No, ESPN does not hate the Patriots. Wait, check that for a second. Rex Ryan definitely hates the Patriots. Give him some grace on that. The man coached the Jets for six years. You have no idea what that does to the soul. Some might also add Cam Newton to the Patriot Haters Club, since he seems to have a terrible take on something going on in Foxborough every time he appears on "First Take" or its ilk.
After being selected by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he would catch just two balls during his rookie year. He was quiet for the bulk of his sophomore campaign as well until he averaged 80 yards across his last three games, including a 117-yard performance in Week 18. Across his first 12 games that season, he'd average just 23.3 yards per game.
While wearing a Seattle Seahawks jersey during a recent appearance on his 4th-and-1 podcast, Newton said the Patriots' path through these playoffs hasn't been very challenging. "The New England Patriots have had the easiest road to the Super Bowl in NFL history. Go argue with your mama," said Newton. The No. 2-seeded Patriots are one win away from appearing in Super Bowl LX after a pair of victories at Gillette Stadium over the past two weeks.