Tom Brady and the Patriots are reveling in their underdog status after their overtime win in the AFC Championship

John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images

Tom Brady and the Patriots seemed quite pleased with themselves after earning their third straight trip to the Super Bowl.

• The New England Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship to earn a spot in their third straight Super Bowl.
• Leading up to the game, the Patriots had embraced the role of being underdogs after bookmakers listed the Chiefs as 3-point favorites.
• After their win, the Patriots leaned into the story of their triumph against the odds.

The New England Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in overtime in the AFC Championship on Sunday to punch their ticket to their third straight Super Bowl.

Heading into the game, the Patriots had leaned into the idea that they were underdogs in the game - a fact settled by bookmakers that listed the Chiefs as 3-point favorites in the game but disputed by anyone that has watched football in the past three years.

Tom Brady seemed particularly miffed about the football world's dismissing the Patriots chances this year. After the Patriots win over the Chargers in the divisional round, Brady called out critics of his team in a few pointed comments after the game.

Read more: Tom Brady mocks critics after Patriots' latest evisceration of a playoff opponent: 'Everybody thinks we suck, we can't win any games'

Wide receiver Julien Edelman also took advantage of New England's brief stint as underdogs, promoting shirts that read "Bet against us" lettered as the Patriots logo.

After the Patriots beat the Chiefs in overtime, Brady and company were sure to remind their doubters about how wrong they were.

The Patriots might have enjoyed playing the underdog for a night, but they're once again the favorites as they prepare for the Super Bowl in two weeks, with bookmakers listing New England as 2-point favorites over the Los Angeles Rams.

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