Bill Belichick's 4-TE Sets Perfect for New England Patriots Offense

Sometimes, the best wrinkles are born not out of innovation, but are rather an effort to mask a deficiency by focusing on a strength.

With an abundance of big-bodied tight ends on the roster, the New England Patriots have turned to a new-look four-tight end set to help them score when near the goal line. The Patriots are lacking in big-bodied receivers at the moment, so the plethora of massive tight ends makes perfect sense.

Right now, the only wide receiver that's taller than 6'0" on the active roster is Aaron Dobson. Brandon LaFell is riding the pine on the physically unable to perform list with a foot injury. When he returns, the Patriots might return to a more traditional personnel grouping at the goal line.

Then again, why should they? The four-tight end look has been successful for them so far, and can continue to be successful even when LaFell returns to the lineup.

The personnel grouping makes perfect sense at the goal line in the passing game, where the windows will be much smaller due to the confined space between the goal line and the back of the end zone. Any defense is going to have a difficult time matching up against three tight ends that all stand 6'6" or taller (Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler and Michael Williams) and one more who is 6'4" (Michael Hoomanawanui).

All Brady has to do is find the best matchup and make the defense pay.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

In Week 1, those matchups pitted Chandler against Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who gives up six inches to Chandler at 6'1". The combination of Gronkowski's slant route and Chandler's flat route created a small "rub" that allowed Chandler to get free and gave Brady a big window to throw the ball. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Later on in the same game, the Patriots used the same formation and got the same matchups. This time, the ball went to Gronkowski on a fade route after the All-Pro tight end faked a slant over the middle and instead bounced toward the back of the end zone. Covered by 6'2" linebacker Terence Garvin, Gronkowski might as well have been completely uncovered.

The next week, the Patriots went back to the well three more times. Only this time, instead of responding with three linebackers, the Buffalo Bills sent out their defensive backs to stop the pass.

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Gronkowski's crossing pattern in the back of the end zone went behind Chandler's curl route from the slot. With two defenders on Chandler and one on Gronkowski, the Bills had enough numbers to stop the touchdown from happening. What they didn't have, though, was the communication. 

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Credit: NFL Game Rewind

Brady tried to get Chandler a touchdown against his old team by isolating Chandler one-on-one with a defensive back on the right side of the field. Chandler had the same option route that Gronkowski had against the Steelers, with a slant route against man coverage and a fade if the linebackers were in zone coverage.

Chandler boxed out the defensive back on the first one, and reached up over the defender on the second one, but was unable to corral the pass either time. 

The fact that the Bills responded with defensive backs instead of linebackers is an indication that the four-tight end sets are already getting in the heads of opposing defensive coordinators.

It would be a shock if, at some point soon, the Patriots don't check to a run with their four-tight end set when a defense trots out its defensive backs. The size advantage would be insurmountable, and if the Patriots wanted to run the ball, they would almost surely blow the defense off the ball and waltz into the end zone.