Fantasy Index

Factoid

Home field advantage

Rare to have both home teams advance to Super Bowl

New England and Seattle both held serve today, but neither looked invincible. The Patriots have been very good on defense recently, but they have problems getting Baltimore off the field for much of that game.

In Seattle, I was surprised how well Carolina moved the ball for the majority of that game. Seahawks won it with some big plays, but I thought the Panthers were the better team for most of the game.

Anyway, both No. 1 seeds are now hosting the conference championship games, but that doesn’t guarantee a ticket to the Super Bowl.

In this century, home teams are only 17-11 in conference championship games. In the last 14 years, only four times have both home teams won. Most years, at least one of the road teams wins.

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2000
YearWinnerLoserScore
2000Baltimoreat Oakland16-3
2000at N.Y. GiantsMinnesota41-0
2001New Englandat Pittsburgh24-17
2001at St. LouisPhiladelphia29-24
2002Tampa Bayat Philadelphia27-10
2002at OaklandTennessee41-24
2003Carolinaat Philadelphia14-3
2003at New EnglandIndianapolis24-14
2004New Englandat Pittsburgh41-27
2004at PhiladelphiaAtlanta27-10
2005Pittsburghat Denver34-17
2005at SeattleCarolina34-14
2006at ChicagoNew Orleans39-14
2006at IndianapolisNew England38-34
2007N.Y. Giantsat Green Bay23-20 (OT)
2007at New EnglandSan Diego21-12
2008at ArizonaPhiladelphia32-25
2008at PittsburghBaltimore23-14
2009at IndianapolisN.Y. Jets30-17
2009at New OrleansMinnesota31-28 (OT)
2010Green Bayat Chicago21-14
2010at PittsburghN.Y. Jets24-19
2011N.Y. Giantsat San Francisco20-17 (OT)
2011at New EnglandBaltimore23-20
2012Baltimoreat New England28-13
2012San Franciscoat Atlanta28-24
2013at DenverNew England26-16
2013at SeattleSan Francisco23-17

—Ian Allan

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