The 21st-century New England Patriots have clearly cracked the NFL code to success, and the main reason is obvious: They've employed the same head coach (Bill Belichick) and quarterback (Tom Brady) for 20 years, sustaining unparalleled continuity around the NFL legends.
But there's a lot more that goes into six Super Bowl titles in a two-decade span -- including an offensive philosophy that New England's opponents actually viewed as a weak spot.
Former NFL executive Joe Banner, who served as the Philadelphia Eagles' president from 1995 to 2012 before a brief stint as the Cleveland Browns' CEO from 2012 to 2013, shared that philosophy Wednesday on Twitter.
Banner was responding to a Football Outsiders analysis that used DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) to prove NFL defenses are usually effective against outside routes than routes that use the middle of the field.
For example, NFL defenses in 2018 had a worse DVOA against slant routes (-3.1 percent) and drag routes (-6.3 percent) than they did against out routes (1.5 percent) and post routes (19.5 percent).
Conceptually, this makes sense: Passes over the middle are easier to complete and require shorter throws. Brady and the Patriots have taken full advantage of that simple truth under Belichick: A tight end (Rob Gronkowski) or traditional slot wide receiver (Julian Edelman, Wes Welker) has led New England in receiving yards for 12 straight seasons dating to 2008.
Outside Randy Moss, the Patriots have never leaned on an elite outside wide receiver during Belichick's tenure: Productive pass-catchers like Troy Brown and Deion Branch both moved in and out of the slot, and running back James White led the team in receptions last season.
So, while teams like Banner's old employer break the bank for high-profile wideouts like Odell Beckham Jr., the Patriots have found a model of offensive success that gives them more salary cap flexibility.
After New England's sixth Super Bowl title in February (Edelman led the way with 10 catches for 141 yards), it appears that model is still working.
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