Clearly, the stakes were higher, which created more intensity. The noise was at another level, and the mock cheers for Tim Tebow dominated the crowd at times.
The Patriots noticed, too.
"You could see how loud the fans were Saturday night," safety James Ihedigbo said. "They were rocking. The building was great, and we thrived off that energy. Playing here at home, it's going to be unbelievable. It's going to be a great atmosphere. [I'm] already excited about it."
Ihedigbo also said it was "definitely by far" the loudest he's ever heard Gillette, but he's hoping for even more Sunday against the Ravens.
"It was loud," Ihedigbo said. "We were making checks defensively, and we had to double check with each other because it was loud. We're just looking for that and more come game day."
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