This one should come as no surprise. The 2007 Patriots are not only the best offense of the decade but also the best team of the decade. They also contribute in a big way to the prevalent theme of teams on this list disappointing in the playoffs.
The Patriots put together a historic 16-0 regular season, making it all the way to the Super Bowl before being dealt their first loss of the season in a 17-14 thriller against the New York Giants.
Among the records set by the Patriots in 2007 were single-season scoring by a team, with 589 points, touchdowns scored, with 75, and highest point differential, at plus-315. Tom Brady also set the single-season passing touchdown record with 50, and Randy Moss set the single-season receiving touchdown record with 23.
The Patriots had a schedule-adjusted 0.25 NEP per play, the highest in our database, as well as 0.41 Passing NEP and 0.06 Rushing NEP per play
Brady's 259.40 Passing NEP led the league and is the second-highest mark in our database, and his 0.43 Passing NEP per drop back was the best of the decade among quarterbacks with at least 200 drop backs. He also threw a career-high 68.9 percent completion percentage and earned a 9.4 adjusted yards per attempt mark.
Moss caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards (the second-most of his career) to go with those 23 touchdowns, while recording a career-high 156.95 passing NEP, the second-best of the decade.
Wes Welker eclipsed 100 receptions for the first time of his career in 2007, catching 112 of his 145 targets for 1,175 yards and 8 touchdowns. He joined Moss in the top 10, ranking eighth in the league with with a 113.94 Reception NEP.
While no single Patriots back had a stand-out year on the ground, Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk, and Heath Evans all finished the year with positive Rushing NEP scores, finishing well ahead of the league average of -0.06 Rushing NEP per carry.
The 2007 Patriots will always be associated with "choking," with going 18-1, and with David Tyree's heroics, but even through that dark cloud of disappointment, there's no under-selling juts how historically great that offense was.