing. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have Two Big Offensive Questions This Week
The Patriots came out of their recent game against the Raiders with more than just a loss to sort through, because two important pieces on offense were not able to finish the night. Running back TreVeyon Henderson and left tackle Will Campbell both went down, leaving New England to monitor a pair of injuries that touch different parts of the offense but carry the same kind of week-to-week uncertainty.
Mike Vrabel said Henderson is dealing with an ankle injury, while Campbells knee sprain has already gone through further evaluation. Their status for practice and the next game is still up in the air, which matters for a Patriots offense trying to keep its footing. There is at least some other movement on the injury front, too, with A.J. Brown potentially nearing a return to practice after spending time on injured reserve. [Read more 🡒]