The New England Patriots are rolling through the regular season just fine, hitting their stride at 6-1 despite missing chunks of the team's offense and defense over the first weeks of the season, namely Tom Brady.
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But while breaking down the Patriots' unique build of their team, which includes rotating offensive lineman and resting guys to make sure they're healthy for the playoff run, Albert Breer of MMQB (per Pats Pulpit) also notes the on-field strategy has shifted this season:
"It's also fair to see where this idea could extend into on-field strategy, too, with the team tinkering or holding back what it calls offensively or defensively, with an eye on the higher-stakes parts of the season," Breer notes. "Before the opener, Bill Belichick told the New England media, 'I don't think you really know your team until the middle of October.' In years past, we've heard him reference Thanksgiving as a time when you can figure out who the real contenders are.
"All of this, plus the reduction in offseason work, explains why the Patriots have really started to use the time they get early in the year in a way few other teams can, to develop their roster. And this year, since they like the depth they have and carry the experience of falling just shy last year, they've pushed it to another level."
That poses the question of if New England is limiting their playbook early in the year, only to unveil it for the stretch run? It's possible, or even likely.
With the addition of Martellus Bennett alongside Rob Gronkowski, we haven't seen many of the unique concepts for two tight end sets that were expected. And with Dion Lewis returning to the backfield, the passing game could open up in a big way in the coming weeks.
That's not to diminish what the Patriots have done. It just goes to show how far ahead of the curve Bill Belichick is and how complete his roster is to be able to deploy a limited roster and still have the success they have.
