The New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers have home field for Sunday's conference championship games, but how much will it matter?
Playing in front of their fans is certainly the ideal environment for teams to reach the Super Bowl, although it's far from a sure thing.
Or is it?
It hasn't been since the 2005-2006 AFC Championship that a road team (Pittsburgh Steelers) emerged victorious.
We've seen a bit more parity in the NFC, with four of the last nine championship games going to the club on the road.
For the Patriots, playing in Gillette Stadium is huge, not only for them but also for the team and quarterback they're facing.
Tom Brady has been astounding at home over the last three years. Counting the playoffs, he's lost three games in Foxboro since the start of the 2009 season.
The Ravens are certainly a battle-tested and experienced squad. However, their quarterback, Joe Flacco, hasn't exactly flourished in the postseason, particularly in hostile environments.
He did piece together a fine game in Arrowhead Stadium to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round two years ago. Even with that 265-yard, two-touchdown, no-interception performance, his career playoff QB rating is 66.2 and he's thrown six touchdowns to seven picks with a completion percentage of 53.
The Ravens will look to set the tone with Ray Rice on the ground, but as the game reaches the fourth quarter, can Flacco make the crucial plays to lead his team to victory?
The home field doesn't mean as much for the San Francisco 49ers. Yes, playing before a crowd clad in red and gold is an advantage, but the New York Giants and, more importantly, Eli Manning, have demonstrated their road prowess in the playoffs in the past.
In the winter of 2009, the G-Men won three straight postseason contests away from home before upending the heavily-favored Patriots in the Super Bowl.
They're fresh off a stunning beatdown of the Green Bay Packers and come into this contest with loads of confidence.
New York has more playoff experience than the 49ers, and their quarterback knows what it takes to will his team to a conference title.
Both the Patriots and 49ers will thrive off their rabid fans, but just because they haven't lost at home since September 18th, San Francisco cannot take its home field for granted.
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