The New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl, and contrary to what many of their critics have been saying this year, it wasn’t easy. While their regularseason schedule was historically soft, the Patriots had to go through three top-five defenses in the playoffs. By the second half of the AFC title game against the Denver Broncos, the Patriots were basically playing in a blizzard. Drake Maye: "It's hard… Good God"Josh McDaniels: "Look at me, it's gonna be hard, but look, this will be the most rewarding 6 1/2 minutes of our lives if we can get it done." Story continues below advertisementMcDaniels, who’s in his 19th season with the Patriots coaching staff, is well aware.