
The record tells one story, while a deeper look tells another story
Home-field advantage in the NFL is paramount. Playing in front of your home crowd can lift teams attempting to overcome a deficit or cause an avalanche for opposing teams as they get behind. The Seahawks held a significant home-field advantage for years, playing at Arrowhead against the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, which is as tough as it comes. Players visiting Denver often have difficulty adjusting to the high altitude.
But what about the advantage for the 49ers at Lev’s Stadium? Pro Football Focus conducted a study on home teams and their advantage, but found that since 2020, teams have been losing more at home during the regular season.
2020 was a difficult season all around. For the 49ers, it was a nightmare, given the injuries and being forced to finish their home schedule in Arizona. The team was far better on the road with a 5-3 record on the road and a 1-7 record at home.
2021 was better, but the team finished at 4-4 at home with a 6-3 road record. The winning ways on the road continued in the playoffs as the 49ers went into Dallas and Green Bay and moved on before falling to the Rams at SoFi before the Super Bowl.
In 2022 and 2023, the 49ers went a combined 13-4 at Levi’s and 12-5 on the road, which led to two NFC Championship game appearances (one on the road in Philadelphia) and a Super Bowl berth. Last season was one to forget for the 49ers in almost every way as the team finished 4-5 at home and 2-6 on the road.
Over the past five seasons, home teams have gone a combined 714-625-4 (.532) in the regular season. At first glance, winning 53% of home games might suggest a slight edge. But a broader historical lens tells a different story. The graph below shows home teams’ win-loss records across five-year spans this century—and highlights how that advantage has steadily eroded.

While teams are losing home games in the regular season at a higher rate across the NFL, the home-field advantage in the postseason still matters, with home teams posting a 41-19 record with a top-two seed making Super Bowl six times.
Although the record has been up and down at home for the 49ers, a deeper look will show the team performs better at home on offense and defense at Levi’s Stadium since 2020.
The 49ers are the highest graded offense at home since 2020 with a cumulative grade of 91.2, ahead of Buffalo and Minnesota (89.1), who are tied for second, and Baltimore (87.6) and Green Bay (87.5).
Defensively, the 49ers come in at number four with a defensive grade of 86.5. Miami (90.3), Pittsburgh (89.8), and the Rams (87.8) are the top three, with Cleveland finishing fifth at 86.3.
League-wide, during the regular season, teams are losing more, but with more opportunities will bring more losses. The goal is still to gain home-field advantage in the postseason, as the better teams have shown that the path is easier to compete for a Super Bowl.
Gain as many home games in the postseason as possible remains the goal for the 49ers.