The New England Patriots may have to win the Super Bowl to finally get their flowers. Pundits continue to question their merit entering the AFC Championship Game.
New England seemingly caught a break by lining up against a Denver Broncos squad that lost starting quarterback Bo Nix at the end of their AFC Divisional Round win. The Patriots can capture their first conference title of the post-Tom Brady era by defeating Jarrett Stidham this Sunday at Mile High.
SiriusXM host Adam Schein questioned New England’s credentials as a worthy Super Bowl participant on his “Schein on Sports” radio show.
“I respect the hell out of the New England Patriots organization and who they are and what they’ve accomplished,” Schein said. “But if this team is playing in the Super Bowl, we’ve all failed.”
While it doesn’t mean he considers the Patriots a bad team, he also believes they’ve lived a charmed life all season.
“I don’t know how else to phrase it,” he said. The New England Patriots in 2026 are the luckiest damn team that I’ve seen in the 21-year history of “Schein on Sports.” And you can be lucky and great. You can be lucky and well-coached. You can be lucky and good.”
The Patriots had the easiest strength of schedule during the regular season, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index. Their only victory over a winning team came against the Buffalo Bills, who got payback with a Week 15 victory.
New England changed that fact with double-digit playoff wins over the 11-6 Los Angeles Chargers and 12-5 Houston Texans. Rather than crediting them for surviving two top-five defenses, critics dismissed the AFC East champion’s defensive dominance against a pair of unspectacular offenses.
An AFC Championship Game win over Stidham’s Broncos still may not silence that narrative, but their luck factor won’t matter if the Patriots are playing for the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 8.
