Playing at home throughout the playoffs before the Super Bowl is never a bad thing. But how bad would it be for the 2025 Patriots, who have managed an away schedule record any NFL team would envy, to play away? The Patriots have posted a 6-0 away record this season, including wins over the Bills, Bucs, and Bengals.
This is a prodigious achievement that can't be overestimated. Yet, Denver is, as is usually acknowledged, a different atmosphere altogether. Should the Patriots have to play the Broncos in Denver, the dynamics change. And here's where that first seed comes into play if both the Patriots and Broncos get that far.