How important is the #1 seed, and why?

[fightingirish595]

Um, I think I am wrong here. I ran this on pro football reference, but KC definitely has played home playoff games, 6 of them since 1980 in fact.
Have to recheck my report.

Yeah And I know manning destroyed the chiefs one year. Might of had a perfect qb rating. I just wasn't able to remember if that was in KC or Indy.

 

[bbobbo]

Every year it is for a team that is somethkng like 15-3 at home in the postseason under BB.

and the flip side, they are 3-4 on the road in the postseason under BB (not counting super bowls).

 

[Ring 6]

I'm starting to think every team has hosted a home playoff game since 1980 lol. What were the other 2 teams

Yes, in fact they all have. Somehow my PFR report eliminated KC, Houston and Tennessee because it was using point differential greater than 0.
So to amend my comments, who are the only team with a losing records in home playoff games since 1980.

KC is 2-4

 

[MitchKumstein]

Wrong
Wrong
Wrong

I knew that the Jets was wrong, because the Pats beat them in Jersey in the '85 playoffs on their way to their first ever Super Bowl appearance

 

[The Brandon Five]

You got the hardest one, KC. The divisional round will be their first home playoff game since the Christmas 1971 2 OT loss to Miami. One of the first games I remember.

Jets and Raiders are wrong.

I don't think that is correct.

Chiefs hosted the Ravens for the Wild Card game in 2011 (after 2010 season):
2010 Wild Card Round: Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs - NFL Playoffs

 

[Ring 6]

I don't think that is correct.

Chiefs hosted the Ravens for the Wild Card game in 2011 (after 2010 season):
2010 Wild Card Round: Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs - NFL Playoffs

yes, see my later comments. there was an error in the report I used.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

It's important, especially this year. It's the differnece between getting houston/oakland/miami in the divisional instead of Pitt.

 

[IndianPat]

The No:1 seed always gets to meet the lowest seeded left in the playoffs. Plus playing at home field. These two factors raise the odds significantly, other factors being equal.

 

[PatsDeb]

Week off to start the festivities.
No travel.
Home crowd and familiar surroundings where you almost always play very well.
PatsDeb gets to go to the game

#1 Seed is a very big advantage.

 

[RecoveringCowboy]

The possible downside of being the #1 or #2 seed is skipping the Wildcard Round and losing rhythm. Specifically the Colts had a chance to be 16-0 and lost their last two regular season games, then lost in the Divisional Round. Of course, we are not the Colts, but it does raise issues such as how you play the last few games if you have the #1 spot clinched. Do you protect starters from injury?

 

[Gumby]

#1 advantages: (and the percent importance)

1. BYE week. (40% [30% If team healthy at wk17])

2. Home games (30 [40]%)

3. Play vs no better than 4 seed in div round (4-6 possible) (20%)

4. the AFCCG opponent most likely had to play the 2-3 seed, but no lower than 4 seed (10%)

That last one is more important this year. Squeelers and Chefs can beat the heck out of each other. Above %s are my default thoughts.

 

[fightingirish595]

What year was that? And they probably rested players

 

[ivanvamp]

The current playoff format was adopted in 1990. So since then (not counting 2016, obviously), here's the seeding (regardless of conference affiliation) of the eventual Super Bowl winner (26 seasons):

1 seed: 11 (42.3%)
2 seed: 7 (26.9%)
3 seed: 1 (3.8%)
4 seed: 4 (15.4%)
5 seed: 1 (3.8%)
6 seed: 2 (7.7%)

So the #1 seed clearly has the advantage over every other seed, for reasons many people here have cited. Getting a bye in the first round has led to 18 of 26 eventual SB winners (69.2%).

That's pretty remarkable, but understandable. You *can* win it as a lower-four seed (8 out of 26, or 30.8%, which is close enough to 1/3 for our purposes), but it's a huge advantage, obviously, to get a bye and even to have that top seed.

 

[TennisBallHead]

15-3 at home
3-4 on road

I'd say it's important.

 

[pctronics0072]

The current playoff format was adopted in 1990. So since then (not counting 2016, obviously), here's the seeding (regardless of conference affiliation) of the eventual Super Bowl winner (26 seasons):

1 seed: 11 (42.3%)
2 seed: 7 (26.9%)
3 seed: 1 (3.8%)
4 seed: 4 (15.4%)
5 seed: 1 (3.8%)
6 seed: 2 (7.7%)

So the #1 seed clearly has the advantage over every other seed, for reasons many people here have cited. Getting a bye in the first round has led to 18 of 26 eventual SB winners (69.2%).

That's pretty remarkable, but understandable. You *can* win it as a lower-four seed (8 out of 26, or 30.8%, which is close enough to 1/3 for our purposes), but it's a huge advantage, obviously, to get a bye and even to have that top seed.

Isn't it usually the better the team, the higher the seed. Therefore, not really surprising that the higher the seed, the more likely to win the an. Obviously, the 3rd and 4th seed can sometimes be inferior to the 5th and 6th seed so there is that too.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

The only legit threats are the #2 and #3 teams, so #1 is ideal in that we are sure that we will only face one of them. It's not exactly an extra bye, but it's halfway to it. It's huge this year.

 

[fightingirish595]

The Patriots could've played all there playoff games on the road in the early 2000s and I'm still convinced they would've won every one of them.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

You got the hardest one, KC. The divisional round will be their first home playoff game since the Christmas 1971 2 OT loss to Miami. One of the first games I remember.

Jets and Raiders are wrong.

You totally lost me, Andy. Chiefs have had several home playoff games which I watched...

But that Christmas day game was unforgettable...

 

[deroc5050]

the home game is huge, we have the cold-weather advantage, the noise can possibly cause a false start, being comfortable (Brady's record at home is incredible). I think it's a big advantage

The HOME games and the BYE is huge.

 

[deroc5050]

Yeah And I know manning destroyed the chiefs one year. Might of had a perfect qb rating. I just wasn't able to remember if that was in KC or Indy.

Trent Green and the KC chiefs high powered offense in 2003. They went 13-3 for the #2 seed behind the Pats. Indy went to KC and beat them 38-31 neither defense showed and it was a fun game to watch.