After putting forth some of the worst offensive efforts in the entire league last season, the New England Patriots made the big and bold move of reuniting with their former top-notch offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to take over play-calling duties on the more glamorous side of the ball.
With this, many are expecting to see a much more effective unit that could have several individuals see major improvements as a result of O'Brien's arrival.
One player, in particular, that is predicted to have a breakout campaign in 2023 is second-year wideout Tyquan Thornton, whose former receivers coach at Baylor, Chansi Stuckey, is of the belief that the 22-year-old will have a similar breakthrough to that of veteran wideout Will Fuller during his own tenure with the offensive-minded coach during his stint with the Texans.
“I think about O’Brien when I watched Deshaun (Watson) play with one of our guys from here, with (former Notre Dame star) Will Fuller who was constantly catching balls downfield,” Chansi Stuckey said. “I’m sure that falls right into Tyquan’s wheelhouse. I’m sure he’s excited about being used and getting opportunities to be used to his skillset.”
Last season, head coach Bill Belichick made the questionable decision to put two defensive-oriented football minds in Matt Patricia and Joe Judge in charge of New England's offense. Needless to say, this experiment didn't pan out, as the Patriots ranked in as having the seventh-fewest total yards and put up a middling 31 total touchdowns on the year.
As a result of this underwhelming offensive attack, Tyquan Thornton's rookie campaign was subsequently hindered, as the highly touted talent finished the season off with just 247 receiving yards and 3 total touchdowns.
Now, with Bill O'Brien in the fold, Thornton's former coach sees a breakout on the horizon for the Patriots' 2022 second-round selection.
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