The New England Patriots arrived to Colorado for the AFC Championship Game with less than 24 hours before kickoff against the Denver Broncos. They are taking the “get in, get out” approach to the altitude.
It has a serious impact on energy and psyche.
NFL teams take two different approaches to the elevation at Mile High Stadium. Players cannot ignore how it effects their body!
The New England Patriots struggle to beat the Broncos in Denver.
These two teams have played each other 33 times in the Mile High City, dating back to 1960. Denver currently leads the all-time series 21-12, with 18 wins in the last 24 meetings.
There have been four postseason matchups between the Patriots and Broncos in Colorado. The home team won all four games, including two Divisional Round Matchups and two AFC Championships.
- 1986 AFC Divisional Round
- Broncos 22 — Patriots 17
- 2005 AFC Divisional Round
- Broncos 27 — Patriots 13
- 2013 AFC Championship
- Broncos 26 — Patriots 16
- 2015 AFC Championship
- Broncos 20 — Patriots 18
This upcoming conference championship game is yet another opportunity for New England to win on the road at Denver to punch its ticket to the Super Bowl. It will be much easier than expected with Jarrett Stidham starting in place of Bo Nix, but anything can happen on any given Sunday. We’ll see.
How does the altitude impact NFL players?
Foxboro, Massachussetts sits at only 285 feet of elevation. Denver, Colorado sits at 5,280 feet of elevation— which is why the stadium is named ‘Mile High’ Stadium. Altitude is a very real factor!
Adam Thielen spoke about his experience with the thin air. Even if it has less of an effect once the adrenaline starts pumping after kickoff, it can really psych you out during pregame.
There are two ways for NFL teams to approach the altitude. They can either get into Denver with more than enough time to acclimate, or they can arrive much closer to game day to (try and) minimize the impact. The Patriots went with the latter. New England’s team plane landed with 19 hours before kickoff.
This approach is the most common. Altitude sickness symptoms do not peak until 24-72 hours after arrival. Not only is it easier from a logistical standpoint, the players can avoid the worst physiological drop off and disruption to sleep routine by getting in as late as possible.
Will it help the New England Patriots to win their first-ever playoff game against the Broncos in Denver?