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Bye Week Helpful

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By IRA KAUFMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 6, 2009

TAMPA - The Titans, Panthers, Giants and Steelers hope that coveted first-round playoff bye lives up to its reputation this weekend.

In sharp contrast to the wild-card matchups, all four well-rested home teams are favored to advance to the Jan. 18 conference title games.

Home clubs have won 29 of 40 games during the divisional round in the past decade as Baltimore and Philadelphia seek to join the 2005 Steelers in the NFL history books.

That Pittsburgh club, led by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, won the Super Bowl after becoming the only No. 6 seed in league annals to play in a conference championship game.

In the AFC, the top-seeded Titans intend to deny the Ravens that opportunity Saturday. The Eagles, seeded sixth in the NFC, head to the Meadowlands on Sunday intent on upsetting the defending champion Giants.

"I still believe the easiest way, if there is such a thing, to get to the Super Bowl is only to have two games and have homefield advantage throughout instead of playing three and having to go on the road," Tennessee Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawae said.

The top two seeds in each conference boast a 16-4 mark in the divisional round since 1998, but three of those setbacks came in the past three seasons, with the Cowboys, Chargers and Colts each victimized at home in their initial playoff appearance.

History may be on the side of the four top seeds this weekend, but reaching the Feb. 1 Super Bowl in Tampa is far less of a sure thing.

The last time a Super Bowl matched up a pair of No. 1 seeds, Emmitt Smith powered Dallas past Buffalo 30-13 at the Georgia Dome.

That was 15 years ago.

While a week off assuredly helped the top seeds gain valuable rest, the 2007 Giants and '05 Steelers offer vivid proof that the postseason road doesn't have to be a dead end.

"It means we don't have to get on a plane until we go to Tampa," Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck said of New York's status as the NFC's No. 1 seed. "It means we have a bye and we get to play in front of our home fans. Is that an added advantage? Who knows? Obviously, we like this better than the other way, but we're not giving ourselves any fake confidence with the fact we're playing at home."

Reporter Ira Kaufman can be reached at (813) 259-7833.

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