Peyton Manning closer than ever as Patriots

Peyton Manning closer than ever as Patriots

There really aren't that many consistently compelling professional sports rivalries, when you think about it. Yankees Red Sox and Steelers Ravens are great when the teams are Robert Alford Jersey great. Traditional rivalries like Lakers Celtics and Red Wings Maple Leafs were dormant for a long time. Sure, there is always a little extra juice when, say, the Dodgers play the Giants, but we see pro sports through the prism of winning and losing a pro team can't really make its season a success by winning one game, the way Auburn can against Alabama.

But really, the difference is even smaller than that. We must account for circumstances. Imagine these are pitchers, and we need to adjust their Desmond Trufant Jersey stats for their home www.nflfalconsofficial.com/Nike-Tony-Gonzalez-Jersey.html ballpark. Manning played most of his career with a domed stadium as his home field, with annual road games in Jacksonville, Houston and Nashville. Brady plays in one of the tougher climates in the country, with annual road games in Buffalo and New York (and Miami). The difference in their road completion percentages is only 1.67 percent.

You saw it again Monday night against the Panthers. The Patriots defense has been decimated by injuries. Stars Jerod Mayo and Vince Wilfork are out. Every cornerback on the roster seems to be hurt. Brady's receivers are almost all new and inexperienced. Yet Brady almost led them to victory on the road against one of the better teams www.nflfalconsofficial.com/Nike-Steven-Jackson-Jersey.html in the league, with one Robert Alford Youth Jersey of his best games . Desmond Trufant Authentic Jersey only to lose in bizarre fashion yet again, on that no it wasn't pass interference call. That was the Patriots' third loss of the year, and could knock them out of a playoff bye, which would probably mean another year of watching somebody else lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.