Ranking Each NFL Team's Home-Field Advantage in 2011

If you don't believe that home-field advantage can truly help a team in the National Football League, then you have never seen the incredible affect that the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks or Kansas City Chiefs fans can have on their team.

The following slides will rank each NFL team on their home-field advantage in the 2011 season.  

32. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins won seven games in the 2010 season. Exactly one of them came at home. 

They have a relatively poor fan base to begin with, and there's absolutely no reason to think that they will have any type of support for the 2011 season. 

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville equals blackout, for about five to six games each season. 

Pathetic. 

30. Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers won two games in 2010 and earned the No. 1 draft pick in 2011.

Cam Newton may have been the top pick in the draft, but he's not going to be enough to get the fans back into the seats, at least not next year. 

29. Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer won't be on the Bengals in 2011. Neither will Terrell Owens. Or Chad Johnson.

As a result, there won't be fans in the seats, and the Bengals will play teams like Pittsburgh and Baltimore at home on the road, if that makes sense. 

28. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals might have been the worst team in the NFL last season, and even though they're probably going to have Kevin Kolb at quarterback next season, they're still going to finish below .500.

A team that reached the Super Bowl just three seasons ago is going to have very little support in 2011. 

27. San Diego Chargers

I don't have a lot of respect for San Diego fans, who don't really show to their team's games, even though they're usually one of the better teams in the league.

The team disappointed last season, and I don't expect the stadium to be packing next season. 

26. Washington Redskins

The Redskins have pretty good fans. I'll give them that.

But it's going to be very difficult for them to support the team in 2011. Mike Shanahan was a disaster last year. Donovan McNabb will be gone. Albert Haynesworth will probably leave. And John Beck at quarterback?

Yeah, I wouldn't want to go to their games either. 

25. San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis is the only bright spot for a team that should have coasted to the NFC West division title last season.

Don't expect this fan base, which has been quiet since the end of the Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens days, to provide much home field support in 2011.

24. Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson is the only reason anyone would pay to see this team.

The Titans are going to be under .500 next season, and it's not going to be a fun season for this fan base. 

23. Denver Broncos

Tim Tebow is the only reason that anyone would go to a Denver Broncos game next season.

Literally the only reason. 

22. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings don't have a reliable quarterback. They have a new head coach. And their stadium collapsed last season.

Who knows how many fans will attend their games this season? At least they have AP. 

21. Oakland Raiders

Oakland finally had a decent season last year, although the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha (likely) will probably hurt a fan base who will likely once again suffer through a losing season.

At least they have the Black Hole.

20. Buffalo Bills

Bills fans are loyal, and they show up to the games.

But it's going to be difficult for them to support a team that basically has no chance of winning the division or even posting a winning record next year. 

New England at Buffalo? Yeah, that's a ninth home game for the Patriots. 

19. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns have incredible fans. Unfortunately they don't have a great team, which is always difficult on a fan base.

Colt McCoy and new Madden cover athlete Peyton Hillis should be bringing out the fans next year though. 

18. Kansas City Chiefs

Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe have revolutionized a fan base that hasn't seen many winning seasons recently.

Playing in the loud and notorious Arrowhead Stadium will also help the Chiefs in 2011. 

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Players like Josh Freeman and LaGarrette Blount should help the Buccaneers reach the postseason next year for the first time since the Jon Gruden era.

But Tampa Bay has never been a place for home field advantage, and the Buccaneers rank just in the middle of the pack.

16. Detroit Lions

Expect the Lions to reach the postseason next year for the first time in about a hundred years.

As a result, Ford Field should be a pretty fun place to be, especially in December. 

15. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons had the best record in the NFC last season and should be pretty good again in 2011.

However, Atlanta has never been a big football town. Let's see if the Matt Ryan era helps to change that. 

14. St. Louis Rams

The Rams ranked 31st in attendance last season.

However, Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson are poised to lead the team to the postseason for the first time since the 2004 team.

13. New York Giants

How many seasons can a team collapse and still have the fan base support them? Props to Giants fans.

I guess the taste of their recent Super Bowl title overrides their miserable collapses from 2010. And 2009. And 2008. And 2006.

12. New York Jets

Jets fans have got to be running thin on patience. Although Rex Ryan led the team deep into the postseason for two straight years, he guaranteed a Super Bowl victory this season, and he better deliver.

This season could make or break the fan base. 

11. Houston Texans

Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Andre Johnson. Expect a playoff berth in 2011.

And expect a raucous and wild crowd at Houston's home games, especially if they can overtake the Colts in the AFC South. 

10. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys were the most disappointing team in the NFL last year. 

That doesn't mean that they won't have fans out in 2011, especially with their incredible, still relatively new stadium. 

9. Chicago Bears

Even though the Bears had a rather embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game last year, the fans should be back next season.

Let's just hope that they choose to support Jay Cutler instead of booing him for having to sit out the NFC championship game with an injury. 

8. Baltimore Ravens

Ravens fans have been blessed with winning and winning and winning ever since Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh joined the team in 2008.

Let's see if they can finally get by the Steelers this season. 

7. New England Patriots

They're the best team in the NFL, or maybe second depending on where you rank the Packers. They have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

And they play in Boston. Their fans will be at every game, loud and supportive. 

6. New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees and the Saints will need to erase the memories of their painful postseason defeat to the Seahawks last season.

A year removed from winning the Super Bowl, the Saints and their fans should continue to help the team in the Superdome next year.

5. Indianapolis Colts

As long as the Colts have Peyton Manning to cheer for, their fans will show up at every home game.

It doesn't hurt when your team collects 12 victories every season. Every season. 

4. Seattle Seahawks

Marshawn Lynch's ridiculous 67-yard touchdown run to beat the Saints in the playoffs last year might have permanently changed this fan base for the better.

Qwest Stadium will be absolutely crazy in 2011. 

3. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles play in one of the more difficult stadiums in the league and with their explosive offense, the fans are going to be going nuts in 2011.

Expect eight sellouts for the 2011 Eagles and maybe one or two more in the postseason. 

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a brilliant fan base, especially when the team is winning, like they did last season when they advanced to the Super Bowl. 

The Terrible Towel is going to be absolutely rocking next year. 

1. Green Bay Packers

Why will the Green Bay Packers have the best home-field advantage in the NFL during the 2011 season?

Because they won the Super Bowl last season. That's all it takes.

Oh, and Lambeau Field is already one of the most difficult stadiums in the National Football League. Playing Green Bay at Lambeau is not going to be an enjoyable experience for any team next year.