I walked down to the field in row 1 before the game and noticed that row 1 isn't as close to the field as you would think. There is a lot of wasted space on the sidelines. We were in row 11. The view is still great. There is no going wrong with these seats unless you dislike sitting with a lot of people in your row. If you get stuck in the middle, you will hate the hassle of moving thru crowds of people to get in and out of your row. And Patriots games are packed. Always.

The concourses are all covered so you can easily escape the wintery conditions if need be. Although I think toughing out the weather is part of the experience and Patriots fans embrace it.