4 Times the Patriots made wild and crazy pass plays

There are many things that the New England Patriots are known for. The Tom Brady era was one of the most iconic periods in NFL history, with the legendary quarterback winning six Super Bowls over a 20-year span. Head coach Bill Belichick was recognized as one of the best defensive minds in football history, constantly creating pressures and coverages that left opposing quarterbacks dizzy. The special teams unit was also consistently one of the best in the league under Belichick's tutelage.

In addition to generally elite play-calling, Belichick and his offensive staff were known for their creativity when the ball was in Brady's hands. While the vast majority of the plays called by Brady's offensive coordinators were typical calls that took advantage of the team's fantastic quarterback play, there were several moments where the Patriots chose to use that quarterback play as a decoy. New England consistently found innovative ways to use players away from their regular position, something that quickly became a hallmark of the team's offensive game.

In two of the most unlikely play calls ever concocted, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis found a way to incorporate one of the team's best defenders on the other side of the ball -- and on the biggest stage of the season. Mike Vrabel was a crucial piece of the New England defense when the Patriots played the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, and on both sides of the ball.

The linebacker was sent onto the field with just over two minutes left in Super Bowl XXXVIII, with the Patriots on the goal line. It was one of the biggest moments in franchise history, so calling a pass to a linebacker was almost incomprehensible. That is exactly what happened when Vrabel leaked across the formation on a play-action pass, catching a 1-yard score.

To make Vrabel's contributions even more ridiculous, he managed to repeat his feat in the following Super Bowl. On a nearly identical play call near the goal line, Vrabel was targeted in the end zone, knocked the ball up in the air on a dangerous play, and eventually made a diving catch to give the Pats a lead. While this one happened in the early minutes of the third quarter, it was still a massively important catch from someone who simply would not have been on the field for most coaches. 

The Patriots seemed to prefer to reach into their bag of tricks in the most important moments of the most important games. That trend held strong when the Pats faced the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round of the 2015 playoffs. The teams had been trading touchdowns into the third quarter, with the Ravens going up as much as 28-14. Despite the mounting stakes, with the Pats still down by seven, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called a double-pass from receiver Julian Edelman to fellow pass-catcher Danny Amendola.

Edelman played quarterback during his college days at Kent State, but the play-call was still a risky one. It worked in New England's favor when Amendola ran down the field completely uncovered as Baltimore's defenders rushed up the field to tackle Edelman, allowing the Pats to tie the game as the clock ticked towards the fourth quarter. After the Ravens kicked a field goal to go back up 31-28, Brady led a game-winning drive capped with a touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell, lifting the Patriots to victory in one of the team's most thrilling playoff games ever.

It's only fair that Brady got in on the fun, too. Late in the third quarter in a contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, the quarterback pretended to bark the play call to the right side of the formation, walking over behind his right tackle. The ball was snapped to the running back before being pitched to Amendola, who found Brady galloping free down the sideline for a 36-yard gain.

The play did not spark a New England comeback, but it was still a treat for fans to see their typically statuesque signal-caller race down the sideline for a massive chunk of yardage.

It seemed that nothing could go wrong in New England's important late-season matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005. That feeling was evidenced when tackle Tom Ashworth, normally tasked with protecting Brady from opposing defensive linemen, scored a one-yard touchdown to help push the Patriots to a complete rout of Tampa Bay. New England ended up winning by a whopping 28 points, sealing another AFC East divisional title with the win. 

None of that crazy play-calling would have been possible without the offensive success that Brady brought to the team. Opposing defenses were so concerned with stopping what seemed to be an unstoppable passing attack that they often failed to account for players they didn't consider a threat. That led to plenty of wacky touchdown passes for Brady and a few for his receivers, too.