/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/14492067/158030809.0.jpg)
Lincoln Financial Field has served as the Eagles place of business since 2003. Over the span of the last 10 seasons, the team has been to the playoffs six times, won four division titles and one conference championship. The Linc, which has served as a replacement for the beloved Veterans Stadium (or "The Vet"), has hosted some of the team's most exciting victories and rough defeats. Still, while the Eagles has held residence at the stadium over the last decade, it has not served as a genuine beacon of victory for the team.
Since the stadium's inception, wins and losses have been similar in count to that of the Eagles road trips. The team, which has featured just one head coach during the stadium's existence, has proven to be just as good on the road as they are at the Linc. With the stadium set for its largest upgrades since its completion in 2003, it is worth noting that the Eagles home-field advantage is not spectacular. In fact, the team's road winning percentage is slightly better than its record at home.
Take a look:
Year | Home Record | Road Record |
---|---|---|
2003 | (5-3) | (7-1) |
2004 | (7-1) | (6-2) |
2005 | (4-4) | (2-6) |
2006 | (5-3) | (5-3) |
2007 | (3-5) | (5-3) |
2008 | (6-2) | (3-4-1) |
2009 | (6-2) | (5-3) |
2010 | (4-4) | (6-2) |
2011 | (3-5) | (5-3) |
2012 | (2-6) | (2-6) |
(45-35) 56.2% | (46-33-1) 58.2% |
The Eagles record on the road and at home may be due to several factors. For one, in years the team has tended to struggle, three out of the four seasons that the team missed the playoffs, the Eagles had a better road record. The Eagles also played different teams every year and the match-ups on the road may have been against inferior opponents than at home. The wins and loses, like in any sport, could also have been impacted by injury and suspensions. Typically, a team is likelier to lose players for a long period of time towards the closing of a season rather than at the beginning. If the Eagles were stuck with a large grouping of road games to begin a campaign, they would be less likely to have loses due to injury.
Do you think the Eagles are a rare case of a team that is not a clear indicator of a home-field advantage or do you believe the idea of home-field advantage is a myth?