It’s cold comfort at home
This season, no big advantage playing in own stadium
narrowly outscored 6,353-6,339, a mere third quarter to warn the defensive backs of two-touchdown gap. the route he might deliver the ball to.
In 2019, though the visitors managed an “We should’ve run a slant. I almost anomaly of a plus-36 scoring margin, home changed the play, but I didn’t because they teams still went 132-123-1 for a .518 winning were yelling it,” Roethlisberger said. percentage. In 2018, according to SporInstead, he threw deep to Diontae Johntradar, the advantage for the hosts was far son for a 39-yard touchdown that cut the For the eight NFL teams guaranteed to more clear: a .602 winning percentage and lead to 10 points and ignited the comeback host at least one game in the playoffs this a 564-point edge. for a 28-24 victory. month, the comfort of familiar surroundOver the previous 10 years, home teams “There are absolutely times in games ings sure can’t hurt their quest to reach the collected 342 more wins than the visitors where you hear a defender say, ‘Hey, watch Super Bowl. and scored an average of an additional 2.19 this,’ and you’re like, ‘Man, that’s what we
Staying in the same time zone and avoidpoints per game. Over the 50 seasons prior called.’ Some of that is dumb luck. Some of ing airplanes and hotels ought to help playto this unprecedented 2020 scene of largely that is maybe tendencies. We can hear stuff ers stay fresh. For the far-north teams, empty stadiums, the home team winning that they talk about,” Roethlisberger said. namely the Packers and Bills, the cold, wind percentage was .575. “It is one of the most unique years when it and potential snow could provide a timely The difference was immediately noticecomes to strategy, when it comes to trying to boost against an opponent from a warmable. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers trick people. Sometimes you even are trying er-weather city. was able to lure Vikings linebacker Anthony to do dummy signals and saying dummy
Make no mistake, though: The home-field Barr offside on third-and-5 late in the third things just to make things happen or to trick advantage that has long been part of the quarter of the opener in Minneapolis, which other teams.” story of professional football all but vanished had enjoyed one of the NFL’s most daunting The Vikings lost 33-27 at home to the during the year of the virus. Largely empty environments for visiting teams. Bears on Dec. 20, a defeat that ultimately stadiums cut off crowd noise as an energy The no-risk throw by Rodgers after the gave the final wild card spot in the NFC to source and strategic asset. yellow flag flew went for a 39-yard complethe Bears. The Vikings had played the week
“It doesn’t feel any different playing tion to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to set up before against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, at home or playing away right now,: said a score and put the game away. The Vikings, one of the few stadiums where state COVIDSeahawks coach Pete Carroll, whose team after matching the best home record in the 19 rules allowed crowds of up to 25% capacnormallyity.hasalegupasmuchasanyhostNFCovertheirfirstfouryearsatU.S.Bank with the partial roof cantilevered over the Stadium, went 3-5 there in 2020. Their Hundreds of Vikings fans made the trip seats that helps amplify the noise at what is young and struggling defense had no help south to attend that game, and though the now called Lumen Field. “It’s just evened from a crowd on those critical third downs, support didn’t lead to a victory, their preseverything out.” making Sunday afternoons that much easier ence in purple jerseys was a welcome sight
With the win on Sunday night over an for the opposing offense. to the team near the end of this draining and Eagles team offering little resistance, WashEven in road games, the defense was frustrating season. ington took the NFC East title. The victory more exposed in the highest-scoring regu“You don’t realize how much the fans are was dually decisive, giving visitors a colleclar season in NFL history. In Pittsburgh on important to you until they’re gone,” running tive 128-127-1 record for the 2020 regular Dec. 27, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethback Dalvin Cook said. “I think that’s with season — the first winning mark since the lisberger heard the Colts shouting, “Slant, a lot of stuff in life, but us on the field, we AFL-NFLmerger in 1970. Road teams were slant, slant!” before a first-down snap in the notice it. We miss the fans so much.”