The Patriots visit the Colts Sunday night, meaning you’ll be bombarded with “Deflategate” coverage ad nauseum from now until then.

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The world seemed quick to dismiss New England’s latest "cheating" scandal, referring to a 45-7 playoff scoreline. Admittedly, it’s easy to dismiss any notion of wrongdoing when one team is so vehemently defeated.

But what if it was a four-point game?

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What if the details of “Deflategate” began to leak immediately following the Patriots’ 35-31 victory over the Ravens instead?

Perception is reality. There’s no denying the perception of “Deflategate” would’ve taken a drastic turn.

Relive the last five minutes of 2015’s Divisional Round. The Patriots scored the go-ahead TD -- through the air -- with 5:13 left. Joe Flacco responded with an INT in the endzone just four minutes later.

Knowing everything there is to know about “Deflategate,” would the world be ready to dismiss the impact of an underinflated ball following that sequence of events?

Especially when you consider New England’s reputation.

Not to mention, Tom Brady first revealed his preference for underinflated balls in 2011. There’s no telling if that trend continued to the 2015 AFC Championship game -- eliminating the Ravens in the process.

One scoreline forever changed the perception and the narrative of “Deflategate.” The Patriots were just fortunate it was the right one.

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