Do the 49ers have to run the table to get homefield advantage and win the NFC West?

Originally posted by blm7754:
I don't think we will need to win out, but loosing more than 1 more game would be very bad. Our best hope for another Seattle loss (assuming we beat them at home) is Sea @ Atlanta ans Sea @ NYG.

Both the Falcons and the Giants are better than their records imply. They have talented rosters that are underperforming. Both teams could potentially beat a Seahawks team that is nowhere near as good on the road as they are at home.


Also, if we don't win the division the season is not lost! If we have all of our WRs back, we can win in Seattle.

With Julio Jones out, not sure they can beat Seattle even at home.

But I do agree with you about our WR's. I think we'll have a slight edge with ALL of our WR's back. Our WR core is better than the Hawks, and you can see each week the niner secondary will only get better. Harvin will get his touches but its the tackling that will be key with our defense.

Originally posted by Baldie:
But then your taking away the reason why you play home games, the home crowd advantage. IMHO, whoever designed their stadium is brilliant. Only wish they designed Levis Stadium that way.

This is what baffles me.

Why would more teams not consider what was a "happy accident" as the architects termed it, and incorporate this into new stadiums designs?

I think we can afford one more loss. I guess the Saints can beat Seattle and then they have to lose another road game probably, but I don't know who.

Honestly though, I'm not too worried about the bye. Every year a team makes the SB with a wild card run and I think it could be us this year. I feel this team has been through so much and has the character to do it. We have a strong veteran leadership and we've been there done that before.

A Niners win in Seattle in the NFC Championship game. How sweet it would be...

Originally posted by maltz88:

Originally posted by Baldie:
But then your taking away the reason why you play home games, the home crowd advantage. IMHO, whoever designed their stadium is brilliant. Only wish they designed Levis Stadium that way.

This is what baffles me.

Why would more teams not consider what was a "happy accident" as the architects termed it, and incorporate this into new stadiums designs?

Yeah....baffles me to. Its definitly a home advantage. Dome stadiums, at least from what I hear, aren't even as loud as CLINK.

Originally posted by Baldie:

Originally posted by maltz88:

Originally posted by Baldie:

But then your taking away the reason why you play home games, the home crowd advantage. IMHO, whoever designed their stadium is brilliant. Only wish they designed Levis Stadium that way.

This is what baffles me.

Why would more teams not consider what was a "happy accident" as the architects termed it, and incorporate this into new stadiums designs?

Yeah....baffles me to. Its definitly a home advantage. Dome stadiums, at least from what I hear, aren't even as loud as CLINK.

They pump in crowd noise from the speakers. They deny it, but there really is no way they could be louder than domes.

Originally posted by Baldie:
But then your taking away the reason why you play home games, the home crowd advantage. IMHO, whoever designed their stadium is brilliant. Only wish they designed Levis Stadium that way.

no way! then our offense wouldn't be able to hear even at home.

Originally posted by StOnEy333:
They pump in crowd noise from the speakers. They deny it, but there really is no way they could be louder than domes.

Can they do that? If there is no policy on that maybe there should be. In that situation its an unfair advantage.

yes

Originally posted by Baldie:
Yeah....baffles me to. Its definitly a home advantage. Dome stadiums, at least from what I hear, aren't even as loud as CLINK.

I think it has gotten a little over hyped. I think the atmosphere adds to the aura of the CLINK.

From where I sit, the Kingdome was louder than the CLINK is. I can remember being forced to plug my ears at the Kingdome on occasion. It was so loud it would literally hurt your ears. It's never gotten that loud at the CLINK.

I think the differences though are that the fans are much closer, and more on top of the field than they were in the Kingdome, and the fans are a lot rowdier making for a crazier looking atmosphere. Also, the biggest part of it is the team is much better, which makes a big difference!

(sorry not trying to hijack)

Seattle will finish 14-2. We will finish 12-4. Saints will finish 12-4, but will have the 2nd seed.

