Darrelle Revis couldn’t fully describe what makes Gillette Stadium such a difficult setting for opposing teams, and the New England Patriots cornerback isn’t alone at his loss for an explanation.
The Patriots certainly don’t have the loudest fans, and they play on the latest artificial turf, so field surface has nothing to do with New England’s sustained success, yet they own a 97-18 record at Gillette Stadium since it opened in 2002.
“It goes way long before me,” Revis said after the Patriots’ 43-21 win over the Denver Broncos. “Even in my past, when I was on the opposite side, it’s always tough to play here. I don’t know what it is. It’s just very tough to play here.
“It’s to our advantage, it’s definitely to our advantage, and we’re going to keep using that, using the 12th man, using the crowd. It’s just static, man. I don’t even know. It could be like, Michael Jackson performing or something, and it’s electric when you play at this stadium every Sunday.”
The Patriots haven’t exactly been bad on the road either, carrying a 70-35 record since 2002, but their dominance at Gillette is why home-field advantage is so important come January during the playoffs. The Patriots’ victory over the Broncos makes them the front-runners for home-field advantage in the AFC if they can continue to match or better Denver’s win-loss record at the end of the season.
