Is the #1 seed that big of a deal anymore?

[Eastport bills]

The home field advantage throughout the playoffs usually produces the SB berth. The fan energy, noise factors the visitors on offense and a few home field calls can't hurt. 

[BillnutinHouston]

1st round bye and home field thru the playoffs matters tremendously.

 

I can't believe some even have this question. 

[BullBuchanan]

It's a bigger deal than it's ever been with only 1 bye now. It's the biggest negative side effect of expanding the playoffs imo.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1st round bye is huge, but unless we get some solid help from Tenn opponents, looks like it’s out of our reach

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

4 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

1st round bye is huge, but unless we get some solid help from Tenn opponents, looks like it’s out of our reach

 
they do have an easy schedule 

 

[Beerball]

1 hour ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

 
they do have an easy schedule 

 

Nobody to blame but themselves.

[Boatdrinks]

I think this might be the least important year to have it in quite some time. No team is so dominant that they might be unbeatable at home. TEN has played a ton of close games and could easily lose a home playoff game. The opponent only has to be better that day, not all season. It’s one game. Most years only one of the #1 seeds reaches the Super Bowl. 

[QCity]

On 11/12/2021 at 10:19 PM, SCBills said:

This isn’t even a question.  It’s a coping mechanism. 
 

 

 

100%

[BADOLBILZ]

7 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

1st round bye is huge, but unless we get some solid help from Tenn opponents, looks like it’s out of our reach

 

Wasn't Pittsburgh 11-0 last year when the Bills were 8-3 and the Bills finished ahead of them for seeding?

 

Pitt was winning then with a lot of the same smoke-and-mirrors act that TN is now..........and it unwound unceremoniously.

 

Add in that it's still a COVID year and any team could lose it's QB with no notice for 1-2 weeks at a time like what happened today with Pitt or GB last week with Rodgers..........both cost those teams games most likely.........and it's far too early to shedule predict, IMO.

 

And to illustrate............I think I heard Bill Cowher say this is the first season since the merger that there hasn't been a 0 or 1 loss team at this point of any season..........I think it's never been less predictable than this year.

 

 

[LABILLBACKER]

7 hours ago, SlimShady'sSpaceForce said:

 
they do have an easy schedule 

 

Other than NE beating them, their remaining games look like W's. Bills almost need to run the table and we need 2-3 more loses. The Rams & Saints did us no favors. That slip looks huge.

[Boatdrinks]

2 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Other than NE beating them, their remaining games look like W's. Bills almost need to run the table and we need 2-3 more loses. The Rams & Saints did us no favors. That slip looks huge.

Many NFL games this season have shown you cannot just write in W’s . 

On 11/12/2021 at 10:36 PM, CodeMonkey said:

Home field, bye ... uh yeah it is a big deal.  Come on man.

Bye is bigger than the home field. 

[The Red King]

As noted, one extra week of rest for injured players, one less game to play (with chance for injury or outright loss).  All that even if you overlook homefield.

 

Now, you might argue something like 2nd vs. 3rd or such, but top seed is very, very much worth it.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

20 hours ago, Beerball said:

Nobody to blame but themselves.

They also lost to the Jets. lol 

So anything can happen 

 

[FilthyBeast]

16 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Other than NE beating them, their remaining games look like W's. Bills almost need to run the table and we need 2-3 more loses. The Rams & Saints did us no favors. That slip looks huge.

 

It's at the point where the Steelers and Jags games not only cost this team the #1 seed, but very well the division and with another expected easy win against the Falcons on Thur the Pats will move into 1st place of the division and will stay there if the Bills don't beat the Colts.