Chances of going 8-0 at home again...

[volsunghawk]

I expect us to go 8-0 at home again this season, but how realistic is that expectation?

Since realignment in 2002, only 20 teams have gone 8-0 at home (less than 2 per season). Here's the breakdown:

• 2008 Carolina Panthers
  2006 Indianapolis Colts
  2005 Denver Broncos
  2002 Green Bay Packers
  2011 Green Bay Packers
  2003 Kansas City Chiefs
  2009 Minnesota Vikings
  2011 New Orleans Saints
  2003 New England Patriots
  2004 New England Patriots
  2007 New England Patriots
  2009 New England Patriots
  2010 New England Patriots
  2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
  2003 St. Louis Rams
  2011 Baltimore Ravens
  2006 San Diego Chargers
  2003 Seattle Seahawks
  2005 Seattle Seahawks
  2012 Seattle Seahawks

The only teams to accomplish this feat more than once in the past 11 years are the Pats (5), the Seahawks (3), and the Packers (2).

And the only team that was able to do it in consecutive seasons was the Pats - who managed to do it TWICE.

Of those 20 teams, all of them made the playoffs, but 9 of them lost their first game. 9 others made it to the conference championship. Only 5 actually made it to the SB, with 3 of them winning the championship (the '03 and '04 Pats and the '06 Colts).

The least amount of total wins for those perfect-at-home teams was 10, shared by the '09 Pats and the '03 Seahawks, meaning each team was only 2-6 on the road.

Okay, so all of that is just a bunch of factoids about a small group of teams. But the takeaway from this is that putting up a perfect season at home is HARD, doing it more than once is even HARDER, and doing it in consecutive years, well, that's Patriots Dynasty stuff right there.

 

[bestfightstory]

Russell Wilson has NEVER lost a game in Seattle.

I don't see any reason to think he ever will.

 

[sutz]

Yes, it's hard. But it's very doable.

 

[bestfightstory]

A cursory examination of our home schedule this year tells me the following.

Our likely two most difficult opponents (San Fran and New Orleans) are both PrimeTime games.

When we play at home in PrimeTime under Pete Carroll we are damn near invincible. Look it up.

Jacksonville, Tennessee, Arizona, Minnesota????
meh. meh. meh. meh.


That leaves Tampa and St Louis as our remaining two games, and if we have to lose a game in Seattle this year, I would predict it being one of these.

The Rams game occurs in week 17. If we are playing for playoff position, that's a gimme. If not.......?

The game against Tampa will occur on a short week. After a road MNF game. Tampa has historically played us well. I expect them to be a very very good team this year and make noise in the NFCSouth.

If we lose a game at home this year, that is the one.

 

[Hawknballs]

should be 8-0 at home. If we're not then I would be disappointed.

 

[NinerBuff]

I wouldn't be surprised if you guys win all your home games...

Obviously, injuries are the #1 obstacle.

Games that could trip you up:
Week 2 vs. 49ers
Week 13 vs. Saints
Week 17 vs. Rams

But, if there are no injuries and the Seahawks are fighting for playoff seeding at the end of the season, they really should win all the home games.

 

[hawker84]

the majority of our "Easier Games or More winnable games" will be at home this season.. so i definitely can see it..

 

[Seahwkgal]

We have brutal home schedule this year. Tampa is going to be very tough this year. Book it.
Glad we have to face them at home and not away.
Our away schedule is brutal too. 5 10am games right? Ugh......
It's going to be a very interesting season. I am excited but nervous too.

 

[The Outfield]

Do we still have Tanzania on our side?

Yes?

Question answered.

 

[Ad Hawk]

This is fascinating, Volsung; thanks for taking the time...

Is it too much to extrapolate that Superb Owl winners need to be road-game winners?

Benefiting from home-field advantage (8-0 at home) will get you into the playoffs, and is indeed hard to duplicate. A decent road record gives you a better shot at winning it all.

 

[themunn]

Of those 20 teams, all of them made the playoffs, but 9 of them lost their first game. 9 others made it to the conference championship. Only 5 actually made it to the SB, with 3 of them winning the championship (the '03 and '04 Pats and the '06 Colts).

And the 05 Hawks*

 

[SE174]

Of those 20 teams, all of them made the playoffs, but 9 of them lost their first game. 9 others made it to the conference championship. Only 5 actually made it to the SB, with 3 of them winning the championship (the '03 and '04 Pats and the '06 Colts).

