Study Reveals Steelers Have Best Home Field Advantage
Throughout the season, home-field advantage is a topic that’s frequently discussed. Sharp Football Analysis recently studied which NFL teams have the best home field advantage. The Steelers are number one, and the Kansas City Chiefs are ranked second. This leaves the Philadelphia Eagles in third, the Green Bay Packers in fourth, and the Cleveland Browns round out the top five. With these ranking, there is so much to unpack in how well each team will play.
Sharp Football Analysis looked at more than just win-loss and ATS records. They took several factors into consideration to reach this conclusion. They put greater weight on a few key criteria. Home field penalty advantage, pre-snap and offensive holding numbers, and home and away penalty per game average were weighted more heavily. Other factors they considered included a loyal fan base and favorable calls by the referees. According to Sharp Football Analysis, crowd noise impacts the referees’ decisions and leads to more favorable holding calls for the home team. The study shows that 42.5% of visiting teams’ penalties at Acrisure Stadium are offensive pre-snap or holding calls.
Joe Gibbs of Sharp Football Analysis stated, “Boasting arguably the largest and most loyal fan base in the NFL, the Steelers’ top ranking should come as no surprise. Pittsburgh not only ranks as No. 1 in raw numbers for both home-field penalty advantage and generating pre-snap and holding penalties on visiting teams, but it did so in convincing fashion.” He continued saying, “Steeler Nation is spread far and wide and is often louder than the opponents’ home fans in many Steelers ‘road’ contests, which partially explains this ranking.” He then concluded saying, “Ultimately, Acrisure Stadium and the Steelers presented the biggest challenge for road teams in the NFL’s toughest division, resulting in Pittsburgh capturing the No. 1 overall ranking by [a wide] margin.” For 2018-2024, the Steelers hold a home record of 37-21-1, which is a 63.8% win rate. The team’s road record is 30-30-1, which amounts to a 50% win rate. Visiting teams have described Acrisure Stadium as intimidating. The Steelers being named the team with the best home-field advantage is especially impressive when taking into consideration the fact that it’s been almost nine years since the Steelers won a postseason game. Still, their fans remain enthusiastic. Regardless of whether the Steelers are playing at home or on the road, their fans will always be in the stands waving terrible towels.
