FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots' offense has never been better.

Forget the pedestrian rushing numbers it has compiled through six games -- those skewed numbers will self-correct over the coming weeks. The 2005 Patriots are more versatile, complete and explosive than they've ever been.

Maybe it's a "can't see the forest for the trees" situation we're experiencing in New England, but when one considers the resumés and abilities of the Patriots' offensive arsenal, few others in the league can outdo it.

There's a 28-year-old quarterback (Tom Brady) with three Super Bowl wins, late-game poise that will be his Hall of Fame trademark and the most murderous killer instinct this side of Eldrick "Tiger" Woods.

There's a running back (Corey Dillon) who'll go down as the most relentlessly consistent, productive and versatile back that nobody ever paid attention to.

There are a pair of first-round tight ends -- one (Daniel Graham) is the best blocker in the league at his position, and the other (Benjamin Watson) looks like a cross between Lynn Swann and Shannon Sharpe.

There's a center (Dan Koppen) who's headed for a Pro Bowl career. And there is a corps of wide receivers, headed by Deion Branch and David Givens, that opponents dread dealing with.

"When you look at them, I think they've redefined what true success is as a wide receiver," said Buffalo safety Troy Vincent, a 14-year NFL veteran. "I think of the old 49er days, when you had the guys like Jerry Rice and John Taylor. But this is a group that doesn't get much credit, and yet they're sitting on three Super Bowl victories. They're not the flashiest, but they just know how to get it done."

Before the bye week, Branch had 37 receptions and Givens 31, which made them the AFC's most productive pass-catching duo by a wide margin.

"They've clearly established themselves as the two best receivers on the team," said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

"From the beginning of the year, they've had good production. In fact, they've been out there on a regular basis -- not only in games, but in practices.

"That certainly has helped their development and the timing and the execution between the quarterback and the receivers. Had they had that same kind of time on the field, in spurts they've probably had similar production for similar time frames, just not over the 16 games. We'll see if that happens this year."

When asked who the most dangerous receiver is, Vincent says, "You look at Givens and you ask, 'How is he getting it done?' He's a great football player. Then you look at Branch, and he'll just tear you up. Anything that you're doing wrong, he'll find those weaknesses. I would have to say Branch (is the most dangerous)."

Identifying Branch, says Vincent, can be a chore in itself.

"When you look at the tape, you see three or four individuals who all look alike," he said. "You've really got to look at the tape and find out if it's 81 (Bethel Johnson) or 86 (Tim Dwight) or 83 (Branch). They just know how to get it done.

"You can see the relationships where they're all on the same page at the same time. They take turns making plays. They're very efficient. We talk about all of the great pairs [of receivers] in different places, but there's not a better trio or quad set of wide receivers than what we see in New England."

And Vincent and the Bills can attest to the fact that there's probably no better quarterback in the league than Brady.

"If you sit back in coverage, it's like clockwork," said Vincent. "It's pitch-and-catch. You try to throw in a blitz here and there to try to create pressure so that the ball can come out a little bit sooner.

"You don't want [Brady] just looking at your defense and staring you down and looking you over, because 95 percent of the time he is going to make the right call and put the ball in the right place. If you don't pressure him, you have absolutely no chance. You have absolutely no chance."

Which is, of course, the Patriots' end desire. They don't want to be merely efficient offensively. Brady indicated during training camp that they want to attain machine-like efficiency, the kind of ruthlessness that the Colts and Chiefs have shown over the last few seasons.

"How much better can you get?" asked Vincent. "As a professional, you will never achieve peak perfection, but when you've had as much success as this offense has had, you have to think about it in terms of how everybody will give the New England Patriots their best shot.

"You're looking at a team's best performance. It's everyone's Super Bowl when they face the New England Patriots. To be as efficient as the Kansas City Chiefs or the Indianapolis Colts . . . [The Patriots] are more efficient."