Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Patriots ready to embrace 'tremendous atmosphere' in Pittsburgh

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the New England Patriots travel to Pittsburgh on Sunday in a highly anticipated showdown of the AFC teams with the best records, it will mark the eighth time the franchise has visited Heinz Field during Bill Belichick’s coaching tenure.

So there’s a familiarity with what the environment will be like, and like Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, the Patriots are embracing it.

“It will be a tremendous atmosphere. If you like football, that will be the place to be Sunday," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Tuesday in his weekly conference call with reporters.

The atmosphere is compounded by the talented team they will be opposing.

“We have a huge challenge in front of us this week. Going into Pittsburgh and having an opportunity to play in that environment is difficult with their crowd and fans, which come out in droves to support them,” defensive coordinator Matt Patricia said. “It’s everything you want a football environment to be. We always say if you love football, you love those environments.”

The Patriots have often thrived in them under Belichick (2000-present), posting a 5-2 record at Heinz Field (including playoffs).

But Belichick regularly points out that past games have little, if anything to do, with upcoming contests on the schedule. He most recently said it Monday after the team’s 27-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins when asked about the team’s losing record in games played in South Florida.

He'll probably say it again Wednesday.

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