The New England Patriots have heard the same criticism all season long: their success in 2025 came against one of the easiest schedules in the league. But once the playoffs began, that narrative started to crack. Back-to-back postseason wins later, Drake Maye and company forced a reevaluation. And that’s when Stefon Diggs’ girlfriend, Cardi B, decided she’d had enough of the talk.

“It’s no excuse,” Cardi clapped back in a viral social media video. “I don’t want to hear, it’s no excuse. N***a put their a**es to be here. We done playing almost every team. Good, bad, almost every team. And this sh*t ain’t no easy way out. It’s work. My n***a going to work at 6 a.m. and get out at 7. And then keep on working 6 days a week. Ain’t no shortcut.”

The frustration didn’t come out of nowhere. League metrics did suggest that New England had one of the softer schedules in the NFL, often grouped alongside the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints. And to the Patriots’ credit, they took full advantage. Over 18 weeks, they went 14–3, won the AFC East for the first time since 2019, locked up the No. 2 seed, and had Maye firmly in MVP conversations.

From a critic’s perspective, the argument was easy to make. New England frequently faced teams projected to pick near the top of the 2026 NFL Draft. That context fueled the “easy schedule” label all year. But Cardi’s response came at a moment when that criticism was starting to lose its bite.

The Patriots opened the postseason by beating the Los Angeles Chargers 16–3 in the Wild Card round. Then came the Divisional Round, where the entire NFL Live panel picked the Houston Texans to knock them out. Instead, New England controlled the game, winning 28–16 and turning it into a nightmare afternoon for C.J. Stroud. Stroud finished 20-of-47 for 212 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and took three sacks, arguably the worst outing of his career.

Now, the Patriots are headed to the AFC Championship Game, where they’ll face the Denver Broncos next weekend. And when you stack it all together: The regular-season dominance, the playoff wins, and the way they handled elite competition, it’s not hard to see why Cardi B was fed up with hearing that New England simply had an “easy road.”

The Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship round

The Patriots delivered a strong defensive showing and a mixed offensive performance Sunday night. And the result spoke for itself. New England is headed to the AFC Championship Game. The turning point came quickly. Early in the second quarter, the Patriots trailed 10–7. Then the defense flipped the game.

K’Lavon Chaisson pressured C.J. Stroud as the quarterback tried to throw the ball away. Instead, Stroud floated a pass that hung in the air just long enough for Marcus Jones to read it, intercept it cleanly, and take it 26 yards for a touchdown. In one play, a 10–7 deficit turned into a 14–10 lead. The momentum never swung back. From that point on, the Patriots stayed in control.

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Offensively, Drake Maye was efficient when it mattered. He finished 16-of-27 for 179 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while taking five sacks, as New England totaled 248 yards of offense and avoided costly mistakes. Stefon Diggs, meanwhile, grabbed four passes for 40 yards and one touchdown. In the process, the wideout has recorded his 49th career receiving touchdown on a ball thrown to the end zone.

Now, the Patriots turn their attention to next weekend’s AFC Championship matchup against the Broncos. With Bo Nix sidelined, Denver is expected to start backup Jarrett Stidham. A trip to the Super Bowl is on the line. And we’ll see how things turn out for the Pats.