One clear and significant benefit of playing in the NFL is that the tens of thousands of yelling home crowds may seriously interfere with the other team’s play calls and communication.
Just take a look at Patrick Mahomes’ Arrowhead home record. or Tom Brady’s two decades of domination with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots at home. Or Drew Brees, who lost his first home playoff game at the Superdome after a 12-year wait.
Yes, in American football, the home team benefits greatly from the noise made by the crowd. That is how it has always been.
However, the Miami Dolphins‘ advantage at Hard Rock Stadium goes beyond just the volume level of the crowd. Although you have probably been ignoring it the entire time, Mike McDaniel’s team has another unappreciated edge because to the stadium’s design.
Another benefit for the Dolphins is detailed in an intriguing video provided by TikTok user @notzachrosas: The layout of the stadium is such that the visiting team is left out in the intense heat while the host team’s sideline is shielded by the shade:
@32dive Those engineers definitely knew what they were doing smh. #Dolphins #MIA #Vikings #Bills #Patriots #Jets #NYJ #MNF #TNF #sportsstories #Raiders #Stadiumtour #NFL
There’s a clear evidence of this seen last year during a game .
There is a 30 degree difference between the two sidelines 😳 pic.twitter.com/Q8uWNo3dtX
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 16, 2022
The #Dolphins’ stadium is a cheat code 🤯
The opponents’ sideline can be up to 30 degrees warmer because of it being exposed to direct sunlight…
(@perfctszn)
pic.twitter.com/g5OznvR4Kp— JPA (@jasrifootball) November 29, 2023
Without a doubt, Miami is benefiting from the stadium’s layout. They started 2023 5-0 at home, finished 6-2 the previous year, and are now 5-0 at home in 2023.
