How important is the #1 seed, and why?

[CelticPatriot]

A potential benefit of it/having an easier Divisional game is being able to save some stuff from later on. It didn't matter in the end but I'm sure they would've loved have saved the Edelman pass and the dodgy formations v Balitmore for a later game

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

A potential benefit of it/having an easier Divisional game is being able to save some stuff from later on. It didn't matter in the end but I'm sure they would've loved have saved the Edelman pass and the dodgy formations v Balitmore for a later game

You never know exactly when you'll need to use stuff like that...but they sure chose the right day and game to pull it out; and they executed it perfectly. They were ready.

 

[meatface]

Wait I was just thinking didn't kc play Baltimore at home in the playoffs one year?

yup, the Matt Cassel led Chiefs got riggity riggity wrecked 30-7 in arrowhead

 

[meatface]

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?

In the Brady era the Pats have only been eliminated after a first roundbye one time and that was in 2010 to the jets. In fact the year before was the only other time they were one and done in the playoffs when Baltimore crushed them at home; I also remember that the 2010 loss started a whole thing in the media where they were pointing out the pats were 0-3 in the playoffs since the the AFC championship game in the 07 season.

 

[The Gr8est]

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.

I'm surprised it took that long for someone to point out the week off.

You get an extra week to heal and only need to win two games to get to the Superbowl.

 

[Pats1989]

Ill be blunt: Our stadium is quiet..very quiet. Opposing players don't say: "My gosh those Patriots fans are rowdy". Its a morgue. The team is good at home because of BB and Goat. Comparing Gillette Stadium with Denver or KC is like comparing Kate Upton to Melissa McCarthy.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Ill be blunt: Our stadium is quiet..very quiet. Opposing players don't say: "My gosh those Patriots fans are rowdy". Its a morgue. The team is good at home because of BB and Goat. Comparing Gillette Stadium with Denver or KC is like comparing Kate Upton to Melissa McCarthy.

Somebody sneak a pin into the stadium next Saturday night, and then drop it when the other team has the ball...it might startle the quarterback and distract him

 

[Pats1989]

Somebody sneak a pin into the stadium next Saturday night, and then drop it when the other team has the ball...it might startle the quarterback and distract him

Exactly.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I'll take a shot:

Lions
Jets
Browns?

Definitely not the Jets. '85 Pats had to go to Oakland, Miami and JEts on way to Super Bowl IIRC
And Cleveland beat the Pats in Cleveland when BB coached them...plus they had the fumble which was in Cleveland as well....

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Since 1980 (picked because at some point in the 70s best record didn't = home field, as the 1972 Dolphins had to play a road playoff game)
Home teams in the playoffs are 226-103.
No NFL team has a losing home record in the playoffs since 1980. (5 are .500)
Only 3 teams have not had a home playoff game since 1980. Anyone want to guess who they are? One will shock you.

NE nope
NYJ nope they won the divison in 02'
Miami- nope they won in 08 so would have had a home game
Buf- Kell's teams did well
Pitt- nope Pats went in there a few times
Clev nope BB coached a home game
Cinn don't think so, they won division once recently
Balt - they won division and hence home game
Hou- home game last year as division champ...not that it did them any good
Indy- nope piped in noise
Tenn--nope year they went to Super Bowl and McNair had a few
Jax- nope they had success in their second year
Den nope- too many bad Pats memories there
SD- Didn't Troy Brown's strip happen there
KC- nope
Oak--2002 was a banner year for them...
-------------------
NFC
Wash- nope they won a few Super Bowls since 80 and didn't do it on the road
Dal- same argument
Philly- they hosted a few and I watched them blow Det out about 20 years ago at home
Giants-----nope They won a few super bowls so had to have a home game
Chi- 85 Bears 'nuf said
Minn---------------(my guess for one) EDIT no, they had 15-1 season w Culpepper
GB- nope Favre and Rodgers probably hosted them
Det----------------my guess for number one
Atl-- 15-1 a few years ago
N Orleans-- Brees has to have had a home game
Carolina- last year they hosted
Tampa- they hosted eagles a few times
Rams- great show on smurf hosted
SF- Montana....
Seattle- 12th man
Arizona---- I think they did host
-------------------------------------
In other words, I;m lost..with only 1 out of 3 possible...

 

[nabwong]

Here are the advantages I can think of.

1. No travel
2. Weather advantage
3. Players don't stay in hotel where some idiot can pull a fire alarm
3b. No tourist problems like staying out late or getting lost
4. We know our field
5. Crowd noise
6. Sometimes can get home call from refs
7. Will not have a chance to forget equipment

 

[Nunchucks]

Ill be blunt: Our stadium is quiet..very quiet. Opposing players don't say: "My gosh those Patriots fans are rowdy". Its a morgue. The team is good at home because of BB and Goat. Comparing Gillette Stadium with Denver or KC is like comparing Kate Upton to Melissa McCarthy.

It still is a home crowd, it may not be among the loudest, but it rocks. I've been to those games.

 

[zydecochris]

Being at home matters if the alternative is playing in Denver or Minnesota or Green Bay or Foxboro, where weather or altitude makes it hard for teams that aren't used to the conditions. When being at home means avoiding a four hour flight and a three hour time zone shift, that can help a team that has other stuff to solve.

Being on the road doesn't mean as much when you have a strong fan base in the opponent's city, if the weather if fair, if the team is resilient... stuff like that.

Last year, it came down to whether the Pats played at Denver, or Denver at Pats... the two teams were so closely matched that the influence of home field was material. This year, the Pats seem materially superior to most other teams in the AFC, and home field may not be a deciding factor. This year's team has gone undefeated on the road, seem experienced, focused, mentally tough, and have already slapped some decent teams around on their own fields-- Denver, Miami, Arizona.

I'm not sure that the #1 seed was as important to the team this year, since it's something this team could probably overcome. But still glad to have it, no doubt.

Your point about the weather was well said (said better than I did). Of course it is a no-brainer that having a Bye and playing at home for every game is a major advantage. I was trying to point out (as you did) that some stadiums have particularly difficult conditions for visiting teams, such as cold weather (Green Bay, Buffalo, or Foxboro) or thin air (Denver). Other stadiums are especially difficult for visiting teams because they are insanely loud, like Seattle, Kansas City, or Denver. Thus, the #1 seed is always important but it is especially beneficial if it keeps the Pats from visiting one of these stadiums that either is insanely loud or has some environmental advantage. In my opinion Denver has the biggest built in home stadium advantage in the NFL because it combines thin air with insanely loud fans, that is why it was especially unfortunate the Pats lost the #1 seed last year, I think they likely would have won at home.

 

[sambam94]

looking like mild weather on the 14th, and even warmer on the 22nd