Home Field Advantage in NFL Remains a Big-Time Mystery

One is an accident. Two is a trend. Three is a problem. Those words have been uttered by the legendary Chris Berman when it comes to certain trends in sports. And no doubt what has been going on when it comes to the NFL and many teams’ inability to hold serve in their own building warrants such attention.

Home field advantage is something all 32 teams look to play for when the season begins. Hosting a playoff game and capturing the top seed in the conference is certainly what every club strives for.

But 2020 saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win three road postseason games and then capture Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium. A year ago, the NFL dealt with an empty stadium and/or limited attendance. Without those voices, there was certainly a ripple effect. In 2020, home teams combined for a dismal 127-128-1 regular-season mark.

Of course, there were those certainly not shocked by that number. A year earlier and with business as usual, home clubs were just nine games over .500 with a 132-123-1 record. That 2019 season saw road team own a .482 winning percentage was the highest in the NFL since way back in 1972. Of course, those were different times and an NFL with just 26 franchises.

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So fast forward to this season. There’s still one week to go but there have been 256 games played in the regular season to date. And amazingly, just as was the case in 2019, home-field advantage has added up to a combined 132-123-1 mark. That’s with fans attending the games.

So for the third consecutive year, playing in your own ballpark hasn’t meant as much as in season’s past. This season, only the Green Bay Packers managed to win every one of their home games (8-0). Perhaps even more noteworthy is the fact that prior to Week 16, the combined home records around the league added up to a disappointing 111-112-1.

So what can be expected on this final weekend of NFL 2021? And what about the upcoming postseason? It’s safe to say that this surprising trend is no longer a one-year wonder.