View topic - Would A 5th/6th Seed Be That Bad?

[Steelers76 Profile]

I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of Steelers fans would prefer a 1 or 2 seed and a first round bye to The Div. Round at home. However, I don't think securing a 5th or 6th Seed would be that bad. First, going back to the previous 4 AFC Postseasons, a 5th or 6th Seed has beaten a 3rd or 4th seed, including 2 straight AFC Postseasons of both The 5th and 6th seed winning and advancing. 2.) If The Steelers get a 5th/6th seed, they would be,(more than likely), going on the road to play Houston, or Denver/Oakland. I like either match-up for various reasons. 3.) The Steelers in 2005, along with The N.Y. Giants of 2007, and last season's Packers didn't play a game at home in the post-season, yet went on to win it all. That's 3 of the last 6 Superbowl Champions. Add in the fact that dating back to The 1994 Season, only 1 SB was ever a match-up between both Conferences No.1 Seeds,(Indy vs N.O. in 2009), and I would wager that playing at home in the playoffs is more of a liability than an asset. Besides, I think more often than not it takes the pressure off the road team, as "they aren't supposed to win", so they can just relax and play their game. But that's me. What say you? Discuss....

[isfry Profile]

While I'm not sure the sample size is big enough to confirm that "playing at home in the playoffs is more of a liability than an asset," I do think homefield advantage is a little over-rated. That having been said, especially in light of Ben's and Pouncey's bruises after the Brownies game, a bye week sounds appealing to me if only for the ability to nurse our wounds and get a little healthy. Also, while that first round may not be that much of a chore (on the road at Houston, Denver, or Oakland) I certainly would rather play New England or Baltimore in Pittsburgh, should we even get that far.

[isfry Profile]

I guess I wanted to elaborate on my point about "sample size", so I did a little research. Just looking at the AFC title games since 1970 (year of the merger) home teams were 28-13 . Despite the recent wild card successes (The Stillers' included) that, to me, seems to indicate that having the home field is at least not a liability. To be sure, many other factors go into those stats, such as, if you have the home field advantage in the title game, you likely had the best record in the reg season, which may indicate you are just the better team, and that's why you won, not because of where the game was held. Nonetheless, I would rather see the Stillers win out, watch the Mavens hiccup once, and get a week off and some home games in the playoffs.