Even if numbers occasionally lie Adidas Logan Couture 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.

Brady’s seven Super Bowl appearances are as many as the entire Eagles roster. He’s 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 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 Brady’s eight. It’s probably why Brady chuckled this 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 early-season struggles, Belichick found a way to plug the holes, with contributions from several previously unheralded players like Trey Flowers, Kyle Van Noy Adidas Brent Burns Jersey , 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 (1,084). 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.

It’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, it’s clear they are on the same page when it comes to the pursuit of championships.

”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.”

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BOSTON — Rick Porcello shoots to become the Boston Red Sox’s first 10-game winner of the season when he pitches for Boston against the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of a three-game series at Fenway Park Wednesday night.

The Red Sox remained a half-game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East by pounding out 10 extra-base hits in a 9-1 rout of the struggling Angels Tuesday night. They now send Porcello (9-3 Adidas Jaden Schwartz Jersey , 3.44 ERA) out to face the Angels’ Andrew Heaney (4-5, 3.43) in the middle game of the series.

Boston is 4-0 against the Angels this season, winning those games by a combined count of 36-4.

“We haven’t solved them,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after the Red Sox (53-27) hit four homers and six doubles in Tuesday’s win. “We’ve tried to make some adjustments. We’re going to obviously work on it tonight and try to make some adjustments and hopefully have a better shot tomorrow.

“They’ve taken it to us. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. We’ve got to do a lot of things better.

Porcello, who is 2-1 in four June starts, is just 7-7 with 5.51 ERA in 17 career starts against the Angels, who have lost 11 of their last 15 games.

In his one start against Los Angeles this season, Porcello pitched six shutout innings in Boston’s 9-0 victory on April 18.

Before Tuesday’s game, the Red Sox placed Thursday starter Steven Wright on the 10-day disabled list with a left knee problem. Brian Johnson, who has been in the bullpen, will make the start in the series and homestand finale.

Christian Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr., the bottom two hitters in the Boston lineup (a problem spot for the team this season), combined to go 5-for-8 with two homers and five RBIs on Tuesday.

Everyone in the starting lineup except Rafael Devers had at least one hit (in a 14-hit attack) and he scored a run.

“We’re swinging it great Adidas Vladimir Tarasenko Jersey , you know, I think all up and down the lineup,” said Mookie Betts, who hit his 20th home run of the season. “It’s kind of contagious. Everybody’s getting hits and what not.”

The ever-streaky Bradley is 6-for-7 in the last two games to raise his batting average to .199.

“You know, he’s been swinging the bat great,” Betts said. “A couple line drives that go five feet one way or the other, we’re looking at a completely different number (average) that’s on the board.”

Heaney is also 2-1 in four June starts and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in eight of his 13 starts this season. He will make only his second appearance against Boston, his first at Fenway. He beat the Red Sox in Anaheim in 2015, yielding two runs in seven innings.

No one on the current Boston roster has more than three at-bats against Heaney. The team is 2-for-14 (.143) against him with Xander Bogaerts collecting both hits in his three at-bats (.667).

Ian Kinsler is 11-for-22 (.500) against Porcello, while Albert Pujols is 10-for-29 (.345) with a homer, while Cole Calhoun is 7-for-22 (.318) with two homers. Justin Upton is 2-for-12 (.167) and Luis Valbuena 4-for-19 (.211).