The Pats finish the 2010 season with 518 points scored. Where does this place them all time in terms of total points?
1. 2007 Pats 589 pts 36.8 ppg -- Lost Superbowl
2. 1998 Vikings 556 pts 34.8 ppg -- Lost NFC title game
3. 1983 Redskins 541 pts 33.8 ppg -- Lost Superbowl
4. 2000 Rams 540 pts 33.8 ppg -- Lost NFC Wildcard
5. 1999 Rams 526 pts 32.9 ppg -- Won Superbowl
6. 2004 Colts 522 pts 32.6 ppg -- Lost div. playoff to the Pats
7. 2010 Pats 518 pts 32.4 ppg -- (To be determined)
T-8. 1961 Oilers 513 pts 36.6 ppg -- Won AFL Title (pre-merger)
T-8. 1984 Dolphins 513 pts 32.1 ppg -- Lost Superbowl
10. 1994 49ers 505 pts 31.6 ppg -- Won Superbowl
That's some pretty good company to keep there as far as all time scoring offense goes. The thing to note though is that only 3 out of those 10 teams, discounting the 2010 Pats, were title winning teams, and one of those was a pre-merger winner. So great Offense does not guarantee championships by any means. But it sure is entertaining to watch. It is yet to be determined if the Pats will win the Superbowl in 2010.
As someone just noted above, the Pats also played twice as many top defenses in 2010 than 2007, so they appear to be more tested against the tough defenses in the NFL. I also see no defensive line as dominant as the 2007 Giants looming out there to stop them this season.
BTW the 2001 'greatest shows on turf' Rams finished just outside the top 10 with 503 points scored if you were curious.
Final offensive comparison of the 2007 Pats to the 2010 Pats:
Overall Offense
2007 589 points. 36.8 ppg.
Run ATT 451
Run % 43.5
Run YPC 4.1
Run TDs 17
Total Run Yards 1849
Pass ATT 586
Pass % 56.5
Pass YPA 8.3
Pass TDs 50
Total Pass Yards 4731
QB rating 116.0
2010 518 points. 32.4 ppg.
Run ATT 454
Run % 47.2
Run YPC 4.3
Run TDs 19
Total Run Yards 1973
Pass ATT 507
Pass % 52.8
Pass YPA 7.9
Pass TDs 37
Total Pass Yards 3847
QB rating 109.8
Tight End Contribution
2007
9 catches 70 yards 2 TDs - Kyle Brady
36 catches 389 yards 6 TDs - Ben Watson
Totals 45 catches 479 yards 8 TDs
Percentage TE catches 45/403 = 11.2%
Percentage TE yards = 479/4731 = 10.1%
Percentage TE TDs = 10/50 = 20%
2010
6 catches 52 yards 2 TD - Alge Crumpler
42 catches 546 yards 10 TDs - Rob Gronkowski
45 catches 563 yards 6 TDs - Aaron Hernandez
Totals 93 catches 1161 yards 18 TDs
Percentage TE catches = 93/331 = 28.1%
Percentage TE yards = 1161/3847 = 30.2%
Percentage TE TDs = 18/37 = 48.6%
The relative offensive efficiency of 2010 vs 2007 is debateable. It's clear that the 2010 offense was more explosive overall. But it is also clear that the Pats versatility on offense has increased in 2010 due to the tight end factor.
It is highly interesting to note that the Pats offense over the final 8 games of the schedule in 2010 has been more consistent and productive than the Pats offense in the final half of 2007. The key for the Pats will be to sustain that great offense throughout the playoffs.
2007. Final 8 games: 24,56,31,27,34,20,28,38 = 258/8 = 32.2 ppg
2010. Final 8 games: 39,31,45,45,36,31,34,38 = 299/8 = 37.4 ppg
Not only did the 2010 New England offense total more points in their final 8 games, they averaged over 5 ppg more, and were remarkably consistent. In contrast in 2007, the New England Patriots offense dipped under the 30 points scored mark 4 times, or half of their final 8 contests. This suggests to me that at the tail end of the 2007 season that some defenses were beginning to figure out how to contain the Pats offense a little better. Nobody stopped them obviously since 32 ppg is a remarkable scoring average over that range. But clearly the 2010 offense has been more consistent and potent over the final span of the season than the 2007 offense.
Finally let us reconsider the tight end numbers again now that the season is complete. Tight end utilization in 2010 jumped from 10% of total pass completions in 2007 to 30% in 2010. In terms of actual production, the 2010 tight ends produced over double the yardage, 1161 vs 479.
The New England tight ends also accounted for nearly 50% of the team's offensive touchdowns in 2010 compared to only 20% in 2007. I also think it is safe to say that this is the first time in NFL history that any team has had TWO ROOKIE tight ends each top 500 yards receiving in the same season. Hernandez should be healthy and available in two weeks time, thus giving the Pats two of the most dangerous bookend threats in the NFL just in time for the playoffs.
The success of the Pats 2010 offense comes down to these key factors: Tom Brady's play at QB of course, the offensive line's blocking, and the increased versatility and talent upgrade offered by their tight end unit.
The numbers produced by the running game in 2007 and 2010 are deceptively similar but I think the run units for the Pats are utilized differently. The 2007 Pats offense passed to open up the run. Our RBs benefitted from teams having to spread out their defenders to stop the Pats potent passing attack.
The 2010 Pats run offense on the other hand can run the ball straight at the defense when they want to because of the addition of the double tight end set as a viable formation. Crumpler + Gronkowski are huge additions in the blocking game compared to K. Brady and Watson. Hernandez ability to line up anywhere on offense to create matchup problems has also been discussed and definitely is a wildcard factor that makes the tight ends so difficult to defend and has greatly contributed to the success of the Pats 2010 offense.
The Pats 2010 offense has earned its place as one of the 10 most prolific offenses of all time. Now all that's missing is the championship trophy that has proven to be somewhat elusive for even the best offenses in NFL history. The good news is that they will not have to do it alone.
On defense the Pats have become increasingly stingy over the final 5 games of the season, giving up 3, 7, 27, 3, and 7 points over that stretch for 9.4 ppg. Additionally Edelman (who scored a punt return TD week 17) and Tate (2 TD returns) provide the Pats with potent return weapons on special teams. Factor in the increased quality of punting Zoltan Mesko presents over Chris Hanson, and you are looking at a team better equipped to win the field position battle. The Patriots appear to be peaking at the right time in all three phases of the game and that bodes well for their 2010 quest to claim the Lombardi trophy.
