The New England Patriots have been the subject of much speculation over the last year or so. There have been several reports that have come out regarding the tension in the relationship between Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and owner Robert Kraft.

Kraft was asked about the supposed drama within the organization in an interview with NBC Sports Boston, and he hinted that envy and jealousy from opposing teams around the league are at the root of those reports of unrest in New England.

“We've been together 19 years, which is unheard of for a head coach, a quarterback and an ownership group. Thankfully, we have had a lot of success and whenever that happens you become a target. We understand that and there is always tensions and issues and different things you've got to deal with. That is part of the privilege of owning a team and being successful. I have a little saying that envy and jealously are incurable diseases. You'd rather be a recipient than a donor. That is what is going on now.”

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While Kraft has once again denied the persistent reports of tension within the team, there's too much smoke for there not to be at least some fire in New England.

However, it may not really matter even if there is some friction within Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Even if they don't get along, they want to win so bad that they are willing to tolerate one another.

As long as those two are around, they should still be considered the favorite to come out of the AFC.