Bill Belichick reveals the secret to having a good home field advantage … playing well
Aug 24, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands on the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Bill Belichick has to be as frustrated with the Patriots’ performance on the road as compared to home, and he boiled it down to one very simple idea. They just need to play better.
The man has a point. The Patriots will finish the 2018 regular season with a 3-5 road record, but are 6-0 at Gillette Stadium heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Bills. Offensively, they’re averaging 33.5 points a game in Foxborough. That number drops to just 19 per game on the road. Defensively, their points allowed jumps from 19.7 points per home game to 24 points per road game.
So it’s beyond fair to ask just what the hell happens in Foxborough that gives the Patriots such an advantage versus playing away from Gillette. Asked about that by NESN’s Doug Kyed, Belichick had about as succinct of an answer as you’ll get from him.
“Yeah, I think playing well creates an advantage,” Belichick said.
It remains a bit of a mystery as to why the Patriots simply play better at home than on the road. A lot of it is intangible. Belichick isn’t about to get into that kind of minutiae. He just wants his guys to play on the road like they have at home. It’s that simple. For whatever reason, when they’ve taken the field on Sundays, it’s been a lot more complicated than that.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
