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Taking away the offensive line play, running game, and Brady himself, here's a breakdown of the pass catching groups that Brady has played with. I do include RBs that catch out of the backfield frequently. Although these generalizations are not perfect it's an attempt to look at the various systems and players.
The No Name Offense
Years Present: 2001-05
Main Players: Troy Brown, Deion Branch, David Givens, David Patten, Daniel Graham, Kevin Faulk
Why they were awesome: Few pass receiving groups in NFL history performed so well under pressure, with the game on the line. During Brady's first few years in the league, he was several standard deviations above the next guy for win/loss percentage in close games. This was a championship offense that thrived on gritty, unspectacular, blue collar production and cold weather. They were at their best as the weather got colder, the stakes higher, and the defenses more stingy. Years later, we've seen more talented pass catchers come through the system, but you'd still take Troy Brown or Deion Branch as your first route option if the season were on the line.
Why they weren't awesome: One wonders how successful this group would have been with today's Patriots, where a middling defense requires a quick-striking, highly-efficient offense. Sure, they were clutch, but they often went into halftime leading 3-0. A stifling defense of yesteryear's NFL allowed the Patriots to frequently win despite scoring under 20 points. Imagine today's Patriots teams playing for field position, field goals, and being happy with merely not turning the ball over? They were as good as they needed to be, but they were far from great.
The Spread Offense
Years Present: 2007-09
Main Players: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, Ben Watson, Kevin Faulk
Why they were awesome: For the first nine games of the 2007 season, this was maybe the most dominant sports team we've ever seen. It looked like Florida State University playing Florida State Junior College. They continued to be the league's best offense, if you follow advanced metrics, even through 2009 season when Brady, Moss, and Welker all had notable injuries. This offense changed the way the league viewed slot receivers, as teams scrambled to find their own version of Welker to pair with their deep threat. But, no slot receiver was as good as Welker and not deep threat as good as Moss. The 2007 team had the greatest passing offense in NFL history, bar none. It wasn't just the scoreboard, though; it was also the frenzied excitement of watching Moss swallow up defenses and make spectacular, once-in-a-generation catches while others were completely uncovered and would walk into the endzone with ease.
Why they weren't awesome: Super Bowl 42 will always rear its ugly head and destroy our pure bliss when thinking about and talking about the Randy Moss era. Just a win away from perfection, the offense laid an egg; you can blame the offensive line, Brady's ankle, Asante Samuel, the refs, bad luck, or whatever you want to, but the offense scored 38 points against the same defense just a month before scoring 14 in the Super Bowl. Brady's injury in '08 and a lack of depth plus injuries in '09 was the deathblow to an offense that at one time looked like it might reel off two or three Super Bowls. However, even in 2007, the Patriots offense had been fading for awhile; offenses that heavily employ the spread formation and no huddle have historically faltered in the postseason, and it was clear this same quicksand was slowing down the Patriots since the second half of 2007. They nearly made it out before they sank, but instead they ended up on the wrong side of history. If you want to look deeper, though, I think that all units have flaws, and this team's flaw was their lack of a dual threat tight end. Kyle Brady could block and Ben Watson could catch but neither could do both very well. This typically means selling out and needing to go shotgun five-wide, since neither tight end could really disguise the play call very well.
The Two Tight End Offense
Years Present: 2010-12
Main Players: Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch (lite), Danny Woodhead
Why they were awesome: This was another offense copied by many yet duplicated by none. The combination of the big, dual threat Gronkowski and the speedy, strong Hernandez made the Patriots the toughest team in the league to defend. When Gronkowski was healthy, the offense was as good, if not better, than in 2007 and also had one of the best red zone offenses in league history. At times the efficiency didn't even seem real, as they would convert one third-down after another with ease. This team had the ability to adapt in a chameleon-like gameplan every week, often not resembling the team from the week before. They also had the quickest offense in NFL history, often running to the line for the next play and setting a record for the most snaps. Even after losing Gronkowski, who is every bit as valuable as any other skill player in the NFL, the Patriots still boasted one of the league's top ranked offenses. Imagine another team losing an MVP-caliber skill player and still leading the league in points and most offensive categories; yep, they were really, really good.
Why they weren't awesome: The only thing that could stop this offense was itself...losing Gronkowski to injury in 2011 (gimpy in the SB), 2012, and 2013 makes you wonder if bad luck was the only thing that prevented them from winning multiple championships, yet it's hard to look back on this team and not feel disappointment. We remember Welker's drop, the disappointment of losing to the Giants again, and of course, the dark cloud of Aaron Hernandez. Though you can't overstate Gronkowski's injury, the offense did have its achilles heel at outside WR, where Lloyd, Branch, and Ochocinco never were able to take over a game and force defenses to spread out. As such, good, physical teams were able to shut down this passing game in the postseason by clogging the middle of the field and betting correctly that they wouldn't be beaten on the outside. Would Gronkowski have changed that? We'll never know. It would be easier to be optimistic about this theoretical question had they not looked so overmatched at times in the postseason.
