An examination of the statistical trends and impact of home-field advantage in the NFL playoffs, particularly in the wild-card round and beyond.
NFL teams compete all season to set up the seeding that decides who gets to host playoff games and who has to go on the road to advance. In essence, teams battle for 18 weeks to determine who earns the easiest path to the Super Bowl . And as another wild-card weekend of six games approaches, the fifth year of the expanded 14-team playoffs, it's a chance to look at the hard numbers and statistical trends.
Just how helpful is home-field advantage in the postseason? The simplest answer over the past three years is that, at least on the opening weekend of the playoffs, higher seeds playing on their home field have a considerable advantage, going 14-4 in wild-card games. Of the four opening-weekend upsets since the 2021 season, only one — the sixth-seeded 49ers in 2021 — has advanced beyond the divisional round. That isn't always the case, of course: In the previous three years, from 2018-20, nearly the opposite was true, with home teams going 4-10 in those wild-card rounds. The NFL's current playoff model rewards only the top team in each conference with a first-round bye — the Chiefs and Lions earned those honors this season — and in three of the four years in that model, both top seeds have advanced to play the conference championship on their home field. The exception was a chaotic 2021, when the top-seeded Titans and Packers both lost by a field goal in the divisional round, sending a 2 seed, two 4 seeds and a 6 seed to the conference championship games. Over the past four years, half of the No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Super Bowl, but only one — the 2022 Chiefs — has actually won, so there's an expectation of the unexpected. The last four Super Bowl champions included three teams not expected to make it past the divisional round based on seeding. Last year's Chiefs were a 3 seed, the 2021 Rams were a 4 seed, and the 2020 Bucs won as a 5 seed, winning three road games to get to the Super Bow
NFL Playoffs Home-Field Advantage Seeding Super Bowl
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Seahawks' Home-Field Advantage Wanes as Packers Fans Invade Lumen FieldThe Seattle Seahawks suffered a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers, with a concerning trend of diminishing home-field advantage at Lumen Field. The stadium was overrun by Packers fans, creating an unusual and unexpected atmosphere.
Read more »
No. 5 Texas earns home field advantage in first round after making College Football PlayoffsTexas coming off a stinging SEC title loss against Georgia, opens the playoffs at home with a showdown against Clemson on Dec. 21.
Read more »
Penn State Leverages Home-Field Advantage for Playoff Game Against SMUPenn State is preparing to capitalize on its home-field advantage as it hosts SMU in a College Football Playoff first-round game. The Nittany Lions are utilizing the energy of Beaver Stadium, a 'Playoff White Out' atmosphere, and challenging weather conditions to intimidate SMU.
Read more »
Saquon Barkley Emphasizes Importance of Home-Field Advantage for PlayoffsSaquon Barkley, having experienced both the wild card and divisional playoff scenarios, highlights the crucial advantage of securing a home game. He shares his insights based on his time with the New York Giants, emphasizing the impact of home-field advantage and the energy it brings.
Read more »
Did Ohio State football preserve home-field advantage, or was there a Tennessee takeover?Tennessee fans tried coordinating a takeover of Ohio Stadium for Saturday's College Football Playoff game. Did Ohio State stop it from happening?
Read more »
Eagles’ ‘overboard,’ undisciplined play cost them the game and maybe home-field advantageThe Eagles lost a starting defensive player in Sunday's 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders because of unsportsmanlike penalties.
Read more »