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In the NFL [url=http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/dont_a-hightower-jersey-authentic]Youth Dont'a Hightower Jersey[/url] , 35 is considered old. among colleagues that are in a lot of cases more than 10 years younger. However, those who do survive in the league that long are oftentimes still at the top of their game, especially at positions that pose a slightly different athletic challenge than most. The quarterback spot is the best example, and 2018 serves as a perfect reminder of that.39-year old New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and the Los Angeles Chargers’ 36-year old Philip Rivers are both in the middle of arguably their best seasons to date. The Pittsburgh Steelers’s 36-year old Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, and soon-to-be 35-year old Green Bay Packers passer Aaron Rodgers also still play at the same high level as they used to in their earlier days in the NFL.And then, there is Tom BradyAt 41, he is the league’s oldest quarterback (and oldest non-kicker in general) and he keeps defying expectations of what being an older play in the NFL means. Since turning 35 in the offseason leading into the 2012 season, Brady has led the New England Patriots to two Super Bowl trophies, and has won a combined three MVP awards (one regular season, two in the title game).2018 is more of the same. While Brady’s statistical output looks comparatively pedestrian when compared to his ridiculously productive last three seasons, he still is very much in the conversation as the league’s best quarterback. And even though he finds himself in unchartered territory for players his age he keeps adding to his already legendary r茅sum茅 — and according to the man himself, he plans to keep doing it.“I’d like to go till I’m 45,” Brady told NBC Sports’ Peter King after Sunday night’s victory over the Green Bay Packers and fellow old man quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “I know I said that a hundred times [url=http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/patrick-chung-jersey-authentic]http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/patrick-chung-jersey-authentic[/url] , and no one believes me. But I mean, I feel good. I could go play another game tomorrow. I know what to do. It’s fun. What else would you rather do than run out in front of 70,000 people and throw a football?”While Brady regularly pointed out his goal of playing until turning 45, he put on a more cautiously sounding tone this offseason. Of course, his remarks also left plenty of room for interpretation: he told Oprah Winfrey that he thinks about retirement more than he used to and also spoke in an interview with his own TB12 brand about “seeing the end line now.” His most recent statements, however, leave little doubt about what he wants to do.Brady being asked about hanging up his cleats is nothing new. Back in 2014, for example, the then-37-year old told WEEI that he will retire when his game is no longer up to the lofty standards he sets for himself. “When I suck, I’ll retire,” the future Hall of Famer said before continuing: “I don’t plan on sucking for a long time.” We are nine weeks into the 2018 season and Brady is still far from sucking. 45 seems to be as realistic as it has ever been. (1.) If the coverage leading into Sunday night feels more like that of a UFC title fight than a primetime football game, it’s not by accident — but it’s also not entirely by choice.A byproduct of the NFL’s incompetence with regard to having its two biggest stars face off twice per decade is that four years of Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady media coverage is needlessly jammed into a single week — or six days in the case of this year’s go-around. It’s almost understandable. With so much time passing between Packers-Patriots contests, very little meat is left on the content-bone. Rosters are thoroughly turned over. Context derived from the teams’ most recent battles isn’t pertinent, making it impossible to establish a chronology of any real substance. Narratives simply aren’t allowed to develop organically. The NFL media machine — aside from a handful of excellent local reporters and analysts — has no choice but to capitalize on the moment. As a result [url=http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/marcus-cannon-jersey-authentic]http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/marcus-cannon-jersey-authentic[/url] , the Rodgers vs. Brady motif doesn’t just become the ripest and the lowest-hanging of the low-hanging fruit — it becomes the only hanging fruit. Yet, if you give the tree a good shake, you’ll find that the NFL hasn’t just missed out on the opportunity for one or two more duels between historic quarterbacks, but that they’ve has deprived football fans of a showcase between the two most successful organizations from each conference since the turn of the century. It’s true. Since Bill Belichick took the reigns in Foxborough in 2000, the Patriots have been historically good to the point where it renders the accomplishments of other franchises undistinguished. But, over that same span, the Green Bay Packers have been the cream of the crop in the NFC.From 2000 to 2017, the