ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — While the Patriots’ coaches have found themselves in the crosshairs of media and fans in recent weeks, recent opponents felt like New England’s main problem was with helmet wearers on the sideline, not headsets.

“The quarterback (Drake Maye) looks legit,” an opposing general manager said. “He just needs a lot of help. Especially on offense.”

“The defensive plan isn’t bad,” said an opposing offensive coordinator. “We have seen worse. Their problem is that they have a good player (Christian Gonzalez). A lot of the guys who have played good football for them in the past are just not themselves at the moment.”

This is not to excuse what the Patriots have brought to the field this season in terms of preparation and game management. That falls to the coaches, particularly head coach Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.

But with a squad that struggles to keep up with the competition in terms of talent every week, the coaching staff has its hands full.

Speaking with multiple sources around the league who have experience with hiring and firing at the head coach and coordinator levels, they see two paths that seem to make the most sense for the Patriots’ future.

One would be to start over with a completely new staff. The other option would be to keep all three players, Mayo, Covington and Van Pelt, and allow them to get the team back into contention with a roster that could improve this coming offseason.

The thought in the latter scenario: Even if you have plans to swap coordinators and keep Mayo, it might be difficult to get coveted options for those jobs. Will the next coordinator (or coordinators) truly be set for success when tied to a second-year head coach who could be on the hot seat with a roster that appears to need several more offseasons of rebuilding?

Whatever ends up happening with the staff, the roster will see real changes in the months following the regular season. That will be necessary to compete with the Bills and others at the top of the AFC.

Phil Perry shares what he’s heard from NFL sources about why, if the team moves on from Alex Van Pelt, the Patriots’ offensive coordinator position isn’t considered a desirable position among the top candidates in the league.