Watching a powerful NFL offense while it racks up yards and touchdowns each Sunday is something fans can’t get enough of during the football season.
Even better is when a quarterback develops a bursting chemistry with go-to his wide receiver, running back, or in some cases, a favorite tight end to post those jaw-dropping numbers.
The following make for six NFL offensive trios that should find much success in the 2016.
1. Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
This power trio should be up for some major thrills when it hits the field this September.
The Steelers’ offense piled up an average total of 395.4 yards per game last season, ranking third-best in the league. This was accomplished while Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell both missed games.
Provided their fourth-year rusher returns in full form, Bell will be poised to wreak havoc both on the ground and through the air. Keep in mind that he combined for a monster 2,215 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2014.
Brown is unarguably the best in his class after catching 70 percent of his passes for a career-high 1,834 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Brown’s production shouldn’t wane for any reason, especially with Martavis Bryant out on a one-year suspension.
Big Ben was literally as tough as nails when he gritted it out through a couple of injuries last season that should have seen him miss more time than he actually did.
If all three guys have a healthy 2016, it wouldn’t be shocking to see more record-breaking stats go down in the land of the black and gold.
2. Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Something was obviously amiss with the Packers’ offense last season minus No. 1 wideout Jordy Nelson, who was on the mend from an ACL tear.
With Nelson returning, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Co. should see an uptick in production this year. Let’s reminisce back to 2014 when both Nelson and Randall Cobb combined for 189 catches, 2,806 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Packers’ passing attack was downright dangerous.
Needless to say, Rodgers passed for 4,381 yards, 38 touchdowns and had only five interceptions that year and claimed ownership of the NFC North. Even without all their ducks in a row last season, the Packers still managed a couple of rounds of playoff football.
Rodgers is one of the most accurate passers in the league, and he is stocked with one of the most talented receiving duos. If only running back Eddie Lacy would return to form and delight fans with his tackle-breaking spin techniques, the team would have its complete offensive package in place.
3. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
Let’s skip past Brady’s four-game suspension that looks likely to stick and get to the final picture.
There’s little chance Rex Ryan’s Bills (who recently claimed they “won the offseason“), a Geno Smith-led New York Jets or Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins will oust the Patriots out of a playoff spot this year.
Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman will hold down the fort even if they are catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo during Weeks 1-4. Brady, who keeps in tremendous shape, will return with his gloves on and ready to dominate.
Gronk is a beast, and if health prevails he’ll surely outplay any guy at his position after recording a total of 154 catches for 2,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in the last two years.
Edelman compliments the Patriots’ offense as Brady’s go-to guy. During the past three seasons, Brady has targeted him an average of 11.3 times per game, resulting in 82.4 yards per contest.
Speaking of Brady, there’s nothing to suggest he won’t return to form. He should come close to his average of 298 passing yards per contest, sending the Patriots to the playoffs for their eighth consecutive year.
4. Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
Palmer and Fitzgerald experienced a career revival unlike any other in 2015.
First of all, Palmer returned after a second ACL surgery at the age of 36 and posted career highs in yards (4,671) and touchdowns (35). He also kept his interceptions at bay with just 11.
Meanwhile, Fitzgerald was a stud. He achieved a career-high 109 catches for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. Noteworthy also was Fitzgerald’s ridiculous 75 percent catch rate last season. Down the stretch, his production declined a bit. Although, we must remember Fitzgerald’s 75-yard catch and run, 176-total yard playoff game-winning performance against Green Bay this past January.
Palmer and Fitz will team up with the youthful David Johnson as he begins his first whole season as a starter. The 713 combined yards and six total touchdowns during the last six weeks of his rookie season should be an indicator of his talent.
Overall, the Cardinals’ offense will be a force, and a postseason visit for this exciting trio should be on the agenda.
5. Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
This is an intriguing NFL power trio considering two players are returning from injury seasons and the other is a rookie.
That said, Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Ezekiel Elliott could duplicate the success of the Cowboys’ 12-4, 2014 playoff campaign. That year Romo completed a league-high 69.9 percent of his passes with 34 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.
Bryant scored 16 touchdowns — a league-high as well — and recorded 1,320 yards on 88 receptions. Obviously DeMarco Murray is no longer a part of the picture, but Elliott could be a force in his rookie premiere, especially since the ‘Boys intend on running the ball a lot to keep Romo healthy.
The Cowboys drafted wisely at No. 4 when they selected the Ohio State standout after he registered a total of 3,699 rushing yards and 55 touchdowns during his past two college seasons.
With Bryant presumably returning in top-form, the trio could do some major damage in 2016.
6. Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons settled in at 8-8, and quarterback Matt Ryan failed to pass for more than 21 touchdowns during a disappointing 2015 campaign. Though, the potential this trio possesses earns them a spot on this list.
Ryan notably ranked fifth among his position with 4,591 passing yards. And Julio Jones did what he does best and that was record league-highs with 136 catches and 1,871 yards. Running back Devonta Freeman also caused a scene in his second career season and finished with a grand total of 1,634 yards and 14 touchdowns in 15 games.
Another productive year for Freeman is quite possible, and he could top upwards of 1,800-1,900 combined yards if he stays healthy. And unless somebody barricades Jones in his locker, he will naturally be poised for chart-topping numbers after seeing an average of 12.7 targets per contest last year.
Keeping Ryan upright so he can attempt even more passes and improve the Falcons’ chances of scoring through the air is of the utmost importance for the team to succeed as a unit.