There’s no place like home – unless you’re the Philadelphia Eagles by Alistair Houghton January 10th 2012
Boos were ringing out, fans were disgusted and a chant of FIRE ANDY circled around Lincoln Financial Field. It wasnt supposed to be like this.
The blowout win for the New England Patriots in Philadelphia in November highlighted a statistic that seemed to stun everyone. The Eagles were now 1-5 at home that season. As it happens they won their last two games to finish 3-5, but the mediocrity at home isnt anything new.
Successful NFL teams will always be strong at home. Over the last decade, although they havent won the big one, the Eagles can be classed as successful. Their home record however is surprisingly average.
Since Andy Reid took over the Eagles they have only achieved a seven win season at home twice (in the 2002 and 2004 seasons). He has only achieved a six or more win season at home four times (2002, 2004, 2008, 2009). His default record at home tends to be 5-3, achieved four times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2006).
Overall he has a winning percentage of .606 in regular season home games (interestingly Reid is 7-3 at home in the postseason). Its not an awful percentage but not as good as other elite teams such as the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, Saints, Falcons and (for a period) Seattle, especially considering the period of that the Eagles have had success.
When you consider that the Eagles have one of the most passionate fanbases in the NFL (perhaps too passionate, as will be discussed later) and the fact that their outdoor stadium should prove an advantage against dome teams, this lack of decisive success at home is interesting.
So why is this the case? Lets look at a number of possible factors:
Weather: The weather is not a factor. Why? Because if anyone is going to be affected by the weather in Philadelphia it is the Eagles. Since Andy Reid took over the Eagles have been one of the most pass happy teams in the league. Yet the Eagles win most of their games, home and away, after the bye week and in particular in December when the weather turns. Rain and cold do not seem to hamper the Eagles at home as much as you would think.
Stadium: The Eagles have taken up residence in a new stadium since the Andy Reid era began. While the old Veterans Stadium was named number six in NFL Top Tens homefield advantage list, Lincoln Financial Field has proved to be a bit more homely for opponents. Frankly, the Vet was a dump by the time the Eagles moved out in 2003, but it was a dump that no-one wanted to play in, particularly in the winter. The stadium had a reputation for being absolutely freezing and the artificial turf so hard in the winter that no-one would want to hit it at any point. State of the art Lincoln Financial Field on the other hand (with its solar panels and wind turbines) has heated benches and a grass field. Opponents dont dread going to The Linc, which probably helps their mental performance during a game.
Division: The NFC East has always been one of the toughest divisions in the league. During Reids tenure it has dipped somewhat (with only one Super Bowl winning team in this period) but it has still had competitive teams year on year. One of the peculiarities is the frequency with which teams win away divisional games. Since Eli Manning was drafted by the Giants they are 5-3 at Philadelphia, with Eli 5-2 as a starter (conversely the Eagles are 6-2 in New York). Washington are 3-2 in Philadelphia in the last five years, in spite of only having a winning record in one of those seasons. This lowers the home record of the Eagles, as one or two division losses a year (plus maybe facing an elite team at home) easily sees them fall to a maximum of five home wins.
Fans: You would think that a fanbase that booed Santa Claus would be helpful due to their noise. Well it is true that Eagles fans can make Philadelphia a very hostile away day for any team. Their fickleness can often come back to haunt their own team though. In some stadiums away teams will attempt to quieten the crowd. In Philadelphia they can not only quieten the crowd but even turn the fans against their own team. Three clear examples arise from this year alone. In the New England game, Brady was able to shred the Eagles defence and put up a big lead. Instead of willing their team to a comeback the Eagles fans took their frustration out on their team. During the 49ers game the Eagles led 23-3. The fans had become complacent, expecting the Eagles to rattle up the points on the NFC West team (at this point only 2-1). When San Francisco started to make a comeback the fans didnt respond by trying to encourage their team over the line. Instead they moaned in disbelief that the 49ers were making a comeback. In the Arizona game the crowd was never really engaged at all. They expected the Eagles to turn up and thump the Cardinals and when it didnt happen they grew frustrated and turned on their own team. This negative atmosphere likely undermines the players and galvanises the opposition.
Collective memory of failure and time since a championship: Extending on from the fan theme, part of their negativity may come from the fact that the Eagles havent won a championship since 1960. In the subsequent 51 years the Eagles have come close a few times, but not close enough. This pressure to win probably weighs on the whole organisation (two of Reids home playoff loses came in the NFC Championship game). Also the fact that things seem to go wrong for the Eagles gives the fans that sense of here we go again.
It might seem a bit churlish to complain about the Eagles only generally winning five games at home when some teams go through multiple losing seasons at home. But given the strength of the Eagles for the past 13 years, its telling that they havent been the home force that they could, or should, have been. A combination of tough divisional opponents, a nicer stadium and demanding fans – not to mention the weight of lofty expectations – surely do have some effect on this.
And after a disappointing season in which the Eagles struggles included yet another subpar home record, its something Andy Reid will need to fix once and for all in 2012.
Because if he doesnt, you can bet someone else will be given the chance.
Boos were ringing out, fans were disgusted and a chant of FIRE ANDY circled around Lincoln Financial Field. It wasnt supposed to be like this.
