The New England Patriots aren’t biting. With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line and the AFC Championship Game looming, they’re keeping the focus where it matters - between the lines, not on the mic.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been a little fuel tossed toward the fire. On Wednesday, Broncos head coach Sean Payton stirred the pot ever so slightly during a rallying message to Denver fans. “You’re going to have plenty of rest after this one - two weeks,” Payton said, referencing the traditional Super Bowl bye week and implying, not so subtly, that it’s his team - not New England - that’ll be playing for the Lombardi Trophy.
Classic bulletin-board material, right? Maybe. But in Foxborough, the Patriots aren’t taking the bait.
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, when asked about Payton’s comment, didn’t flinch. “No, I haven’t seen it,” he said.
“I mean, you can rest in Cancún, too, at the end of the day.” A little jab, sure - but delivered with a grin.
This isn’t trash talk; it’s the kind of light-hearted back-and-forth that tends to surface when the stakes are this high and the spotlight this bright.
Head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear: the Patriots don’t need extra motivation. Not now.
“I think we’re plenty motivated for the game,” Vrabel said Thursday. “I think that our players are continuing to build confidence through the week. So, I’m really excited to go out there and play.”
This is Vrabel’s wheelhouse - a playoff environment, a team building momentum, and a group that’s locked in on execution. For all the noise, the Patriots are staying grounded in preparation.
Payton, to his credit, didn’t double down on the bravado. In fact, he pivoted quickly to praise New England’s offensive structure, particularly the influence of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
“This is a team, at the line of scrimmage, that does a lot there,” Payton said. “Josh is fantastic at putting together good plans offensively. There’s alerts, there’s kills, there’s all that.”
He also had a message for Broncos fans: bring the energy - and bring it at the right time.
“Look, let’s go,” Payton said. “I keep emphasizing: just as the huddle begins until the ball is snapped.”
It’s a nod to the chess match that’s coming Sunday afternoon. The Patriots’ offense thrives on pre-snap adjustments, and Denver’s crowd noise could be a factor - if it’s timed right. Payton knows that disrupting New England’s rhythm at the line could be one of the few edges available in a game where both sides are so evenly matched.
This will be the sixth time these two franchises meet in the postseason, and history tells us to expect fireworks. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Denver’s Mile High Stadium, where the air is thin, the stakes are massive, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
No shouting matches. No bulletin-board wars. Just two teams with Super Bowl dreams, ready to settle it the old-fashioned way - on the field.