When the New England Patriots hosted the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, a brutal snowstorm at Gillette Stadium worked exactly in New England’s favor. The freezing, slippery conditions in Foxborough made things difficult for the Texans, and the Patriots took full advantage, cruising to a 28–16 win. After the game, Patriots owner Robert Kraft mentioned that this advantage wasn’t accidental. In fact, he revealed that the idea goes all the way back to 1994 and was inspired by their divisional rivals, the Buffalo Bills.

“When I bought the team [Patriots], and I realized Buffalo had gone to four straight Super Bowls the year before we bought, it made me realize that I never wanted to have a dome,” Kraft said in an interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “They won games because the players don’t like coming up into a cold place like that.

“How many of these indoor teams in the playoffs want to come here and play outdoors? So, we’re going to look with a salary cap, you’ve got to get every competitive advantage you can.”

Back in 1994, Buffalo played at Rich Stadium in some of the harshest winter conditions in the league. January 15, 1994, went down as one of the coldest games in the NFL’s history. The kickoff temperature was zero degrees, but the Bills defeated the Los Angeles Raiders, 17-13.

Time and again, they took advantage of the weather, and that’s something Kraft has learned from. 

So, while 11 NFL franchises play in domed stadiums today, the Patriots will likely not follow them.

Kraft also highlighted Tom Brady’s 0-3 playoff record in road games against Denver to underline the value of home-field advantage. In the Broncos’ case, the Empower Field at Mile High sits at a high altitude, which is a factor that has long worked in Denver’s favor.

“Tommy lost three games up there. Think about that,” Kraft stated.

The Patriots have a similar advantage at Gillette Stadium. For instance, the Texans quarterback CJ Stroud threw as many as four interceptions in just the first half. The team also couldn’t get its run game moving.

The Wild Card game against the Chargers and the Divisional Playoff contest were both at Gillette Stadium. However, their next game is against the Broncos at the Empower Field at Mile High, where Denver will have the advantage.

The harsh weather is part of the Patriots’ identity

Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994 for $172 million. From the start, New England’s identity has been cold, tough, and uncomfortable for visitors.

Following the demolition of their old home, Gillette Stadium opened in 2002 and emerged as one of New England’s major outdoor sports venues. Instead of chasing a perfect, climate-controlled environment, Kraft again chose something more practical: discomfort for opponents. It’s now a part of who they are.

Put simply, when brutal conditions set in, the Patriots tend to thrive. No wonder head coach Mike Vrabel was happy when it began to snow during the contest against the Texans.

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“The snowfall at the end of the game, that was really, really special,” he said after the game. “Just the environment, just the electricity, just the fans, everybody into it the whole game, giving us a true home-field advantage.”

That also means he knows that going against Denver in their upcoming Conference Championship will be a tough nut to crack. So, on Monday, when the media asked the coach about what tricks he had up his sleeve for his team to maintain physical conditioning, Vrabel was straightforward.

“No tricks,” Vrabel said.

For him, everything will depend on playing well and going in prepared. But while Vrabel focuses on the present, Kraft is already thinking about the future of the team.

What are Robert Kraft’s plans for Gillette Stadium?

After nearly 50 years, Buffalo is saying goodbye to the old Highmark Stadium that influenced Robert Kraft to make an important business decision.

Just like before, the Bills are keeping the stadium open to the elements. But they are also adding modern comforts: a heated field, a canopy to block snow from most seats, climate-controlled warmup areas, and improved concourses. But Kraft also has similar plans for the Gillette Stadium.

“We want to keep it upgraded, as a family, we will look at this like our home,” Robert Kraft said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “We do the maintenance, so it’s not some government entity running it. I’m pretty proud of this stadium compared to other publicly financed stadiums. And please God, we have a lot of great playoff games here in the future.”

The Patriots own the best home playoff record in NFL history among teams with at least 15 games: an incredible 24-5. So, Kraft wants more playoff games for the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. For this season, though, New England is done having any home-game advantage.