10 things Patriots fans should be thankful for

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4. Top-ranked passing offense

It’s easy to take the Patriots’ potent passing offense for granted. But take a step back and enjoy it: the Patriots lead the passing-dominated NFL with 3,320 yards through the air.

Much of the success can attributed to Tom Brady playing out of his mind at age 38, and we’ll elaborate on that in a later slide. But there are other reasons why the Patriots have thrown the ball so well over the first 10 games.

For one, the Patriots spent the first two months with an embarrassment of riches at Brady’s disposal. Patriots fans should be thankful that Rob Gronkowski, Edelman, Amendola, Brandon LaFell and Dion Lewis were all on the field at the same moment in time. Even without Lewis and Edelman in the lineup, the passing attack will do just fine with the remaining weapons.

There have also been quieter contributions from the supporting cast of Scott Chandler (two touchdowns), Keshawn Martin (one score against the Jags) and James White (two scores on four touches against the Bills). The Pats are especially fortunate to have near-carbon copy backups at the tight end and running back positions, as Chandler does a good Gronk impression as a result of his 6-foot-7 height and White resembles Lewis with his open-field running ability.

An elite passing attack needs more than just a great quarterback—it requires a group of top-flight players at tight end and wideout, as well as depth. The Patriots have all that, and fans should be thankful.

Next: 3. Outstanding interior D-line