There was a clear need for the Patriots to prove they were on the right path to becoming a competitive team again this season, especially with a massively improved coaching staff and an upgraded roster, so they needed to win more than four games. They accomplished that and then some, tying for the league's best record at 14-3, yet they are still doubted as serious Super Bowl contenders.
Maybe that's chalked up to their inexperience as a whole, since a majority of the roster haven't even experienced a playoff game, or perhaps it all goes back to the annoying narrative that their easy schedule is why they were so successful this year.