Somewhere along the line, the theory that the Patriots aren’t going for it, and are content to do just enough to be a playoff contender, has picked up momentum. The chatter particularly seems to intensify at this time of year when NFL teams are handing out big-money contracts with free agency set to begin. There are two main issues with this line of thinking – the independent financial data doesn’t support it, and it overlooks the more pressing issue: It’s not that the Patriots aren’t spending money, it’s how they’re spending it.