The Tough As Nails Offense
Years Present: 2014-Present
Main Players: Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen
Why they were awesome: The new Patriots offense does not have the explosiveness or adaptability of previous versions, but two things stand out: one, they don't have an achilles heel, and two, they are really tough. Whereas the offenses from 2007-12 were often criticized as being soft and able to be pushed around, particularly in the postseason, by being jammed at the line or taking a big shot over the middle of the field, this offense consists of players who love getting hit and bouncing back up. It begins with Edelman, one of the league's toughest, most resilient players, who seems to be made of a lightweight metallic alloy. However, the biggest, most underlooked player is LaFell, who is the outside threat the Patriots were missing since Moss. LaFell may not be the fastest receiver, but he is strong, able to win jump balls and sideline fade routes, and sure handed. He's not a player who is going to get beaten up like Lloyd or Ochocinco, and he is fast enough to keep defenses honest. Gronkowski, meanwhile, is nearly as good as he used to be despite all of the injuries. Amendola's redeeming comeback last season during crunch time was another inspiration, a theme of this group.
Why they weren't awesome: It's hard to say why they haven't been awesome, except that they lack the depth of previous teams. This offseason, insurance policies for LaFell (such as Stevie Johnson) fell through, and an injury to Gronkowski or LaFell could bring this team back near its 2013 futility. Although Edelman and Amenola are both flexible with the slot and the outside, it wouldn't be good to have one of them as your big, outside guy. So, while this offense was great in the postseason and more clutch than teams of the past, they were also quite lucky to avoid any notable injuries throughout their playoff run.
*Offenses that hopefully time will forget*
2006: A trainwreck where their "best" receiver, Reche Caldwell, couldn't even make an NFL roster the next year. The Deion Branch situation blew up at the worst time, causing the Patriots to scramble just before the season. This was one of the worst WR groups in modern NFL history. Remember the name Doug Gabriel? Yes, he was the second best wide receiver on the roster for much of the season.
2013: It's hard to pin this one on the front office since you couldn't predict Hernandez would go Scarface, Amendola would get injured (or, maybe you could predict that one?), Gronkowski would get injured yet again, and basically every player on the offense was beaten up all season. It looks like Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson, both big contributors during 2013, might not even be serviceable players in the NFL, and they had lots of targets before they even knew the playbook or the league's pace.
The No Name Offense
Years Present: 2001-05
Main Players: Troy Brown, Deion Branch, David Givens, David Patten, Daniel Graham, Kevin Faulk
Why they were awesome: Few pass receiving groups in NFL history performed so well under pressure, with the game on the line. During Brady's first few years in the league, he was several standard deviations above the next guy for win/loss percentage in close games. This was a championship offense that thrived on gritty, unspectacular, blue collar production and cold weather. They were at their best as the weather got colder, the stakes higher, and the defenses more stingy. Years later, we've seen more talented pass catchers come through the system, but you'd still take Troy Brown or Deion Branch as your first route option if the season were on the line.
Why they weren't awesome: One wonders how successful this group would have been with today's Patriots, where a middling defense requires a quick-striking, highly-efficient offense. Sure, they were clutch, but they often went into halftime leading 3-0. A stifling defense of yesteryear's NFL allowed the Patriots to frequently win despite scoring under 20 points. Imagine today's Patriots teams playing for field position, field goals, and being happy with merely not turning the ball over? They were as good as they needed to be, but they were far from great.
The Spread Offense
Years Present: 2007-09
Main Players: Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney, Ben Watson, Kevin Faulk
Why they were awesome: For the first nine games of the 2007 season, this was maybe the most dominant sports team we've ever seen. It looked like Florida State University playing Florida State Junior College. They continued to be the league's best offense, if you follow advanced metrics, even through 2009 season when Brady, Moss, and Welker all had notable injuries. This offense changed the way the league viewed slot receivers, as teams scrambled to find their own version of Welker to pair with their deep threat. But, no slot receiver was as good as Welker and not deep threat as good as Moss. The 2007 team had the greatest passing offense in NFL history, bar none. It wasn't just the scoreboard, though; it was also the frenzied excitement of watching Moss swallow up defenses and make spectacular, once-in-a-generation catches while others were completely uncovered and would walk into the endzone with ease.