I see it playing out this way:

Wild Card Round

49ers (5th seed) at Dallas (4th seed) - 49ers win
Green Bay (6th seed) at Detroit (3rd seed) - Green Bay win

Divisional Round

49ers at New Orleans - 49ers avenge earlier loss in NO.
Green Bay at Seattle - Green Bay avenges last year's robbery

Championship Round

Green Bay at 49ers - 49ers' last game at Candlestick is a victory - 33 - 27

Settle has actually shown they can be beat on any given Sunday Why? They were LUCKY yes LUCKY to win against Houston... M Shaub Handed the Seahawks that game. They had a real struggle as well against the Panthers in week 1. I mean M Lynch can get hurt and the Seahawks would get derailed... Notsying that will happen and Im not even hoping it happens. I do know if Seattle does beat the niners though then the Niners will need a miracle to get to the SB another team going into Seattle and beating them in the playoffs. Then you never know the playoffs might go though N.O. If they beat Seattle I see the road to the SB going through SF, Seattle or N.O. I cat see any other team If the Niners win all out I think the road goes through SF.

Originally posted by midrdan:
Seattle will finish 14-2. We will finish 12-4. Saints will finish 12-4, but will have the 2nd seed.

I see it playing out this way:

Wild Card Round

49ers (5th seed) at Dallas (4th seed) - 49ers win
Green Bay (6th seed) at Detroit (3rd seed) - Green Bay win

Divisional Round

49ers at New Orleans - 49ers avenge earlier loss in NO.
Green Bay at Seattle - Green Bay avenges last year's robbery

Championship Round

Green Bay at 49ers - 49ers' last game at Candlestick is a victory - 33 - 27

we're gonna finish 14-2, maybe 13-3 if we rest our starters for the final game of the year vs the cardinals

Originally posted by Baldie:

Originally posted by BIGTHUNDER111:
It would be virtually impossible to beat Seattle in the playoffs if they played at home. It is such an unfair advantage to be able to drown out the opposition's offensive communication. I really wish the NFL competition committee would look into this. I don' t have a problem with crowds enthusiastically cheering for their home team, but not when it causes a significant competitive disadvantage to the visitors(especially if they are pumping in artificial crowd noise as well). Player safety also becomes an issue as players have difficulty hearing the whistle.
Personally I wish the NFL sets a field decibel level, above which the home team is penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. The only way this may happen is if Manning or Brady gets injured in Seattle from a late hit or after an aborted play because the defensive linemen "couldn't hear the whistle".

But then your taking away the reason why you play home games, the home crowd advantage. IMHO, whoever designed their stadium is brilliant. Only wish they designed Levis Stadium that way.

Sorry... din't want to side track the main topic but also too lazy to start a new thread.
Home crowd advantage is only part of the home field advantage.
As I said before, I don't have a problem with crowd enthusiasm, just not at the cost of putting player safety at risk.
Also, the NFL considers field communication an integral part of the game and have mandated equalizing any unfairness (eg. if 1 team's wireless communication goes down, both have to stop using it. Yet if the visiting QB cannot hear his headset or cannot relay the play to his teammates in the huddle, it's a non-issue ? If 1 team is unable to audible or hear the snap count, that doesn't skew the competition ?
I suppose if every stadium had similar acoustics, it would level the playing field. But that is not a factor that the NFL can control. However, it can and should bring about rule changes to prevent gross inequalities that could effect the outcome of the games...thereby allowing the best teams the best chance to rise to the top, rather than from inherent advantages of a particular venue. Teams should be focusing on building their rosters, not on building the loudest stadiums.

Maybe OSHA could look into this, mandating that during the games in places like Seattle, all NFL and stadium employees at field level be required to wear hearing protection. That would get the NFL's attention.

A lot of Seahawks fans think it's whining for visiting teams' not being able to hear audibles and snap counts.

Bottom line is the principle of home field advantage is to pump up the home team, not incapacitate the visitor's ability to run their offense.

There's a reason why all these "loud stadium" teams have one collective Lombardi.

A lot of defeatist talk surrounding Seattle at Centurylink.

Look at what the Patriots, Packers, and Saints have done there. Just need to have a more in sync short passing game and involvement with tight ends.

To continue allowing teams to man up and allow that to be a problem is a recipe for another disaster in the post season. I'm confident we will get it sorted out.

In fact, I think it's more important that the 49ers be the best they can be than necessarily have home field advantage. The best 49ers team I've seen (last year, NE, GB on the road come to mind) can beat anybody.

Having home field advantage without that certainty won't be a guarantee of victory against Seattle.

Let's see what Manningham and Crabtree bring back to this O.