Wes Welker has said that he is expecting a physical game against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game on Sunday.
The New England Patriots set up a re-match of last year's conference finale by beating the Houston Texans yesterday.
The Patriots wide receiver told reporters: "It's one step forward in the right direction. It's one thing done that we have taken care of and now we're moving onto the AFC Championship and [we'll] get ready for that.
"It's going to be a tough, physical football game. They're a really good team. They really battled in that game against Denver. So it's going to be a tough, physical game and we've got to get ready for it."
The Patriots made it to the Super Bowl last season after beating the Ravens in the AFC Championship game, but the Ravens recorded a single-point victory over New England during the regular season.