AND TONIGHT’S WINNER IS …
NEW ENGLAND
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Even if numbers occasionally lie, most of them indicate the New England Patriots are in great position to hoist a sixth Vince 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 tonight in Minneapolis. He would dethrone Peyton Manning, who won at age 39 with the Denver Broncos to cap the 2015 season and his Hall of Fame-worthy career.
Brady has put up numbers in his 18th season unmatched by any player in NFL history. He led the league with 4,577 passing yards during the regular season, and his five touchdown passes are tied for the most in the playoffs.
Brady’s seven Super Bowl appearances are as many as the entire Eagles roster. He has faced a myriad of difficult scenarios in the championship game, including last year’s 25-point hole the Patriots dug out of to beat the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
Brady won that one without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who will be in uniform after being cleared from concussion protocol this past week.
Close games have been no problem for Brady and coach Bill Belichick, either. The total difference in scoring in their seven Super Bowl appearances together 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 Brady’s eight. It’s probably why Brady chuckled this past week when he was again asked about how long he wanted to keep playing.
“Why does everyone want me to retire so bad?” Brady said. “I don’t get it. I’m having fun. The team’s doing good. I know I’m a little bit older than most of the guys, but I’m really enjoying it. … I’m not thinking about retirement. I’m thinking about the Super Bowl and trying to win the most important game of the year.”
As big as the Brady factor is, he’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 Dont’a Hightower
to a season-ending shoulder injury in October. After some struggles, Belichick found a way to plug the holes, making the most of contributions from several previously unheralded players such as Trey Flowers, Kyle Van Noy, Lawrence Guy and Ricky Jean Francois.
New England has also benefited from a strong season for receiver Brandin Cook after acquiring him from the New Orleans Saints in the 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 (1,084). Running back Dion Lewis has also found new life just two seasons removed from a knee injury. He led the team with 896 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns.
It has all underlined the football savvy of Belichick, who with a sixth Super
Bowl victory would pass 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 for anyone 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 —something they quickly denied — it’s clear they are on the same page when it comes to the pursuit of championships.
And they’re not tired of trying — or succeeding.
“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,” Belichick said. “Each one is unique. Each one’s special.”