Patriots and Broncos fans prepare to watch game from 'enemy territory'
(WJAR) — Patriots and Broncos fans everywhere are getting ready for Sunday's AFC Championship game in Denver.
For two lifelong fans, they'll be watching the game; it will just be under "enemy" lines.
"We're in enemy territory like pretty hard," Alex Raymond, a lifelong Patriots fan from Worcester who now lives in Denver, said.
On the flipside is Jess Place, a Broncos fan who moved to New Hampshire 10 years ago.
They're two fans invested in a rivalry that goes back to the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, but the Patriots have never won a playoff game at Mile High Stadium.
For both Raymond and Place, it is still fresh on their minds.
"At the peak during the Brady, Payton era, thought that we had a pretty solid rivalry, I do not agree, but we have lost here quite a few times," Raymond said.
As for Place, he sees the lackluster history the Patriots have against backup quarterbacks in the playoffs.
"The Patriots have a history losing to backup quarterbacks, so I like our chances," he said.
Although they may be in opposite cities rooting for the other team, the respect is not lost.
"Just like you know Pats fans for people traveling to Foxborough, I mean it's not the most hospitable place to be, you know," Raymond added.
Place has enjoyed his time living in New England, it's just the teams the region cheers for that he disagrees with.
"New England is a great place to live, they just root for the wrong sports teams. It's like everything is fine and then we just hit that one thing and its just like they are rock solid on their teams, and I'm still rock solid on my teams," he said.
Fans all over the country will put their feet up on the couch or head to a bar to watch Sunday's AFC Championship Game, Raymond says he will head to his normal spot in Denver, while Place says he "will be hiding under my bed avoiding just about everybody and everything, just because it's all about the Denver Broncos and their road to the Super Bowl."
In order for the Patriots to get to Super Bowl 60, they'll have to rewrite team history of losing three AFC title games at Mile High, the most recent being 2016.
