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The New England Patriots enter the 2015 season in a position not many defending Super Bowl champions have found themselves in during recent seasons.

There's a tendency, an understandable tendency, for the defending champions to enter the season with a slight decrease in motivation. No matter how much a team says it's turned the page, that seems easier said than done. It was just seven months ago that the Patriots came out on top in one of the most unforgettable Super Bowls of all time. It would be understandable if they came into this season just a little bit fat and happy in addition to being a little sluggish after a shorter-than-normal offseason filled with celebration.

That's how things go in a normal offseason, at least. The Patriots' offseason was anything but, of course. The Patriots, thanks to the never-ending saga that was Deflategate, enter the new season with no shortage of motivation and no shortage of foes to take out their frustrations.

The offseason typically is a joyous time for defending champions. It's a time for celebration and reflection. For the Patriots, though, the offseason was consumed with bickering with the NFL both on and off the record, while usually sneaky-clean quarterback Tom Brady attempted to prove his innocence and defend his reputation.

That battle, in a court of pubic opinion, was essentially unwinnable. That's especially true when you factor in the football world's apparent unwillingness and/or inability to actually read a document or two. The Patriots were never going to be looked at as winners, no matter how many reports in context they issue or even no matter how many times they won in court.

Even after Brady's four-game suspension was lifted, the damage had already been done, so to speak. The Patriots, no strangers to dubious behaviors, were labeled repeat-offender cheaters. They were labeled frauds. They were labeled liars.

Head coach Bill Belichick tells his players to "ignore the noise" when the Patriots leave the team facilities. But what about the offseason? It was likely impossible for anyone in the Patriots' organization to ignore what transpired over the last seven months.

The Patriots' accomplishments have been questioned at every turn. It started just hours after the AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts, and here we are just two days before the season opener, and it's still ongoing. On Tuesday, just days after Brady's four-game suspension was vacated in federal court, ESPN (and indirectly, the NFL) fired more shots at the Patriots. Sports Illustrated tacked on, too.

Just add them to the list that just keeps on growing. Whether it's the Colts, the Indianapolis media, NFL league office, Ted Wells, Roger Goodell or ESPN to name a few, one thing is clear: Belichick is going to need a bigger bulletin board. The Patriots will say they're motivations for 2015 remain in the moment. Heading into Thursday night, the focus will be on Pittsburgh. After that game -- and only after that game -- they'll be on Buffalo. And so on and so on.

One of Belichick's biggest strengths is his ability to focus on the singular task at hand, but he's also a darn good motivator. The NFL very clearly picked a fight with the Patriots, lasting through the spring and summer. It might not be the worst thing in the world for him to remind his team of that every so often. The Patriots have fought it tooth and nail, but wouldn't the sweetest revenge  be to have Goodell hand the Patriots yet another Lombardi Trophy in February in front of the entire world?

Maybe the Patriots' 2015 motto should be "Embrace the noise."

Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images