The ongoing narrative surrounding the New England Patriots this season has been all about their historically "easy" schedule, and to some, that explains why they are sitting atop the AFC with a 12-3 record. Even more prominent voices in the NFL, like First Take's Cam Newton, have expressed their distrust of what the Patriots really are, going so far as to label them "fool's gold" as they near the playoffs.
Many stated that a win over the Ravens, a game in which they were considered underdogs going into, would prove they were a much better group than they initially believed. Based on their triumphant comeback, it looks like Drake Maye and Co. finally proved they are the real deal.
Not everyone is changing their opinions, of course, but Newton made his new stance clear on Monday morning while discussing the game, in somewhat of a flip-flopping way, while also not necessarily walking back his harsh criticism of Maye from earlier in the year.
Cam Newton is jumping on the Patriots bandwagon after their Week 16 win
After months of trying to get people to see his perspective on the 2025 Patriots, Newton expressed his belief in his former team after Sunday night's victory over the Ravens.
Although he's not giving them too much credit and acknowledges his earlier takes weren't the most complimentary, he was impressed by their offensive game plan, as everyone on the roster had an opportunity to be part of the win.
"I'm believing in the New England Patriots." ✍️@CameronNewton reacts to the Patriots SNF win over the Ravens 🏈 pic.twitter.com/ElymjmByPk
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 22, 2025
Their performance in primetime when they were already being counted out was certainly good enough for someone like Newton to finally (slightly) walk back their previous opinions, and, at the same time, should be a wake-up call for the rest of the AFC.
Despite the widespread view that the Patriots aren't a legitimate competitor, they proved they can hang with the best of them (again) by sneaking out a win in Baltimore and extending their undefeated road win streak this season.
When things are clicking, they can be an unstoppable team in all facets of the game, as we saw on Sunday night. It couldn't have happened at a better time, with the playoffs right around the corner, and they'll need to build upon that over the final two games to lock up the division and maybe even the No. 1 seed.