Packers have an NFC-leading 178 regular season wins, the most playoff trips in the conference (13), as well as the most playoff wins (27). From 2006 — the first year of current head coach Mike McCarthy — through 2017, Green Bay leads the NFC in wins (121), postseason trips (9), playoff games (18), and Conference Championship Game appearances (4). Of course [url=http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/joe-thuney-jersey-authentic]Youth Joe Thuney Jersey[/url] , they also added a Super Bowl in 2010.The Patriots’ totals in these departments between 2000 and 2017 are obviously ridiculous. They led the NFL with:214 regular season wins15 postseason trips37 postseason games12 Conference Championship Game appearances8 Super Bowl trips5 Super Bowl titlesFor the purpose of symmetry, here are those Patriots totals between 2006-2017 (still all league-leading, or course): 151 regular season wins11 postseason trips26 postseason games9 Conference Championship Game appearances5 Super Bowl trips2 Super Bowl titles (tied with the Giants for the most since 2006)(2.) Perhaps the most fascinating components of the Packers’ success are the methods and organizational characteristics that have allowed them to sustain it — elements and approaches that bear a striking resemblance to what Bill Belichick has established in New England.One such characteristic is stability. While there are certainly a countless number of variables, and the causation is likely a bit cyclical, there is a strong correlation between winning teams and franchises that maintain long stretches of stability at their GM (or primary player personnel decision-maker) position and head coach positions. The 11 organizations to have won a Super Bowl between 2000 and 2017 averaged 169.09 wins over those 18 seasons, and just 4.36 GM-head coach combinations. The other 21 franchises averaged 132.27 wins and 8 GM-head coach combinations.Between 2000 and 2017, no NFC team had fewer such combinations than Green Bay (four), and only three teams in the league had fewer. One of those teams was the Bengals, who haven’t employed a GM in the history of their organization. The other two were Pittsburgh (two combinations), and the Patriots (Belichick).(3.) A tangible approach that each organization has taken towards roster construction has been the organic growth of the middle and upper class of their rosters. Between 2011-2017, no other team in football had more “homegrown” players — ones drafted or signed as UDFAs and developed with the organization — with cap hits that were at or greater than 1% of that year’s league salary cap. The Packers had 96 such cap hits over that 18-season span. The Patriots ranked fifth on that list with 70. The league average was 50.(4.) The number of draft picks since 2000 to be signed to multi-year extensions before or directly after the expiration of their rookie deals:Packers — 35 total, 18 from draft rounds 1-3.Patriots — 26 total, 12 from draft rounds 1-3.One could speculate that the Patriots would’ve been closer in the total number of these “homegrown” middle and upper class players, but they simply didn’t need to re-sign as many due to consistently planning ahead for the departure of players by developing depth through the draft and undrafted free agency. The Patriots have also been the most trade-happy organization in football in since Belichick’s arrival.(5.) With Patriots right guard Shaq Mason ruled out for Sunday’s contest [url=http://www.thepatriotsfootballauthentic.com/ja_whaun-bentley-jersey-authentic]Youth Ja'Whaun Bentley Jersey[/url] , it marks the first time since his week eight of his rookie season that he hasn’t been active. Mason — who has been active for 54 of his first 56 career regular season games —is one third of a “homegrown” trio on the interior that includes left guard Joe Thuney and center David Andrews. It’s a unit that has been one of the more consistently-underrated in football over the past three seasons. Sunday will be just the third game since the start of 2016 in which all three won’t be on the field together.With the signing of Andrews to a three-year extension last May (a deal that might be among the best values in football), and with Mason inking a deal with $23.5 million guaranteed to keep him in Foxborough through 2023, the Patriots have two legs of their interior trio under contract through 2020. Joe Thuney, who will be eligible to negotiate a contract after the completion of this season, will carry a cap hit of roughly $2.22 million in 2019 after qualifying for the Proven Performance Escalator (PPE) — a provision in the CBA that bumps the fourth year rookie salary of a player drafted after the second round up to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agency tender. Players can earn the PPE by participating in 35% of offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or by participating in 35% of all of those snaps over his first three years. According to overthecap.com, no 2016 draftee how was taken between rounds three and seven has participated in a high percentage of his unit’s snaps. The former NC State standout has participated has a 99.7% three-year average after playing in 99.6% in 2016, 99.5% in 2017, and 100% so far this year.Follow Brian Phillips on Twitter — @BPhillips_SB