With Tom Brady and Healthy Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots Are Unstoppable

The NFL is the New England Patriots' playground with the other 31 teams allowed to play in it. Right now, quarterback Tom Brady is the face that runs the place, while tight end Rob Gronkowski is the bully no one wants to cross. 

Ironically, New England's current standing comes after Patriots faithful continued to believe the league was out to get their team, because Brady finally served his four-game suspension due to deflated footballs from the 2015 AFC Championship Game. Twenty-one months have passed, yet the Patriots are as good as they've ever been. 

Sunday's 41-25 victory over the 4-4 Buffalo Bills at New Era Field shows how dominant the Patriots have been since Brady returned with Gronkowski finally healthy. 

Ten seasons ago, the Patriots chased perfection but fell short. In some ways, this year's squad might even be better. 

At 39 years old, Brady is the game's best quarterback and playing near-flawless football. 

"I don't know if I've ever seen him better," Bills head coach Rex Ryan said before Sunday's contest, per Newsday's Bob Glauber. "Like I keep thinking if I stay in this conference long enough, that maybe that dude will retire, but I don't see that happening anytime soon."

After the game, Ryan reiterated that point, telling reporters, "I don't think I've ever seen him this hot."

Brady shredded Ryan's defense. He completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. The performance fell in line with his phenomenal play since returning to the lineup, as ESPN.com's Field Yates noted: 

This year's Bills defense isn't as dominant as other Ryan units from seasons past, but it's still a talented group that ranked 11th league-wide in pass defense coming into Week 8. 

Brady wasn't deterred. He finished with as many passing touchdowns Sunday as the Bills had previously surrendered all season, per NFL Research: 

At the halfway point of the season, this is merely the beginning for Brady and Co.

As long as the Patriots stay healthy, they'll continue to improve. Against the Bills, Brady threw touchdown passes to Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman. Prior to Sunday, he hadn't thrown a touchdown pass to one of his wide receivers since Week 14 of the 2015 campaign, per ESPN Stats & Info. 

Defenses can't just concentrate on Gronkowski and fellow tight end Martellus Bennett in the scheme of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, because Brady will spread the wealth to any open target.

With such a talented surrounding cast, Brady's projected stats even after sitting out the first four games are staggering, as The MMQB's Albert Breer noted: 

Since his return, the two-time MVP has displayed deadly accuracy and tremendous ball placement while avoiding any major mistakes.

"[My teammates and coaches] all trust me to do the right thing when I'm out on the field, and I don't ever want to let them down," Brady told reporters prior to torching the Bills. "That's where my motivation comes from."

He neglected to mention the gigantic boulder on his shoulder from his Deflategate suspension that stoked his competitive fire.

These things drive him to play with precision and dedication to his craft. ESPN Stats & Info also noted that Brady is the third player in NFL history—along with Peyton Manning and Don Meredith—to throw 12 touchdowns and no interceptions during the first four games of their season. 

Having the game's biggest mismatch helps Brady. 

When Gronkowski rumbled into the end zone with a 53-yard score, the tight end broke New England's franchise record with his 69th touchdown. Brady discussed his favorite target after the game, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss: 

"

It's a great accomplishment and he's a dynamic player for us, there's no doubt. He makes great plays in the pass game—down the field, intermediate, short—and he's tough to tackle. He's got a great enthusiasm about him. He's just done an amazing job since he's been here. It's a credit to him and his mental toughness; I've always talked about that with him, to overcome the difficulties that he's faced in his career to get to this point.

"

Gronk is the NFL's version of the Incredible Hulk, presenting a unique blend of athleticism and physicality. Not only is the 6'6", 265-pound target the NFL's most dangerous pass-catching tight end, but he doubles as one of the best blockers, too. 

"Rob does a good job, he competes hard, makes plays in the passing game, blocks in the running game, and does whatever you ask him to do. A very unselfish player," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told reporters after the game. "He's great to coach."

It took multiple weeks for Gronk to get up to speed. After missing the first two games with a strained hamstring and being brought along slowly in the next two contests, he's finally healthy and back to being an unstoppable force of nature.

Since Brady's return, Gronkowski has been exceptional, as Reiss detailed: 

This duo built a symbiotic relationship over the years, and it continues to get better. In 2007, Brady set records with Randy Moss as his primary target. Moss is a surefire Hall of Fame inductee and the greatest vertical threat in NFL history. However, his influence only extended over half a field depending on where he lined up. 

Gronkowski is a monster as a receiver, blocker, deep threat down the seam or a red-zone target, as no linebacker or defensive back can match up with him one-on-one. He affects every phase of the Patriots offense. 

This may be considered sacrilege in New England, but Gronkowski's current dominance has a bigger all-around impact than Moss did in his prime as Brady's top target. 

"I love being part of this organization," Gronk said after the game, per CBS Boston's Bob Socci. "I love being part of the Brady era." 

He should. Brady has been better than ever. But he wouldn't be as good without Gronkowski. 

These two form the NFL's best battery. As a pair, they're unstoppable—which makes the Patriots unstoppable in an offense-driven league. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @brentsobleski.