Debunking the latest conspiracy theories surrounding Patriots, refs

The New England Patriots rallied from the brink of defeat to take down the Jacksonville Jaguars in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, and by doing so revived an all-too-familiar narrative among football fans.

Despite the Patriots neutralizing the Jaguars' offense late in the game, and Tom Brady's surgical precision in the fourth quarter, the thought that they were helped by a league-wide conspiracy continues to linger for many fans.

A few moments from Sunday's game were used to support that argument. However, when analyzed critically, the evidence is clearly circumstantial.

One popular photo that emerged saw a referee seemingly celebrating with Patriots players following a touchdown.

However, video evidence paints a different picture:

It appears the referee was trying to prevent a scuffle between Patriots players and Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson. After seemingly bumping into offensive lineman Cameron Fleming, he appears to say, "I know, I know," after an apologetic gesture from Fleming.

Another moment that has been widely shared among Patriots detractors is one in which referee Clete Blakeman pats Brady on the chest as if to congratulate him on the victory before leaving the field.

It's not the best look for a referee given the popular notion that the deck is consistently stacked in the Patriots' favor. As evidence of a conspiracy theory, however, it's pretty weak.

It wasn't the first time an official gave kudos to a star quarterback. Check out this example of Blakeman showing Peyton Manning the exact same respect:

Finally, conspiracy theorists pointed to the pivotal fumble by Patriots running back Dion Lewis that was forced and recovered by Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack. After he recovered the football, the play was whistled dead, as Jack was ruled down by contact, which negated a potential touchdown return.

There's room for suspicion here, as it didn't appear Jack was touched, which means the play should've continued. However, those quick to chalk up the call to favoritism must consider the nature of the play.

The Patriots had just dipped into their bag of tricks, and the surprise play likely resulted in a number of officials not being in the right positions to make the call. There's strong evidence it was a mistake, but it's still insufficient as evidence of a conspiracy theory.

It's unlikely the conspiracy surrounding the Patriots will disappear before the team meets the Philadelphia Eagles in SuperBowl LII, but if Belichick, Brady, and Co., have proven anything over the last two decades, it's that outside drama will be the last thing to affect the team on game day.