Agreed. I suspect the writer came across this factoid and decided it was worth writing into a story. It wasn't. Maybe he can dig up what teams we have played at exactly 34.3 degree weather, find out if we have struggled to win at this temperature and write "The Patriots face an unfamiliar test Monday night. While they have done well at 33.2 degrees and well at 35.6 degrees, they really have struggled at 34.3".
Fact, the Patriots almost always win in December. Fact, the sample is far too big for it to be because it's always an easy opponent. Fact, the Patriots have played more big games than almost every other team over the last 10 years. Fact, these big games have been played in all kinds of venues with all kinds of weather/conditions at all times of the day. Fact, this game is this game. Last week, last month or last year is irrelevant. The Patriots will win because they execute better or lose because they fail to (obviously how the Texans execute matters greatly too). And if the Patriots fail to execute it will almost certainly not be because this is a big game on national TV in the evening. Anyone who follows the Patriots should know the 'big game aura' is not what trips up the Patriots. Love him or hate him, BB always does a good job of keeping the team grounded and focused on the next task (unfortunately that doesn't always equal a good game plan or good execution or pulling out the win).