Following up on the post earlier this week, we're looking into what differentiates the haves from the have-nots when it comes to No. 1 NFL playoff seeds.
And what's immediately jumped out is experience.
Since the league expanded to a 12-team postseason field in 1990, 14 AFC and NFC No. 1 seeds have lost their first playoff game -- i.e. falling on their home field in the divisional round -- with the latest victims being the 2012 Broncos.
Eleven of those 14 squads were in the playoffs in either or both of the previous two seasons and six won a playoff game.
Nothing really unexpected there.
However -- and this is where things get telling -- only two of the 14 (the 1997 Chiefs and 2010 Patriots) had been a No. 1 or 2 seed with a wild-card round bye over the previous three seasons, meaning, for the most part, these were No. 1 seeds largely unaccustomed to the pressures and perils of their lofty perches.
Contrast that with 21 No. 1 seeds who aced both of their postseason conference tests and went on to play in the Super Bowl. A full 18 of those 21 teams had participated in the playoffs in either or both of the previous two seasons and 14 had posted a playoff win.
But -- and, again, here's the important part -- 16 of the 21 squads had previous experience as a No. 1 or 2 seed at a point in the preceding three seasons and knew what to expect when it came to dealing with the pressure, playing as a favorite (typically) off a week of rest and not looking past any opponent.
Nine of those 16 No. 1s went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, including a trio of 1-vs.-1 matchups.
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