FOXBOROUGH – Much is made about the Denver Broncos home field advantage playing in the altitude at Empower Field.
The Patriots will be traveling Saturday ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship game.
Historically, the Patriots have never won a playoff game in Denver. They’re 0-4.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said the team would do it’s best to acclimate once they get there.
“I think just physiologically you have to be at altitude for longer than a day or two or three. It takes time to do that,” he said during his Monday press conference. “So, we’ll do what we’ve always done. We’ll travel, be in condition and be ready to play. That’s kind of about what it is.”
Linebacker Christian Elliss, however, isn’t concerned with history, or the altitude. He didn’t think it would be a problem.
He said he finished up his final two years in high school there.
“I’m used to it,” Elliss said. “It’s definitely a change. You gotta prepare for it. You gotta mentally prepare for it. But it’s not anything you have to shy away from.
“It’s just like playing when you go to lower elevation Miami, and it’s 90 degrees and extremely humid. It’s just a different feel and different environment. You just have to prepare for it mentally. We’ll be fine.”
The Patriots advanced to the AFC title game by beating the Houston Texans, 28-16, in Foxborough on Sunday.
