FOXBOROUGH – The candidates have piled up.

This offseason, Jerod Mayo conducted an extensive interview process to find its first offensive coordinator. Several candidates interviewed by Mayo opted for employment elsewhere – Zach Robinson (Atlanta), Dan Pitcher (Cincinnati), Klint Kubiak (New Orleans) and Shane Waldron (Chicago).

At one point, Mayo thought he had found his match, but was turned down by the elder. Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caleywho stayed in Los Angeles to be promoted to passing game coordinator for the Rams. After the dust settled, Mayo interviewed candidate No. 12 — and that’s when he hired Alex Van Pelt.

Nine months later, Caley and the Rams are set to face the Patriots inside Gillette Stadium. Although the Patriots offense has had its issues, Mayo and, more importantly, Drake Maye, are pleased with their offensive coordinator.

The veteran coach has played a huge role in the development of Maye, who has progressed faster than expected this season. With the Patriots winning back-to-back games for the first time this fall, the team is happy to have Van Pelt leading the way on offense.

“It was huge. I would say, look, no one in this organization deserves more credit, as far as what Drake was able to do on the football field, than Alex Van Pelt,” Mayo said. “When we interviewed Alex, I would say when we interviewed all the coaches here, one of the prerequisites or requirements was to have a guy who was level-headed and a guy who believes in working together – a guy who doesn’t understand too high or too low. It’s Alex and I appreciate that.

• BET: Check out our MA Sports Betting Guidewhere you can learn basic terminology, definitions, and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.

This season, it has been difficult to evaluate Van Pelt’s offensive system due to the Patriots’ roster. Their biggest problem has been on offense, where the offensive line feels like a game of musical chairs. In 10 games, the offense has not started the same offensive line group in consecutive games.

The lack of continuity had negative impacts on pass protection and run blocking. The offense also has issues at receiver, where no one looks like a capable No. 1 pass catcher.

Despite the long list of problems, hope remains in New England thanks to Maye. The No. 3 overall pick developed faster than expected. He has a rocket arm and is a threat out of the backfield using his legs. After being behind Jacoby Brissett for the first five games, Maye’s development has been the Patriots’ biggest storyline this season.

That’s why Mayo and other players like their offensive coordinator. Van Pelt was able to get to Maye this season and also played a big role in resolving some of his mechanical issues from North Carolina.

“It was huge. I think it’s just a confidence boost for a quarterback. You love playing for an offensive coordinator like AVP,” Maye said. “He’s positive but also at the same time, he’ll coach you hard. He did it – he played quarterback, he played quarterback in this league at a high level. So he knows what needs to be done – and he also knows the difficult tasks.

Van Pelt played in the NFL for 11 years as a quarterback for Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Buffalo. After retiring in 2004, he quickly began coaching and came to the Patriots with nearly 20 years of experience. Van Pelt, 54, has coached quarterbacks for four teams (Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Green Bay and Cleveland). He spent the last four years as the Browns’ offensive coordinator, where he did not call plays on game day.

For many in New England, this season has been about adjusting to a new West Coast system, one that values ​​a zone management system. This is nothing new for tight end Austin Hooper, who played for Van Pelt for two seasons (2020-2021) in Cleveland. The veteran has played for a handful of different offensive coordinators and explained why players like Van Pelt.

“I love working with him. It’s the same person every day,” Hooper said. “He is, first and foremost, a teacher – a guy who has played and coached in this league. He understands his system and knows how to communicate it to all the different position groups. The way he leads, the way he coaches, how consistent he is every day – he doesn’t ride the highs or lows of this business, he just stays the same person. It’s a nice quality. Other people change based on results. It’s cool to work with a guy who is the same person every day.

The Patriots have gone through a series of offensive coordinators. The last three years with Bill Belichick saw Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, and then Bill O’Brien running offensive plays. The results – after McDaniels – were disastrous. The Patriots organization needed stability at this important position.

Last weekend, Van Pelt’s offense looked better coached than the Bears’ offense with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. This is notable because their offensive coordinator, Waldron, turned down the Patriots for Chicago and was fired a day after the loss.

It’s fair to wonder if Mayo got their first pick (Caley) whether things would be better or worse for Maye. After all, Van Pelt is a former NFL quarterback with experience as a quarterback coach and as an offensive coordinator.

That’s not to say the Patriots have been a very effective offensive unit in 2024. They are ranked 31st in scoring at 16.0 points per game, which is up slightly from last year (13.9). On the contrary, Maye covers up the mistakes of players and coaches. However, his development under this veteran offensive coordinator has been positive for the Patriots.

Van Pelt may not have been Mayo’s first choice, but at the moment he seems to be the right one.

“He’s been great,” tight end Hunter Henry said of Van Pelt. “I love his project. I love his game planning. I also love his football spirit. Just how he sees things. It’s been a lot of fun growing up in the system, growing up in the system. I really enjoyed it.