Don't Crown 'Em Yet...

Everyone’s been buzzing about the importance of home field advantage all through week one.  It’s easy to see why, especially considering the beat down the Packers just got in Seattle. 

But is playing at home really all it’s cracked up to be?

Interestingly enough, the Seahawks didn’t originally plan to emphasize crowd noise in the stadium.  The owner’s original intention was to create an atmosphere similar to the University Of Washington, with cantilevered decks and a partial roof covering.  It also just happens that the hard surfaces don’t absorb any of the sounds inside of Century Link field, and instead project the booming voice of the 12th man at insane levels. 

But in spite of the deafening noise and insane fans, the Hawks barely made it past New Orleans in the divisional playoff, beating them by a meager eight points.  It’s also worth noting that in spite of home field advantage and multiple turn overs in the fourth quarter by the 49ers, the Seahawks scraped by the NFC championship by a meager six points.  Granted, they destroyed the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 48, but that wasn’t in Seattle.

Think back to past several postseasons – each one has seen a heavily favored home team go down.  Most memorable ones were the #1 seeded Patriots in 2010, #1 Packers in 2011 and #1 Broncos in 2012.  All three teams had an extra week of rest under their belts and played at home. 

The other similarity?  They all got the snot beaten out of them at the hands of “lesser” opponents.

Although it’s hard to argue that being at home is clearly an advantage in some way, the advantage is being greatly exaggerated.  It’s really just another tool teams use to engage fans better, which obviously helps them increase revenue.  The key advantage that home teams have is being favored by referees.

Remember – before the Seahawks won Super Bowl 48, no top seeded team had won since the Saints.  It doesn’t matter if you get home field advantage, what matters is that you get hot at the right time and play your best when it matters the most.

So before you go ahead and crown the Seahawks as champs already after week 1, remember that the 15-1 Green Bay Packers weren’t good enough to make a return trip to the Super Bowl.  In fact, no Super Bowl champ has won a playoff game since the 2004 Patriots.

What do you think?  Are the Seahawks already a lock to win it all this year?  Or will someone be able to conquer the Hawks at home next January?