INDIANAPOLIS – The personnel often changes in New England but the dominance of the Patriots remains.
After five weeks of the 2015 season, the Patriots are 4-0 and rank second in point-differential at 18.3 a game.
At the age of 39, Tom Brady is atop any MVP-talk as we reach the middle of October.
Brady leads the NFL in passer rating (121.5), passing yards per game (346.8) and is the only starting quarterback in the league yet to throw an interception (11 touchdowns in 160 pass attempts).
Colts fans should be familiar with many of Brady's weapons with one added wrinkle to the New England offensive attack.
Scat back Dion Lewis leads the team in rushing (36 carries for 180 yards) and is second in receiving (23 catches for 238 yards).
Lewis has bounced around several NFL stops (including spending a week with the Colts last season) and has definitely found a home in New England.
The elusive Lewis provides the ideal complement to the bruising nature of LeGarrette Blount.
In the last two weeks, Blount has run for 152 yards on 31 carries.
Along with Lewis, the weapons in the Patriots passing game still include the shifty Julian Edelman (34 catches for 399 yards, three touchdowns) and freakish tight end Rob Gronkowski (20 catches for 375 yards, four touchdowns).
New England rebuilt many of its defensive parts in the offseason, with a new-look cornerback group drawing the headlines.
The unit has held up in averaging just 229.8 yards passing per game, despite teams having to chuck it a bunch in playing catch up against the Patriots.
The Patriots front seven has plenty of talent and has gotten after quarterbacks with 16 sacks in just four games.
After five weeks of the season, New England is the only team in the NFL that has committed two or fewer turnovers.
*2015 Record: *4-0, first in the AFC East
*Head Coach: *Bill Belichick, 16th season as Patriots head coach and 21st season as NFL head coach (215-109 overall in the regular season, 22-9 in the postseason).
*2015 NFL Rankings: *Offense – Overall, 1st (423.8); Rushing, 23rd (92.5); Passing, 1st (331.3). Defense – Overall, 12th (342.5); Rushing, 20th (112.8); Passing, 11th (229.8).
2015 Leading Passer: Tom Brady (116-of-160 comp., 1,387 yards, 72.5 pct., 11 TDs, 0 INTs).
*2015 Leading Rusher: *Dion Lewis (36 carries, 180 yards, 2 TDs).
2015 Leading Receiver: *Julian Edelman (34 receptions, 399 yards, 3 TDs).2015 Leading Sacker:* Jabaal Sheard (4.0).
2015 Turnover Breakdown: Plus 5 (5th in the NFL).
2015 NFL Draft Results: New England had 11 picks in the 2015 draft. The Patriots are known for loading up on picks and that was the case in 2015. In the first-round, the Patriots chose Texas interior defensive lineman Malcom Brown, a player who was pegged for a higher spot than the No. 32 selection. The surprise for the Patriots in 2015 came from the team electing not to take a cornerback in the early rounds. They have found success in rookie offensive linemen with a pair of first-year players already logging time up front.
*2014 Review: *The Patriots fourth Super Bowl championship under the Belichick/Brady duo came after a shaky start in 2014. At the end of last September, New England was 2-2 and had just lost 41-14 to the Chiefs. After a dominant 26-point defeat of the Bengals the next week, the Patriots would lose just once the rest of the way with their starters playing. New England's fourth Super Bowl title came in dramatic fashion over the Seattle Seahawks
Last time in Playoffs: 2014 season. Won Super Bowl XLIX, 28-24, against the Seattle Seahawks.
*Last time in Super Bowl: *2014 season. Won Super Bowl XLIX, 28-24, against the Seattle Seahawks.
*Super Bowl Championships: *Four. Won Super Bowl XXXVI (2001), Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003), XXXIX (2004) and XLIX (2014).
2015 Pro Bowl Selections: QB-Tom Brady, K-Stephen Gostkowski, TE-Rob Gronkowski, CB-Darrelle Revis, WR-Matthew Slater.
