Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Gronk on practicing in high altitude: 'You can feel it; I'm glad we're doing it'

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- When the effects of playing at altitude are brought up to players, most of them usually say it’s no big deal. It’s a mind-over-matter type of deal.

But New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski doesn’t fall into that category.

As the Patriots spend the week at the Air Force Academy (7,200 feet above sea level) in advance of Sunday’s game against the Raiders in Mexico City (7,503 feet above sea level), Gronkowski was asked Wednesday if the thin air has affected him.

“It has, for sure,” he said. “My skin feels a lot drier. A lot of people, their nose gets like super dry, mouth super dry. So just glad to be here and be able to prepare to what Mexico City will be. It’s good training. I’m glad we’re doing it.”

The Patriots’ decision to remain in Colorado following Sunday’s game against the Broncos was viewed as a smart one by Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens.

Meanwhile, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio is comfortable with his squad remaining in Oakland and departing for Mexico on Saturday, which is the same thing they did before last year’s game there against the Texans. But Del Rio is still wary of the altitude difference both teams will face.

“I think it’s real. There certainly are challenges when you travel to a place where altitude is involved. We’re both facing that challenge. It will be interesting to look back and take some after-action review from the two experiences we have,” he told Patriots reporter Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston on a conference call.  “Not that we’re going to share with each other, [but it’s] two contrasting approaches [and] we’ll see how it works out.”

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore believes the Patriots’ practices in Colorado will pay off on Sunday, saying, “At the end of the day, you still have to go out there and compete and make plays. ... You probably get tired a little faster, but you just push through it.”

After Wednesday’s Patriots practice at the Air Force Academy, Gronkowski said of the altitude, “You can feel it, for sure. It’s not like a huge difference, but you can feel it.”

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