While the Patriots have regularly made a habit of turning home playoff games into victories, Bill Belichick is under no illusions. Fan impact by itself isn’t decisive, the Patriots coach explained during a Wednesday press conference.
When asked about how much advantage the Patriots truly get from playing the upcoming AFC Championship Game against the Steelers at Gillette Stadium, Belichick made a topical reference:
Bill Belichick on importance of home-field advantage: "I don't know. Go ask Dallas and Kansas City."
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) January 18, 2017
Both the Chiefs and Cowboys, who also had home-field advantage in the previous round of the playoffs, were defeated.