Perhaps that makes Green Bay's need to win at Tampa next week, then against the visiting Lions even more critical for its postseason chances of success.
But also bear in mind that after winning their first eight postseason home games with Tom Brady at quarterback, the Patriots are 4-3.
Certainly Green Bay showed on Sunday in its defeat at Buffalo just how much different it performs on the road as opposed to the comfortable confines of Lambeau Field.
"I think sometimes you find out a lot about your team and your guys just in situations like that. You know, Seattle — they came back, they're on the road. They get in a position that it's hooting and hollering,Nike Free Run Shoes Clearance, the place is going crazy," Tony Romo said of his Dallas teammates. "You just put your head down and you go execute. You've got to make some plays. Obviously a couple guys have to set up and do some things that allow you to do that.
One fact that might comfort teams that can't grab home-field advantage for the postseason: only three times since 1993 have both top seeds made it to the Super Bowl.
Some teams really could use staying at home beyond the holidays — and deep into January.
"You just don't let the whole environment and the whole thing and the way it's going affect you,NFL Jerseys Clearance. You treat it as if it's a tie game and you go out and play."
The Cowboys don't lose on the road,Cheap Jerseys NFL China, where the Bengals and Colts aren't slouches, either.
New England might be the prime example. The Patriots (7-0 at Foxborough this season) are 18-7 in the postseason since 2001, with three NFL championships and two losing trips to the Super Bowl. At home, they are 12-3, with two of the defeats to Baltimore — a team led by Ray Lewis and accustomed to doing the intimidating.
That bodes well for them this winter, particularly because the other three AFC division leaders all have fallen to New England,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, the Bengals and Broncos getting routed at Foxborough.
Dallas coach Jason Garrett believes finding ways to prosper away from home is a learned trait,Cheap Jerseys Store.
"We've played these guys before," he said after Sunday's 38-27 victory at Philadelphia put the Cowboys in position to win the NFC East. "We played a really good game against them up here last year. We played a really close game at the end of the season last year and you try to learn from all those experiences, and you just move forward. I thought our guys did a good job responding."
Aaron Rodgers recognizes that.
The Patriots, Broncos, Packers and Cardinals don't lose at home.
One of the teams the Patriots fell to on the road, the Packers, have looked fragile away from Lambeau, particularly lately in ugly losses at New Orleans and Buffalo, and a tight victory at Minnesota.
Dallas, on the other hand, is 7-0 away from Jerry's Place. Come the postseason, the Cowboys might prefer to be anywhere but at home.
The flop against the Bills could be especially costly because now Green Bay isn't even in first place in the NFC North; Detroit has the tiebreaker by virtue of — what else — a home win over the Packers.
The Cowboys have responded well on the road in two tough locales: at Philly and, most notably, at Seattle. They aren't likely to fear heading anywhere in January.
Maybe even come this week: Dallas is just 3-4 as a host, and the Colts are 4-2 on the road.
"This is an important time for us to see what kind of chemistry we have on our team," he said. "If adversity like this tears us apart or if we can stick together.
For most of the other playoff contenders, well, it's who knows?
"If we can stick together,Hockey Jerseys 2018 Cheap, we have a great list of guys, and the opportunity to do something special. But if we let this tear us apart it's going to be something that sticks with us for too long."
Some teams while at home do more than play. They intimidate. That sure comes in handy in the playoffs, especially against opponents that have not been through such a wringer.
But one foreboding fact to add: it happened last year.
With the exception of 2010, when the Jets somehow won at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots have handled less-experienced opposition with relative ease.
