Did The New England Patriots Just Complete Easiest Path To Super Bowl?

First and foremost, I want to congratulate the New England Patriots and their fans for raising another AFC Championship banner and punching their ticket to the Super Bowl.

I know I talk a lot of smack to my conference rivals (miserable Dolphins fan checking in) but it’s nice to see these long-suffering Boston sports fans FINALLY getting the breaks to go their way.

Speaking of breaks, how ‘bout those strokes of luck that went New England’s way this postseason.

For starters, they were able to completely avoid the Buffalo Bills, a team and franchise that has had their number for the better part of this decade, considering the Brady and Belichick sized holes looming on the New England sideline.

Then, to kick off the 2025-26 postseason, the Patriots drew the Los Angeles Chargers, a franchise that, when it comes to choking in the playoffs, make the aforementioned Bills look like the 1970s Steelers by comparison.

That doesn’t even account for the Chargers’ quarterback, Justin Herbert, who doesn’t have a meaningful win to his name in six seasons in the league, so much so that he’s earned the nicknames "Mr. If" and Mr. Hypothetical" for his exploits as a stat merchant who crumbles when the lights are too bright.

Next up, the Pats were able to play the Houston Texans, a team who had just gotten done being battered by a very physical Steelers defense.

The Texans also have their own problems at quarterback, as third-year signal caller CJ Stroud has been on a steady decline since his sensational rookie year (though some may be able to point to the exact moment he was sapped of his powers).

That leaves the Denver Broncos, who were a No. 1 seed with a stellar defense, so how did the Pats get lucky this time?

Well, I’m glad you asked!

As soon as Denver’s Divisional Round game ended against the Bills, it was reported by their own head coach that starting quarterback Bo Nix’s ankle essentially exploded on their game-winning drive.

With that, the Patriots were gifted an AFC Championship matchup with a backup quarterback who hadn’t thrown a pass in the NFL since 2023.

The luck really never runs out for these guys, huh?

That doesn’t even account for the fact that New England played a Charmin soft schedule in 2025, thanks to their last place finish the year prior.

So, once again, I say congrats to the New England Patriots, but many are wondering if this is the easiest path to a Super Bowl in recent memory.

One thing is certain: flags fly forever. And if the Patriots add Lombardi number seven to their already loaded trophy case, I doubt they will be crying too hard about the path it took to get there.

They can leave that to the rest of us fans.