And the 05 Hawks*

 

[onanygivensunday]

Of those 20 teams, all of them made the playoffs, but 9 of them lost their first game. 9 others made it to the conference championship. Only 5 actually made it to the SB, with 3 of them winning the championship (the '03 and '04 Pats and the '06 Colts).

And the 05 Hawks*

My guess is they're included in the 5 that "Only 5 actually made it to the SB".

 

[Missing_Clink]

Do we still have Tanzania on our side?

Yes?

Question answered.

Last time I was at the Clink was for the World Cup Qualifier and the Tanzania murals had been painted over or covered up. That may have been because they needed those ads down for that game and they planning on bringing them back, but it was worrying.

 

[volsunghawk]

This is fascinating, Volsung; thanks for taking the time...

Is it too much to extrapolate that Superb Owl winners need to be road-game winners?

Benefiting from home-field advantage (8-0 at home) will get you into the playoffs, and is indeed hard to duplicate. A decent road record gives you a better shot at winning it all.

Well, the '03 and '04 Pats were a 6-2 team on the road. They were just dominant in those seasons.

The '06 Colts, on the other hand, are a hard-to-categorize team. They started their season looking like a juggernaut, but they did something all the pundits say is the kiss of death - they stumbled down the stretch. They lost 4 road games in a 6-week span in November and December, 3 of them to their division rivals. The Colts were pegged by many to be a one-and-done team, particularly because of their inability to stop the run. But in the postseason, they just completely changed and morphed into a different team for the run to their SB championship.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

Playing at home is where miracles happen. The Run, the three missed field goals, the Great Babineaux Exploits...somehow it just seems to happen.

 

[onanygivensunday]

Some day I plan to visit Tanzania. The ads are working.

 

[Ad Hawk]

The '06 Colts, on the other hand, are a hard-to-categorize team. They started their season looking like a juggernaut, but they did something all the pundits say is the kiss of death - they stumbled down the stretch. They lost 4 road games in a 6-week span in November and December, 3 of them to their division rivals. The Colts were pegged by many to be a one-and-done team, particularly because of their inability to stop the run. But in the postseason, they just completely changed and morphed into a different team for the run to their SB championship.

But their potential was already clear, and obvious from the start of that season. Could it be that they morphed "back" into what they were originally?

I remember cheering them on in the SB that year.

I want to see us win convincingly at home, and more consistently on the road. That would boost my hopes for a deep post-season run. I think it will happen this year!

 

[ChiefHawk]

The 'secret' to getting into the playoffs is win every game at home.

No reason we can't, but the team should not ever let up for any game home or away, no matter the opponent.

Some of the teams we are laughing at right now will be top 10s by week 4-6.

 

[volsunghawk]

The '06 Colts, on the other hand, are a hard-to-categorize team. They started their season looking like a juggernaut, but they did something all the pundits say is the kiss of death - they stumbled down the stretch. They lost 4 road games in a 6-week span in November and December, 3 of them to their division rivals. The Colts were pegged by many to be a one-and-done team, particularly because of their inability to stop the run. But in the postseason, they just completely changed and morphed into a different team for the run to their SB championship.

But their potential was already clear, and obvious from the start of that season. Could it be that they morphed "back" into what they were originally?

I remember cheering them on in the SB that year.

I want to see us win convincingly at home, and more consistently on the road. That would boost my hopes for a deep post-season run. I think it will happen this year!

I'd argue that what we saw in the postseason from the Colts was unlike anything they had shown all season, particularly when it came to their defense.

First off, the fewest rushing yards they allowed in the regular season was 108, to the Texans in Week 2. They allowed over 200 yards rushing 4 times. They allowed the Jags to rack up 375 yards on the ground in Week 14. Yet, in the playoffs, they allowed over 100 yards once in 4 games, with 111 yards given up to the Bears in the SB. In fact, the entire rushing yardage allowed by the Colts in the 2006 postseason was less than what they allowed to the Jags in one game.

Additionally, the first time the Colts held a team to single digits on the scoreboard happened in the Wildcard round against the Chiefs. Then it happened again the very next week against the Ravens in the Divisional round. The Chiefs and Ravens combined for 125 yards on the ground against Indy, and that was Jamal Lewis and Larry Johnson, both still in their primes.

On the offensive side of the ball, Indy gained much more on the ground than they usually did in the regular season. Their 188 yards against KC and 191 against Chicago represented their 2nd and 3rd highest rushing totals of the entire year. And that superior Indy aerial attack that generated 6 300+ yard games in the regular season hit that mark ONCE in the postseason, as the Colts frantically came back against the Patriots.

Seriously, it's like we got the Bizarro world Indianapolis Colts that postseason.