Much to the chagrin of critics everywhere, the New England Patriots will be playing in their third straight Super Bowl on Feb. 3.

During the season, fans and media pundits said that the Patriots were incredibly vulnerable, noting the apparent decline of quarterback Tom Brady and the overall lack of talent on both sides of the football.

Many picked the Los Angeles Chargers to defeat New England in the Divisional Round, and after the Pats came away with a 41-28 win, many still picked against them in the AFC Championship Game, rolling with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Of course, the Patriots notched a thrilling overtime victory.

The funny thing is, this is hardly the harshest criticism New England has faced, as the Pats have been ripped by fans and media members alike for other issues long before the 2018 campaign.

Offensive lineman Trent Brown, who was traded to New England back in April, said that he is a man of his own opinion and realized that everybody was wrong about the Patriots as soon as he arrived:

“Well, of course, I knew you got a chance to win here,” Brown said, according to Zack Cox of NESN. “But another thing that popped into my mind was all the bullcrap that people say about this place. I’ve always been a man that forms my own opinions, and when I got here, I quickly found out that it’s nothing like anybody says.”

Brown added that the atmosphere in the locker room is terrific:

“It is fun here. I think the guys in the locker room enjoy each other,” he said. “Everybody in the facility enjoys each other, and we go out there and play for each other every time we touch the field. There’s no selfishness in the locker room. There’s no egos. It’s just one. . . .It has to contribute a lot [to the team’s success].”