On Thursday night, it was the headsets.

It didn’t matter that the Patriots beat the Steelers by a touchdown at home, with Tom Brady — a guy who’s in the discussion for best quarterback ever — playing probably the greatest season opener of his career. It didn’t matter that on multiple plays the Steelers appeared to forget to cover Rob Gronkowski, the number-one tight end in football, who scored three touchdowns.

It was the headsets.

Right.

On Thursday night, for periods of much of the first half, the Steelers coaches were unable to communicate over their headsets because of interference from the Patriots’ radio broadcast. After the game, the NFL explained that they provide the headsets to both teams, and the issue was one that affected both teams due to the rainy conditions and the set-up at Gillette Stadium.

It didn’t matter. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, miffed, said that his coaches’ radios never work against the Patriots. “That’s always the case. Yes. I said what I said,” Tomlin said.

The Steelers website was even more explicit in their accusations.

And here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter that the Patriots also complained of the same issues — Belichick said he had to switch microphones multiple times and they were going to switch out Tom Brady’s helmet at one point. It doesn’t matter that the NFL issued a statement that they handled both teams’ headsets and the Patriots did nothing wrong.

Everyone thinks the Patriots cheated. And the Patriots only have themselves to blame.

That’s what you get when, in the words of Charlie Murphy, you’re a habitual line stepper. Was letting a little air out of a football a big deal? I’d argue no. Was filming opposing teams’ signals a big deal, even when those teams are making those signals in front of 80,000 people? Meh. You could make a case, but not really.

Was it a big deal to go into an opponents’ locker room, as an ESPN report alleges, and see if they could grab any play sheets the other team had left around? Well, actually, yeah that one is a big deal.

Is having the other team’s headsets repeatedly cut out a big deal, even if it’s happening to both teams? According to the NFL, no.

But here’s the thing, when all those small to medium things add up, that constant flirting with the line, you get a reputation. Patriots fans can say all they want about jealousy and the other teams just wanting to take down the king, and there probably is a little bit of that. But come on.

The Patriots earned this. They stepped over the line so many times that their credibility is gone. People will always think they’re cheating now, no matter what. Until Bill Belichick and Brady are gone, or until the Patriots lose 10 games a season and no one cares about them, people will think the Patriots are cheating.

This drives Patriots fans insane. They get indignant and come up with wild conspiracy theories. But they should probably just adopt the attitude of Belichick on this one. Just own it. People will always think you’re a cheater, so stop caring what people think.

Throw on those cargo shorts, smile at the press, and get on with it. What else can you do?