First it was the weather. Now, it seems the theme of AFC Championship Week is the perception – real or otherwise – that New England is an underdog to the Kansas City Chiefs in this game.
A sarcastic ESPN blog post isn't buying it. Nor are the Chiefs, as the Kansas City Star reports. A Boston Globe columnist doesn't believe it, either.
Meanwhile, a writer for The Athletic website goes back to former Patriots players for advice on how this team can win a playoff game on the road.
A Boston Sports Journal analyst says there's a common weak link between last week's foe, the Chargers, and the Chiefs this week.
An NBC Sports Boston writer explains why fourth down will be a deciding feature of this game.
A MassLive blogger breaks down each position in a tale-of-the-tape analysis to arrive at a final score prediction for the AFC title tilt.
In The Providence Journal, you'll read about how the Patriots' defense learned from its mistakes in the Week 6 meeting with K.C.
The Boston Herald provides a nice feature on special teams maven Albert McClellan.
Finally, it looks as if Arrowhead Stadium's playing surface is undergoing a partial facelift, as you'll see on 98.5 The Sport Hub's website.