Why they weren't awesome: Super Bowl 42 will always rear its ugly head and destroy our pure bliss when thinking about and talking about the Randy Moss era. Just a win away from perfection, the offense laid an egg; you can blame the offensive line, Brady's ankle, Asante Samuel, the refs, bad luck, or whatever you want to, but the offense scored 38 points against the same defense just a month before scoring 14 in the Super Bowl. Brady's injury in '08 and a lack of depth plus injuries in '09 was the deathblow to an offense that at one time looked like it might reel off two or three Super Bowls. However, even in 2007, the Patriots offense had been fading for awhile; offenses that heavily employ the spread formation and no huddle have historically faltered in the postseason, and it was clear this same quicksand was slowing down the Patriots since the second half of 2007. They nearly made it out before they sank, but instead they ended up on the wrong side of history. If you want to look deeper, though, I think that all units have flaws, and this team's flaw was their lack of a dual threat tight end. Kyle Brady could block and Ben Watson could catch but neither could do both very well. This typically means selling out and needing to go shotgun five-wide, since neither tight end could really disguise the play call very well.
The Two Tight End Offense
Years Present: 2010-12
Main Players: Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch (lite), Danny Woodhead
Why they were awesome: This was another offense copied by many yet duplicated by none. The combination of the big, dual threat Gronkowski and the speedy, strong Hernandez made the Patriots the toughest team in the league to defend. When Gronkowski was healthy, the offense was as good, if not better, than in 2007 and also had one of the best red zone offenses in league history. At times the efficiency didn't even seem real, as they would convert one third-down after another with ease. This team had the ability to adapt in a chameleon-like gameplan every week, often not resembling the team from the week before. They also had the quickest offense in NFL history, often running to the line for the next play and setting a record for the most snaps. Even after losing Gronkowski, who is every bit as valuable as any other skill player in the NFL, the Patriots still boasted one of the league's top ranked offenses. Imagine another team losing an MVP-caliber skill player and still leading the league in points and most offensive categories; yep, they were really, really good.
Why they weren't awesome: The only thing that could stop this offense was itself...losing Gronkowski to injury in 2011 (gimpy in the SB), 2012, and 2013 makes you wonder if bad luck was the only thing that prevented them from winning multiple championships, yet it's hard to look back on this team and not feel disappointment. We remember Welker's drop, the disappointment of losing to the Giants again, and of course, the dark cloud of Aaron Hernandez. Though you can't overstate Gronkowski's injury, the offense did have its achilles heel at outside WR, where Lloyd, Branch, and Ochocinco never were able to take over a game and force defenses to spread out. As such, good, physical teams were able to shut down this passing game in the postseason by clogging the middle of the field and betting correctly that they wouldn't be beaten on the outside. Would Gronkowski have changed that? We'll never know. It would be easier to be optimistic about this theoretical question had they not looked so overmatched at times in the postseason.
The Tough As Nails Offense
Years Present: 2014-Present
Main Players: Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen
Why they were awesome: The new Patriots offense does not have the explosiveness or adaptability of previous versions, but two things stand out: one, they don't have an achilles heel, and two, they are really tough. Whereas the offenses from 2007-12 were often criticized as being soft and able to be pushed around, particularly in the postseason, by being jammed at the line or taking a big shot over the middle of the field, this offense consists of players who love getting hit and bouncing back up. It begins with Edelman, one of the league's toughest, most resilient players, who seems to be made of a lightweight metallic alloy. However, the biggest, most underlooked player is LaFell, who is the outside threat the Patriots were missing since Moss. LaFell may not be the fastest receiver, but he is strong, able to win jump balls and sideline fade routes, and sure handed. He's not a player who is going to get beaten up like Lloyd or Ochocinco, and he is fast enough to keep defenses honest. Gronkowski, meanwhile, is nearly as good as he used to be despite all of the injuries. Amendola's redeeming comeback last season during crunch time was another inspiration, a theme of this group.
Why they weren't awesome: It's hard to say why they haven't been awesome, except that they lack the depth of previous teams. This offseason, insurance policies for LaFell (such as Stevie Johnson) fell through, and an injury to Gronkowski or LaFell could bring this team back near its 2013 futility. Although Edelman and Amenola are both flexible with the slot and the outside, it wouldn't be good to have one of them as your big, outside guy. So, while this offense was great in the postseason and more clutch than teams of the past, they were also quite lucky to avoid any notable injuries throughout their playoff run.
*Offenses that hopefully time will forget*
2006: A trainwreck where their "best" receiver, Reche Caldwell, couldn't even make an NFL roster the next year. The Deion Branch situation blew up at the worst time, causing the Patriots to scramble just before the season. This was one of the worst WR groups in modern NFL history. Remember the name Doug Gabriel? Yes, he was the second best wide receiver on the roster for much of the season.
2013: It's hard to pin this one on the front office since you couldn't predict Hernandez would go Scarface, Amendola would get injured (or, maybe you could predict that one?), Gronkowski would get injured yet again, and basically every player on the offense was beaten up all season. It looks like Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson, both big contributors during 2013, might not even be serviceable players in the NFL, and they had lots of targets before they even knew the playbook or the league's pace.
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