The New England Patriots have missed the playoffs twice since 2001 and were 9-7 and 11-5 in those two seasons. The level of success Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have sustained in an age of parity has been tremendous.

RealGM has been using a statistic called the Trench Counter to rank NFL teams since the 2007 season.

The Trench Counter accounts for average yards per pass, yards per carry, penalty yards, first downs and turnovers to determine how well teams control the game in the most meaningful ways.

The Patriots rank 2nd in Trench Counter from the 2007 season through 2011.

Below are New England’s season-by-season rankings, Trench Counter totals and actual record in parentheses.

2007: 2nd, +10.5 (16-0)
2008: 7th, +4.5 (11-5)
2009: 8th, +5.3 (10-6)
2010: 5th, +5.4 (14-2)
2011: 7th, +4.5 (13-3)