Even if numbers occasionally lie Authentic Kyzir White Jersey , most of them indicate the New England Patriots are in great position to hoist a sixth Lombardi Trophy.
The reasons begin in the only place they could: with Tom Brady.
Yes, at 40 years old Brady would be the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl if the Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. He would dethrone Peyton Manning, who won at age 39 with the Denver Broncos to cap the 2015 season.
Brady has put up numbers in his 18th season unmatched by any player in NFL history. He led the league with 4,577 yards passing during the regular season and his five touchdown passes are tied for the most in the playoffs.
Bradyr17;s seven Super Bowl appearances are as many as the entire Eagles roster. Her17;s faced a myriad of difficult scenarios in the championship game, including last yearr17;s 25-point hole the Patriots dug out of to beat the Falcons.
Brady won that one without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will be in uniform after being cleared late this week.
Close games have been no problem , for Brady and coach Bill Belichick either. The total difference in scoring in those seven games is 12 points: Patriots 169, opponents 157.
You want to talk about comebacks? No player in the Super Bowl era has more fourth-quarter comebacks in the playoffs in his career than Bradyr17;s eight. Itr17;s probably why Brady chuckled this week when he was again asked about how long he wanted to keep playing.
r1;Why does everyone want me to retire so bad?r1; Brady said. r1;I donr17;t get it. Ir17;m having fun. The teamr17;s doing good. I know Ir17;m a little bit older than most of the guys, but Ir17;m really enjoying it. r30; Ir17;m not thinking about retirement. Ir17;m thinking about the Super Bowl and trying to win the most important game of the year.r1;
As big as the Brady factor is, her17;s not the only advantage New England has.
The Patriots lost go-to receiver Julian Edelman in the preseason to a knee injury and linebacker Dontr17;a Hightower to a season-ending shoulder injury in October. After some early-season struggles, Belichick found a way to plug the holes, with contributions from several previously unheralded players like Trey Flowers, Kyle Van Noy, Lawrence Guy and Ricky Jean Francois .
New England has also gotten a strong season from receiver Brandin Cook after acquiring him from New Orleans this offseason. He posted his third straight 1,000-yard receiving season (1,082) and was second on the team in receiving yards behind only Gronkowski (1 Authentic Kalen Ballage Jersey ,084). Running back Dion Lewis has also found new life just two seasons removed from a knee injury. He led the team with 896 yards rushing and six rushing touchdowns.
Itr17;s underlined the football savvy of Belichick, who with a sixth Super Bowl victory would pass Vince Lombardi and tie George Halas and Curly Lambeau for most NFL championships by a coach.
Belichick will be taking part in his 11th Super Bowl as a head coach or assistant, the most among any coach in NFL history. That amounts to 21.2 percent of all Super Bowls in league history and 34.4 percent of all Super Bowls since his first appearance as the Giants defensive coordinator in 1986.
Though there have been reports of alleged friction this season between Belichick, Brady and team owner Robert Kraft, itr17;s clear they are on the same page when it comes to the pursuit of championships.
r1;It changes every year. The venues are different, the teams are different, the matchups are different, and the road the team has traveled to get here is different, as is the road your opponent has traveled,r1; Belichick said. r1;Each one is unique. Each oner17;s special.r1;
r12;
An entrepreneurial Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader and her husband have teed off on a new way of getting around the cityr17;s downtown: golf carts.
GEST Carts offers rides on weekend nights to attractions such as riverfront restaurants, a casino and other entertainment spots. Co-founders Patrick and Lauren Dye have rolled out the service slowly, with plans to expand in time for Cincinnatir17;s popular Opening Day festivities in late March when the Reds begin baseball season.
Long associated with retirement communities, golf carts are increasingly being seen as urban transit options.
Services similar to GEST (Green, Easy, Safe Transportation) are running from Auburn, Alabama Authentic Durham Smythe Jersey , to Toledo, Ohio. They offer environmentally friendly rides at low rates r11; in advertising-sponsored GESTr17;s case, for free r11; at slow speeds suited for sightseeing or mingling. Patrick liked the one in Nashville, and he saw an opportunity in Cincinnati with its revitalized downtown area.
r1;I think it would be great anywhere,r1; Lauren Dye said as her husband drove past Cincinnatir17;s recently renovated Music Hall. r1;Itr17;s just a really fun mode of transportation.r1;
Prince was singing r1;Little Red Corvetter1; in the background, part of the `80s music mix among the choices passengers can make for their rides.
The service comes as regional leaders have identified improving transportation as a key priority.
Cincinnati area officials last month announced a partnership with Uber to create the Cincinnati Mobility Lab. Uber will share transportation data and launch studies of such issues as curbside congestion and bus services in the Cincinnati-northern Kentucky region.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley said working with Uber is an example of looking to the future for better transportation options.
The Dyes, who operate the Scene Ultra Lounge downtown, launched GEST just before New Yearr17;s, relying mainly on word-of-mouth. Attention grew quickly, especially as the cityr17;s streetcar system suffered repeated shutdowns because of cold weather and ice.
Patrick Dye said the golf carts arenr17;t meant to compete with the streetcar, and theyr17;ve had good cooperation with city administrators on getting their business running.
He said that theyr17;ve averaged 300 to 500 passengers a night and will begin daytime service on Opening Day, March 29, with a cart fleet up to 10 from the current six.
r1;This is just one more piece to bring and entice people to come to downtown Cincinnati and another tool that people can use to get around,r1; he said.
