Josh McDaniels isn't sweating it. That's the real headline here. When your offensive coordinator has navigated quarterback transitions in 2014, 2018, 2021, and now 2025, you don't panic when things get choppy early in the season. McDaniels has the institutional knowledge and the temperament to steer this ship through rough waters. He's been the steady hand before, and he'll be it again.
What makes this different—and what McDaniels understands better than most—is that continuity in scheme and communication matters more than continuity in personnel. The Patriots have experienced turnover at the most important position multiple times under his watch. Each time, he's found a way to install the offense, get everyone on the same page, and make it work. That's not luck. That's expertise.
The supporting cast is trending the right direction too. Romeo Doubs is earning real praise, which matters for a receiver room that needs weapons. More importantly, Eli Raridon is gaining confidence. A young tight end finding his footing in an NFL offense doesn't happen overnight. When it does, it opens up the entire playbook. That's the kind of development McDaniels knows how to exploit.
The point: Don't mistake early-season turbulence for a broken system. McDaniels has been here before, multiple times, and the Patriots have always found their rhythm. The formula works because he knows exactly what he's doing. That matters more right now than whatever's happening on the stat sheet in late September.