's ability to adapt is his defining trait as a head coach. That includes changing the plan during a game, during a season and often during the team-building phase of the offseason.They are a game-plan organization, looking for smart, versatile players who can help the organization shapeshift on a weekly basis depending on their opponent. Belichick and don't stay married to a specific offensive philosophy for long. Belichick repeatedly says he only worries about putting points on the board, no matter how it gets done. They adjust their offense to their personnel perhaps more than any team. Their philosophy is change. Their two playoff games this season illustrate the point perfectly. Against a stout front, the barely tried to run the ball. They finished with 14 rushing yards, which was easily the fewest by a winning playoff team ever. In a game in which the were overmatched physically up front, Belichick pulled out all the stops. The team rolled with a four-man offensive line and declared a skill position player ineligible on many plays, causing confusion for the . They also had receiver throw a touchdown pa s. They got the ball out of 's hands quickly. It was the ultimate case of "fine se" football winning.One week later, pounded the on the ground for 148 yards. The team employed extra offensive linemen often and played power football. led the team on slow, workmanlike drives highlighted by manageable third downs. This was closer to the team we saw most of the season. But as we mentioned above: You never see the same offense for long.Let's take a look back at how the have changed their offensive identity during the Belichick-Brady era:2014: Slow, but steady dominanceThe scored more than 40 points six times including the Chris Bosh Jersey playoffs, easily more than any other team. But they did it in a far different way than their previous up-tempo approaches. They slow played the opposition with long, painful marches. The had 39 drives over 10 plays in the regular season, which was second in the NFL. They added five more such drives in the playoffs.This is a short-pa sing offense. They threw the ball on 59.2 percent of their plays, the third highest ratio of the Belichick era. But Brady was not accurate throwing the deep ball down the field, focusing mostly on short pa ses and looks up the seam to and . Gronk, Edelman, and combined for 248 catches, 3,049 yards, and 23 scores. Brady gets the ball out of his hands quickly, which helps save an uneven offensive line. As Brady gets older, the team relies more and more on using his smarts to quickly a se s mismatches, while saving the pounding his body takes. There are fewer long "option routes" for receivers other than Edelman. Brady has the options. 2013: Landing on power runningLast season perhaps represents New England's malleable approach more than any other. We can break down the season into three distinct phases. Early in the season, struggled more than he had since his first season as starter. He could not get on the same page with receivers. It was a below-average offense that struggled to overcome ma sive departures (Hernandez, Welker) and injuries (Gronkowski, everyone else). The run game was solid throughout.Things turned around dramatically Week 9 against Pittsburgh, not long after Gronkowski returned to the lineup. The figured out how to create yardage inside the hashmarks with Gronk, and . Brady was suddenly leading one of the best offenses in the league. Alex Len Jersey The running game also picked up.Since Gronkowski was lost for the season in Week 14, the have settled into their power-rushing approach. , , and represent the Damon Stoudamire Jersey deepest and most versatile backfield in Belichick's tenure. This is still a top offense, just different. They have few options on the outside in the pa s game, so they are playing to their strengths.2012: Hurry up!New England starts playing fast-break offense, helped along by one-word play calls. The emphasis on tempo leads to a lot of tired defenses that can't substitute. The lead the league in total plays, points and yards. Many teams around the NFL spent the subsequent offseason working on hurry-up approaches. It's not the first time the helped kick start league-wide trends.2010-2011: Gronkowski and HernandezEverything changed in the 2010 . New England transitioned to a two-tight end offense under new coordinator . The approach made life difficult for opposing defensive coordinators who tried to match up to the . In the preseason, magazines had the po sibly mi sing the playoffs, but New England wound up leading the league in points and got the No. 1 seed after the 2010 season. (They lost to the .) By the end of 2011's AFC title season, many teams around the league were copying the ' approach.In Brady's first year back from ACL surgery, they basically tried to recapture their '07 magic. Everything went through and Randy Mo s. It was the rare offense that lost steam as the season went on, which meant change was coming.2008: The Ca sel yearThis was the ultimate proof that Belichick (and coordinator ) can adapt at the highest level. The managed to win 11 games and finished eighth in points with at the helm. They led the league in first downs by playing a ball-control offense, with an emphasis on play action and an effective four-pronged rushing attack, including guys like Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan. There's an argument to be made that the were better on offense in '08 than in some of their early seasons.2007: Star WarsThe ultimate proof that Brady was a rock star waiting to happen; he just needed the weapons. The set every record imaginable while spreading defenses out and throwing like a college team. Randy Mo s set the receiving touchdown record. led the league in receptions. Even Donte' Stallworth got some. The rest of the league wasn't ready for New England's bombs-away aggre sivene s, especially early in the season. Spread offenses soon became the norm.2006: Talent cratersBrady seems to get more credit for the beginning of his career, when he won titles, but this is the season when Brady's career really took off. He's played far better from 2006 to 2013 than he did early in his career, which is a reminder of how many things have to come together to win a title.Brady's best receivers in '06 were Reche Caldwell, Jabar Gaffney and Doug Gabriel. The run game, led by a declining Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, was below Marc Gasol Jersey average. And Brady still came a few minutes away from dragging the team to the .2005: McDaniels shiftMcDaniels wasn't officially the offensive coordinator until 2006, but the team's quest for a three-peat started a big change in philosophy. The were second in the NFL in pa s attempts in '05, only one season after being 22nd. They had to throw because the defense and running game fell apart, much like '02. Early in Brady's career, the threw as much as they needed to. They didn't truly embrace a pa s-first philosophy until they had more weapons.2004: Dillon dominatesPerhaps this is the group most similar to the 2013 . Corey Dillon spearheaded an effective power-running game. The didn't throw the ball much, but they were far more efficient and explosive than when they threw in previous seasons. Deion Branch, David Patten and David Givens all took turns as favorite receivers, with Branch dominating the .2003: Spreading the wealthPeople think back on the ' Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Jersey 03 and '04 teams as juggernauts, but their offense battled for everything it got. There were no stars beyond Brady. The '03 team relied on winning insane, close games. Teams were never quite sure how the beat them (sound familiar?). The defense was first in points allowed, but the pa sing game only had one receiver over 550 yards -- Branch at 803. Four other players gained between 400 and 550 yards -- Kevin Faulk, Daniel Graham, David Givens and Troy Brown. Brady was below the league average in yards per attempt. No running back topped 650 yards rushing.This was the height of New England's no stars, no frills, limited offense. 2002: Growing painsBrady was forced to throw a ton in his second season as starter because the running game and defense both slumped. Brady made some personal strides, but he wasn't terribly efficient during a 9-7 year.2001: Staying out of troubleIn Brady's first season as a starter, the offense was a run-heavy group that tried not to turn the ball over, allowing the defense to win games. Antowain Smith was the team's bell-cow running back, while Brown enjoyed his only season as a true No. 1 option.It's remarkable that the have been title contenders for 14 seasons, and Brady is still atop the game. In most ways, he's a superior player to the one that won his three titles. Belichick has kept that window open by never staying the same for long.The latest Podcast and tells you whom to trust in XLIX. Find more content on .