USA TODAY Sports
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots unveiled their fifth Super Bowl banner, held a pre-game celebration that boasted five oversized Lombardi Trophies and included a performance from rapper Flo Rida, and their fans taunted NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell with clown noses.
And then the Kansas City Chiefs thumped New England, 42-27.
The performance goes down as the most points and yards (537) allowed in a single game during the Bill Belichick era.
The performance was so stunning that it led to another aberration seldom seen by the Patriots: Star quarterback Tom Brady questioned the team’s effort and disposition.