Football fans outside of New England were hoping Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers would end the Patriots dynasty in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Gillette Stadium.
That was far from the case, however, as the Patriots crushed the Chargers 41-28 (including a 35-7 halftime lead) to reach the AFC Championship Game, where the Kansas City Chiefs await at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Patriots have heard a lot of the criticism directed towards them as a team, and quarterback Tom Brady, specifically. Brady admitted so in a rare moment of candor after the divisional round win. Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman has no problem being the villain, as he explained to NFL Network's Deion Sanders following New England's win over Los Angeles.
Check out the exchange in the video below:
Edelman had an incredible day against the Chargers. He hauled in a postseason career-high 151 yards on nine receptions, and even drew a ton of praise from Brady on Monday morning.
The Patriots will be playoff underdogs next Sunday for the first time since the 2015 AFC Championship Game as the Chiefs currently sit at 3-point favorites. Most of the football world likely will be rooting for the Patriots' demise Sunday, and that should give Brady and Co. a lot of motivation to spoil the Chiefs' party and embrace the villain role en route to a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.
NBC SPORTS BOSTON SCHEDULE