Tom Brady is playing at a level that has him looking like he's still in the middle of his prime. Through three regular-season games, he's completing 72.2 percent of his passes -- nearly 10 percent better than his career average -- and he's thrown for nine touchdowns against zero interceptions.
In 2007, the season in which he set the record for touchdown passes in a season, a record which has since been broken by Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, Brady was playing at perhaps a slightly higher level. He was completing 79.5 percent of his passes and threw 10 touchdowns against one interception.
But might Brady actually be better in some ways than he was during that historic season?
In an interview with WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show, Brady was asked how he might be a different player than the one that led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season eight years ago.
"I just feel like I continue to have more and more experience," Brady said. "I think the great thing about our offensive football team, certainly with [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels] and I being together for as long as we have and having the chemistry that we have, we see things so much the same way now.
"All through the week when we’re talking about the plays and the plan and the situations and then as we get into late Saturday night when the game plan finally really comes together. And then Sunday morning when we talk, and when we get into the game on Sunday, we’re able to make adjustments so quickly."
Back in 2007, McDaniels was in his second season as Patriots offensive coordinator. He had been a member of the Patriots coaching staff starting in 2001 as a personnel assistant, and in 2004 he became quarterbacks coach.
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After a three-year hiatus away from New England to coach the Broncos (2009-2010) and serve as the offensive coordinator in St. Louis (2011), McDaniels has spent the last four years with Brady, and their connection is as strong as ever.
"We try to find answers — or I guess I’d say solutions — for any problems that the defense may present," Brady said. "If it’s going to be a zone game, we’re going to play one way. If it’s going to be a man game, we’re going to play another way. If it’s going to be a blitz game we’re going to play another way.
"Whatever they’re going to do, we’re going to switch up. And it’s hard for a defense to be able to do that. Because it really takes 11 guys to make those type of adjustments. Offensive football it’s usually just the quarterback and the coordinator."
The in-vogue comparison to make with the current edition of the Patriots is the one that pits the team against its 2007 version. Though Brady likes where the group stands after three games this season, he explained that it's too early for those kinds of conversations.
"No, I can’t understand that one quite yet," he said. "It’s like three games into the year. There’s so much football left. And there’s so many different things that can happen. Not even a quarter of the way through the season. It’s way too early to think about anything.
"We have so many quality opponents and teams that we’re playing especially on the road. You never know. Look at the teams that are 3-0 at this point. Like Atlanta, like Carolina, Arizona — there’s some teams that, OK, you wouldn’t really expect that. And look what they’re making of their season."
The Patriots know what it's like to be on the other end of the spectrum at this point in the year. Last season, after four games, they sat at 2-2, and many pundits had them destined for mediocrity or worse.
"As things shake out in late November and December you’re going to see what teams are made of," Brady added. "We’ve got a lot of football. Obviously it feels good to get off to a 3-0 start and to play well early in the season. I always think we get better as the season goes. So that’s why it’s important to get off to a good start. Last year we started 2-2, which was rough. We played really well the last 12 games to get us in a good position where we had the bye going into the playoffs. It’s good to get off to a good start and leave yourself some margin for error.
"We’ve got to play well, we’ve got to improve, we’ve go to focus on all the details. There’s no time to take the foot off the gas pedal. You prepare all offseason for 16 individual games and we’re only in the third one going into the fourth now. So there’s a lot of work ahead."