HOW'S THE AIR UP THERE?: The Patriots have faced plenty of obstacles on the road this season, and have managed to stay perfect, compiling an 8-0 record away from Gillette Stadium. But coach Mike Vrabel is aware that playing in Denver is a different environment, one that’s not easy to prepare for. Christopher Price looks at the challenges playing at altitude presents.
DIVISIONAL-ROUND TAKEAWAYS: Ben Volin was stunned the Bills fired Sean McDermott, which is where he begins his review of the NFL divisional round playoff games.
SNAP JUDGMENTS: Edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, who played a season-high 53 snaps against the Texans, continued to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks, finishing with a sack and four quarterback hits. Nicole Yang breaks down the snap counts from Sunday's game.
A KNOWN UNKNOWN: Jarrett Stidham has not thrown a pass in an NFL regular-season game since the end of the 2023 season, but the Patriots have plenty of familiarity with his game. Khari Thompson has more in the notebook.
NOT THE FIRST: According to Sportradar, Stidham will be the seventh quarterback since starts began being tracked in 1950 to start a playoff game in a season when he didn’t start in the regular season. Here's a look at how the others fared.
MONDAYS WITH MIKE: Vrabel made his usual media rounds on Monday, appearing on WEEI for his weekly morning interview before meeting with the media. Hayden Bird and Amin Touri have the recap.
COACHING CAROUSEL: While the Bills moved on from McDermott, that was not the only news in the coaching ranks. The Titans agreed to hire Robert Saleh as their coach on Monday night, while former Boston College coach Jeff Hafley
agreed to terms with the Dolphins as their next head coach.
TUNE IN: The Bills are in the hunt for a new head coach, but was this the right move by Buffalo? Ben Volin and Tara Sullivan discuss on this week's Boston Globe Sports Report.
Boston Globe Sports Report airs every Monday at 5:30 p.m. on NESN and can also be viewed on the Globe’s website, YouTube channel, and other social media platforms.
SCHOOL IS COOL: Sign up for Varsity News, the Globe's weekly newsletter for everything high school sports.
See more Patriots stories here. | 
