"By the sound of it, the Patriots' locker room hears the outside noise. They know the doubters are clinging to the fact that this group has faced the third-easiest schedule over the past half-century to reach this point. Rather than pushing back on the narrative that the Patriots are a product of facing inferior opponents, Williams chose to let it be. He recognized that people will always have something to say, even if New England defeats the Seattle Seahawks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy."
"Why bother, right? That's the mindset Williams is seemingly embracing, because folks won't change their tune on the Patriots' success. He's focusing only on what's in his control. "If we win, everybody still won't give us our respect," Williams said. "It won't matter." As sad as it may be, Williams is right. Taking down a "dominant" Seahawks squad, as Patriots standout cornerback Marcus Jones described them, will only do so much."
The New England Patriots enter one win from a championship while facing persistent claims of being fraudulent. Doubters cite the team's path, noting a third-easiest schedule over the past half-century to reach the Super Bowl. The team acknowledges outside noise but concentrates on controllable factors. A Super Bowl Opening Night exchange highlighted that even a title likely will not erase skepticism. Critics will question legitimacy after a win and fault entry after a loss. The Patriots' defense receives public pessimism despite statistical evidence of elite performance, particularly in the playoffs.
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