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Originally Posted by njcoltfan
I think that the #2 seed will host 2 playoff games, and that the Bills will be able to have about 6k fans at the games, could that be a reason to play hard?
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It certainly won't hurt, but I guess the question is: how important is home field advantage in 2020? Here are a couple articles I found on the subject, both of which suggest that there is no home field advantage this year:
Washington Post: There’s no such thing as home-field advantage in the NFL this season
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...antage-is-lie/
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From 2002, the year the league expanded to 32 franchises, to 2019, teams won nearly 57 percent of their home games. This year, that percentage is down significantly. Entering Week 10, teams have a 65-67-1 record at home, the lowest win rate over the past 19 seasons
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Sportico: NFL HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE DECLINES AS OTHER SPORTS HANG ON: DATA VIZ
https://www.sportico.com/leagues/foo...ge-1234617561/
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“This year, we’re probably only really concerned with the length of travel,” Roar Digital / BetMGM VP of Trading Jason Scott said. “If two local teams are playing, we’re not putting any real premium on the home team.”
With roughly half of NFL teams playing in empty stadiums and the other half allowing fans at minimal capacities, home teams are 90-85-1 this year: the lowest home winning percentage since 1972.
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The flip side of this, of course, is that if the Colts do make it into the playoffs and have to go on the road, their chances will be better than in other seasons.