"“This is a totally different schedule with different expectations,” said Clark, emphasizing the Patriots' matchups with teams from NFC North and AFC West this year. “No one thought about Drake Maye as an MVP candidate, or Mike Vrabel as a Coach of the Year candidate, or this team being the type of team that could get to the Super Bowl. It's different now. You ar"
"New England, helped by finishing last in the AFC East in 2024, had the league's most favorable regular season schedule. Their good fortune continued in the playoffs when they faced the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos - three beat-up, defensive-minded teams that struggled to score points."
"By the time Super Bowl week arrived, you could almost feel it coming. Maye had been robbed of the MVP award. The national commentary was heavily slanted toward Seattle being the superior team, and that was backed up by a 4.5-point spread that never budged across the major sportsbooks leading up to kickoff."
"Losing 29-13 in the fashion the Patriots did, with no points on the board until the fourth quarter, only dumped gasoline on the notion that they didn't deserve to be there in the first place."
New England’s 2025 run ended with a lopsided Super Bowl loss to Seattle, and a persistent narrative claimed the Patriots benefited from an unusually favorable path. Rival and neutral observers pointed to a regular-season schedule shaped by New England finishing last in the AFC East in 2024, plus playoff matchups against Chargers, Texans, and Broncos that were described as beat-up and defensive-minded with limited scoring. Before Super Bowl week, commentary favored Seattle, reinforced by a stable 4.5-point spread. The Patriots’ 29-13 defeat, including no points until the fourth quarter, intensified doubts about their legitimacy. Those who watched the team argued the claims were inaccurate, noting that expectations and opponents have shifted, including matchups with NFC North and AFC West teams.
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