After weeks of hype, Tom Brady's return to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots is now firmly in our rearview mirror. But while the Patriots might now recede from the national stage, Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aren't going anywhere. They rank third in ESPN's FPI and are still thought to be among the top Super Bowl contenders. Brady is currently eighth in QBR and having another phenomenal season in conventional stats. He's second in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns through four weeks.
Brady's phenomenal play this season has some wondering if he is playing the best football of his entire career. Could that possibly be true at age 44? It's not enough to just look at Brady's statistics. We also have to consider his teammates. We know that the Buccaneers have a talented roster. But how talented is this team at wide receiver compared to Brady's past Patriots teams? How talented along the offensive line? What about running back and tight end, to round out Brady's supporting cast?
So I went back and took a look at 20 years of Tom Brady offenses, starting with the Super Bowl XXXVI champions in New England and up to last season's Super Bowl LV champions in Tampa Bay. Which team had Brady's best supporting cast? Is Brady truly better now than ever before?