Patriots players discuss transition to new running game

The New England Patriots have a whole new offense for 2024.

New offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is bringing his system to New England, and it's going to look a lot different than what fans have been used to seeing for the past two decades-plus. Gone is the "Erhardt-Perkins" passing attack that Tom Brady executed to thrilling effect for 20 seasons. Taking its place is something that closer resembles the famed "West Coast" offense, originally popularized in the '80s and '90s, and still going strong in the 2020s, most notably in Kansas City.

How will it look in New England? That's mostly up to the players, and their overall talent level will make it hard to produce anywhere near the level of the top West Coast passing attacks in the NFL. The same can be said for the running game, which will feature more zone-based runs. But with the newly re-signed Rhamondre Stevenson carrying the ball, perhaps more hope is warranted there.

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Stevenson and the rest of the Patriots' backs, along with the linemen in front of them, have all summer to gel. But in the first season under Van Pelt and an almost entirely new offensive coaching staff, everyone is working to come together from the ground up.

"It just comes with chemistry and reps, and this is the time we do it, at training camp," Stevenson said after practice Wednesday. "O-line, running backs, quarterbacks, working together to get that timing down. Outside zone is kind of up to the running back, it's stretch-and-cut, so you cut when you feel it's right."

That's going to be the major fundamental difference between the Patriots' previous rushing attack and the one we'll see in 2024. Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots emphasized gaps, opening up specific holes and lanes for the back to target after getting the handoff. Under Van Pelt, the Patriots' blocking scheme will focus on getting into space and blocking areas of the field. When executed well, it gives the back multiple options of where to go with the ball, and can lead to a lot of big plays from behind the line of scrimmage.

But when not executed well, zone blocking can easily be disrupted. To echo a football cliché, it truly takes everyone working together to make for effective zone running. A single missed assignment can blow up any given play.

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That's why the transition and adjustments will be more important, and more challenging, for the Patriots' offensive linemen than for the running backs. But for some Patriots players, like Mike Onwenu, they've done some zone running over the years. It's just a matter of shifting the focus.

"In the past, I've been used to gap-heavy, but essentially any play that's called, I attack it the same," Onwenu said Wednesday. "It's not too much different. We're doing a little bit more of outside zone than gap-first. So, I mean, it's nothing that I'm not used to. It's just more of that [zone running] and critiquing it, practicing more of that technique, to get better at that."

After one practice, Onwenu projects as the Patriots' starting right guard, but he's also gotten time at right tackle. He believes it's helping him acclimate to the new system to play multiple positions.

"The more you know, the more it helps," Onwenu said. "Say a player that's to the right or left of me forgets what they do, it's just that we're all learning the same thing. So, it's easy to help the guy next to you when we're all on the same page. That's the goal."

The Patriots' immense offensive struggles over the past two seasons often came down to quarterback play. That has been the primary focus of their problems, and rightfully so. But the running game hasn't been there, either, and the offensive line may actually be their most glaring issue.

Whether Onwenu and the rest of the line can finally put together a solid season with new coaches and a new scheme could be a big determining factor in their offensive success. That's especially considering that the West Coast offense typically features a lot of play-action passing, and running to set up the pass.

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The quarterbacks and the passing game deserve top billing for the Patriots' offensive storylines, but their development in the ground game will also be worth monitoring throughout the summer.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.