"It feels like it has been a decade since Gillette Stadium was the place to be for a Patriots game, as the team has gone down a rapid decline since Tom Brady left nearly six years ago. Foxboro was once the place no team wanted to play, as the fans made it one of the best home-field advantage stadiums in the NFL, and fortunately, that has already proven true again this year."
"After back-to-back seasons ending with a 4-13 record, Mike Vrabel's efforts to bring the Patriots back to the playoffs immediately paid off, and fans wanted to ensure the team heard their excitement all season long, but especially in primetime. They made that apparent against the Chargers last week, setting the scene for what the Texans will be walking into, but their head coach, DeMeco Ryans, is already showing he's unfazed by what's to come,"
"It was almost like he was sending a challenge to Patriots fans to show up and be louder than they were last week, which could come back to bite the Texans hard if they do. Every place is difficult in the playoffs. This was a really cool environment (in Pittsburgh). I'm proud of our guys for focusing on what really matters and it's not the environment. It's about executing and playing good football."
Gillette Stadium has returned to a hostile, advantage-producing environment after the Patriots recovered from consecutive 4-13 seasons to reach the playoffs under Mike Vrabel. Fans amplified primetime excitement, notably against the Chargers, and appear poised to make Foxboro especially difficult for visiting teams. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans publicly downplayed the effect of adverse environments, emphasizing execution over atmosphere. Those remarks risk galvanizing Patriots fans to increase noise and pressure, which can cause opponent miscommunication, avoidable mistakes, and tangible disadvantages in a playoff setting.
Read at musketfire.com
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