The Best Offense Ever?

I mentioned this is my last podcast (sameless plug: which you can visit here or via iTunes- if you search "gameofinches" at the iTunes store, it's under podcasts) that I think the New England Patriot offense this upcoming year, barring good health, will be the best offense Tom Brady has ever player with and might be the best offense in the history of the NFL. While the passing offense won't be as good as it was in 2006 and Tom Brady may not eclipse 50 TDs, I think the overall offense, as whole, will be better than any team he's ever played on.

The new main reasons I say that is because this year the team added WR Joey Galloway and RB Fred Taylor. First Taylor.

Taylor is a borderline HOFer who is proven to be successful. He has a career 4.6 YPC (which is fantastic. Hell I thought he had a career 4.2 YPC which I thought was really good) and he doesn't fumble the ball or lose them (He's only lost three fumbles in a year which was in '03 and only has 20 career fumbles and 13 lost fumbles in 11 years and 2,428 attempts). His worst YPC was last year with 3.9 (which again extremeley impressive) and that I mainly contribute that to his below average (19th ranked) rushing offense line. Taylor is now moving to a team with an amazing rushing offense line. Last year New England's rushing O-line was ranked 2nd overall and ranked first in '07. They have also increased their run blocking between 2005-2007. Now while Taylor really only gets about 10-15 touches a game, I think him platooned with any of NE four RBs they used last year/ when Laurence Mauroney is healthy will make the NE running game the best running game Brady has ever had. I also think Taylor will do amazing things with his limited touches.

The second main addition is Joey Galloway. Galloway is also a borderline HOFer has has been proven successful in recent years. And while Galloway will not be the same reciever he was in Tampa Bay, he doesn't need to be. He'll be the third wide out in NE. Last year (with Matt Cassel throwing to them) Randy Moss was 13th in the AFC in YPG and was first in TDs. Wes Welker was third in the AFC in YPG. In 2007, when Brady played, Moss was first in DVOA and DYAR and Welker was 4th in DYAR and 11th in DVOA. In 2007, Galloway's last healthy season, he was 12th in DYAR and 16th in DVOA. This will be an upgrade to Donte Stallworth (the Pats #3 reciever in '07) who, last year, was the bottom of the league in DYAR ansd DVOA. In '07, when he had Brady throwing to him, Stallworth was 29th in DYAR and 30th DVOA. This means, if Galloway can stay healthy (which I think he can because he won't be the go-to guy), Galloway will be an upgrade to Stallworth, especially with Tom Brady thowing to him.

The the key factor here is Bill Bellichick. The first game of the '07 season, Bill Bellichick was caught taping the Pats/Jets game. So on the heels of Spygate, Belichick decided to say "fuck you" to the league and decided to throw more and run up the scoreboard which led to Brady and Moss barely setting league records. Peyton Manning had a better TD/attempt in his record setting year (mainly because he sat a lot during the 4th quarter) and Jerry Rice had one less TD than Moss but did it in four less games.) So I know it's hard to think Brady and Moss and the others will put up 2007-like numbers, and in fact they probably won't, but when you include the huge upgrade in the running game and the slight upgrade in the passing game, on paper, this teams seems better than it was in 2007. But will they put up more TDs? I guess probably not because Belichick probably won't be as much of a dick as he was 2 years ago. But does this team have the potential to? Absolutely. So I know it's kind of hard to say this NE offense will be better than it was in 2007 because they score less TDs, but the team and individual talent seems better.

I am also not saying the Pats will go undefeated again. I think their defense has decreased the past few years due to age and free agency and I don't like their secondary. And even if this team does end up having a better overall offense, it's just so so so so hard to go 16-0 and obviously hard to go 19-0. But I do think the offense alone will be better.

Some concerns TBO mentioned: 1) the AFC East is much improved sicne '07 and 2) the Pats have had too much coaching turnover. My response to that is 1) I agree the division is harder but when you're that talented it doesn't matter. 2) That team is Bill Belichick's team. I don't care if Charlie Weis, Josh McDaniels, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini or whoever is on the sidelines, Bill Belichick is the master of that team and as long as he is there, the specific coordintors will make no difference.

So, Patriots, don't prove me wrong!