Zo: JuJu Smith-Schuster will make you forget about Jakobi Meyers
On Thursday’s edition of Zolak & Bertrand, Zo predicted that JuJu Smith-Schuster will make Patriots fans forget about Jakobi Meyers rather quickly.
How fast will it happen? Smith-Schuster will only need two catches apparently, according to Zo.
This is all coming from Karen Guregian’s prediction in her latest piece for MassLive, where she didn’t have very high hopes for the Patriots biggest addition of the offseason.
Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
It’s about the explosiveness.
Marc Bertrand: Another prediction is that Juju Smith-Schuster won’t make people forget Jacoby Myers.
Matt McCarthy: I believe this one.
Scott Zolak: I’ll make a prediction. Two of his first ten catches will make you forget about Jakobi Meyers.
Marc Bertrand: I’m sorry one more time for us…
Scott Zolak: Two of his first ten catches will make you forget about Jakobi Meyers, meaning he’s going to catch the ball and do something explosive with it, which Meyers never did.
Marc Bertrand: Regular season… or we talking…
Scott Zolak: Regular.
Marc Bertrand: I like it.Can we make it… he’ll make at least two catches in the first 2 weeks that make you forget him or 3 weeks… 2 to 3 weeks.
Scott Zolak: It’s kind of what I’m saying. So if he gets five catches in the first game and say four in a second, each game he’s going to make an explosive play. You’re going to be like Meyers never did that.
Marc Bertrand: So you’re saying this is not true? And by October 1st we’ll be saying Jakobi who?
Scott Zolak: Good signing.
Marc Bertrand: Who’s Jakobi? I don’t remember… oh, that guy in in Vegas now. Oh, yeah, he was all right.
T-Bone.: Guy that threw the ball to Chandler Jones. That guy.
Scott Zolak: I wonder if they play catch at practice for bleep and giggles.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 23: JuJu Smith-Schuster #9 of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on October 23, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Listen to the full segment!
Patriots reveal coaching staff titles for 2023 season
Offense
Jun 12, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Bill O’Brien works with the team at the Patriots minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Bill O’Brien: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks
Evan Rothstein: Assistant quarterbacks
Vinnie Sunseri: Running backs
Troy Brown: Wide receivers/kickoff returners
Ross Douglas: Wide receivers
Will Lawing: Tight ends
Adrian Klemm: Offensive line
Billy Yates: Assistant offensive lineAs expected, O’Brien will both run the offense and replace Judge as the quarterbacks coach. Rothstein, who served in a research and analysis role both in his previous stop in Detroit and in his first season in New England in 2021, returns as the assistant quarterbacks coach for the second year in a row.
Last season, Douglas was listed as an assistant wide receivers coach behind Brown, but that label appears to be gone. He and Brown may now technically be co-wide receiver coaches.
Lawing, as expected, moves into the tight end coach role vacated by Caley’s departure. Lawing has worked with O’Brien on a number of occasions in the past, including as his tight ends coach with the Texans.
On the offensive line, there was some speculation Klemm could have some additional titles on top of being the offensive line coach, given what he was reportedly paid and the fact that he had ‘associate head coach’ and ‘run game coordinator’ titles in his last stop at Oregon. In the end though, he didn’t get any extra labels officially.
Defense
Dec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jerod Mayo: Linebackers
Steve Belichick: Linebackers
DeMarcus Covington: Defensive line
Mike Pellegrino: Cornerbacks
Brian Belichick: Safeties
Joe Judge: Assistant head coach
V’Angelo Bentley: NFL Coaching Fellowship/Defense
Keith Jones: NFL Coaching Fellowship/DefenseFor the sixth year in a row, the Patriots will not have an official defensive coordinator. Mayo and Steve Belichick will likely split those duties again, with input from Bill Belichick as well.
While Mayo didn’t get an elevated title, in the past he had been the inside linebackers coach while Steve Belichick was the outside linebackers coach. To this point, the team didn’t differentiate between the two, but that could be a formality or something that happens when camp begins.
As for Judge’s inclusion here – while he is listed with the defense his title is just ‘assistant head coach,’ with no defensive designation. It’s very possible his placement in the defensive category on the website is purely aesthetic. He worked exclusively with the special teams unit in the spring, and was identified as a ‘special teams coach’ in league documents when the Patriots were docked OTA practices back in the spring. Still, he is just the second ‘assistant head coach’ of the Patriots in the Belichick era, after Dante Scarnecchia (2000-2013).
Special teams
Patriots special teams coordinator Cam Achord and head coach Bill Belichick. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Cam Achord: Special teams coordinator
Joe Houston: Special teams assistantAchord returns as the team’s special teams coordinator, his fourth year with the title after being Judge’s assistant for two years to begin his Patriots career. However, it’s unclear how much his role will change with Judge transitioning back to a special teams role (perhaps his placement with the defense is to avoid the perception of Achord having less responsibility with the same title). Houston returns for his fourth season in the same role as well.
Strength & conditioning
FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 24: A New England Patriots helmet during the first half of the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Moses Cabrera: Head strength & conditioning coach
Deron Mayo: Strength & conditioning assistantCabrera returns for his eighth season running the Patriots’ strength and conditioning program, and his 13th year with the Patriots overall. Mayo – the brother of Jerod Mayo – is beginning his sixth season in New England.
