SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Throughout the year, folks looked at the New England Patriots a little sideways. Despite going 14-3 over the regular season and winning the AFC East, it was hard to take that record at face value and consider New England a new powerhouse firmly arriving on the NFL block. These Patriots had the easiest strength of schedule since the 1999 St. Louis Rams -- that's across the NFL, not only Super Bowl-bound teams -- as New England's opponents posted a win percentage of .391. Then, the seas parted for them in the playoffs, facing flawed teams riddled by injury. So, as we arrived at Super Bowl LX, it wasn't surprising to see the overwhelming consensus on the side of the...
