Are These Pats Up To The Team’s Usual Standards?
Although it’s hard to find fault with any team who makes the Super Bowl, this season’s Patriots haven’t always looked quite as dominant as they usually do, at least on paper. During the regular season, they posted their third-worst point differential (+111) in any of their Super Bowl seasons since 2001, and they tied for their fewest wins (11) in that same span. The Pats’ roster also earned fewer individual accolades than in almost any of their other Super Bowl campaigns:
Despite all this, Vegas had still installed the Pats as 2½-point favorites, so don’t even think about using this to fuel that “underdog” narrative, Tom. But it is worth remembering that this version of the Patriots boasts slightly less star power than we’re used to seeing on the Super Bowl stage.