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Ben Child, ESPN Workers Author
When gamers exit the cramped visiting locker room inside Kansas Metropolis’s Arrowhead Stadium, make their method down a slender hallway and put together to enter the sector to face the Chiefs, they’re greeted with a stern reminder of what they’re about to face.
It is extra of a warning, actually. The message is plastered on the wall that faces the hallway’s exit: “Welcome to Arrowhead — The Loudest Stadium within the World — 142.2 DB.”
The final half is a reference to Guinness measuring the decibel stage in 2014 and declaring it a world record. The noise is produced by a fan base that has been tailgating for hours, no matter how extreme the temperature. There’s the thudding drumbeat that accompanies the controversial “war chant.” And the roar that evokes and celebrates the Chiefs’ highlights, which have been quite a few since drafting quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017.
“I simply assume the aura, and the followers are nuts,” Tennessee Titans defensive deal with Sebastian Joseph-Day mentioned. “They’re so loud, you may’t even hear your self assume at occasions.
“And clearly Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are an incredible duo. They feed off that power, and their protection feeds off it, too, Chris Jones and them. The environment is loopy.”
Joseph-Day is not alone in these sentiments. ESPN requested 111 gamers to rank the hardest place to play within the NFL, and Arrowhead got here in first place. The distinctive design of Seattle’s Lumen Discipline, the “Skol” chant in Minnesota’s U.S. Financial institution Stadium, and the rowdy followers at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Monetary Discipline and Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium additionally earned votes. Some described the charged atmospheres as enjoyable, others talked about being on guard with raucous followers, whereas others lamented the shortcoming to speak, however the widespread denominator is the hardest locations normally housed the hardest opponents.
Chicago Bears vast receiver DJ Moore picked Detroit’s Ford Discipline among the many hardest due to an incident he had with a fan. He wasn’t the one one to have an surprising fan interplay in Detroit. Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur had his personal pregame incident earlier this season, and the Lions revoked the fan’s season tickets.
“We had a heckler,” Moore mentioned. “He simply would not shut up. He was behind the bench, and he was going loopy the entire time, it doesn’t matter what.
“After we had been up, he was nonetheless going loopy. I am identical to, ‘There’s one thing improper with you.’ I instructed him I used to be going to attain on that drive, and I truly did. And I mentioned I’ll give him the ball. I wrote ‘shut up’ on it. I should not have, but it surely was enjoyable within the second.”
Gamers submitted their picks, some anonymously, and the tabulations had been carried out with a ranked voting system: 2 factors for a first-place vote, 1 for second place and .05 for third. Listed here are the stadiums throughout the league that gamers thought had been the hardest to go to, in addition to a division that could be referred to as the friendliest within the NFL.
Tier 1: The highest 3 can depart you ‘scarred’
Kansas Metropolis (57 factors)
Seattle (41.5)
Minnesota (28.5)
It was a snowy, mid-December sport in 2019, and Denver Broncos rookie tight finish Noah Fant figured the weather would make an impression on the gang at Arrowhead.
“You figured it is a blizzard, will not be as many followers there,” mentioned Fant, presently with the Seattle Seahawks. “And it was nonetheless tremendous loud, they usually had been going loopy.”
Not solely are they loud, however a number of gamers mentioned Chiefs followers are educated concerning the sport and tips on how to make issues troublesome on the opponent. It could be due to the a number of playoff runs they’ve witnessed. The Chiefs have not missed the playoffs since drafting Mahomes, they usually’re making an attempt to grow to be the primary workforce in NFL historical past to win three Tremendous Bowls in a row. After a first-round bye, they will be internet hosting a divisional-round sport.
The Seahawks had been eradicated from playoff rivalry Sunday, they usually’re not as profitable as they had been throughout their “Legion of Increase” days a decade in the past, however Lumen Discipline stays a troublesome location. The gang is named the “12,” as a result of it serves as a twelfth man, however Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu mentioned it’d as effectively be referred to as 13 or 14 contemplating the impression it makes.
“The way in which the stadium is formed, the noise simply comes proper again down on prime of you,” 49ers tight finish George Kittle mentioned. “I additionally assume they’re louder in opposition to us as a result of they hate us probably the most, which is superior. I believe that simply provides to the surroundings.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean remembers being thrust right into a beginning function due to a teammate’s harm at Seattle, masking DK Metcalf, as a rookie in 2019. He mentioned the environment contributed to his jitters in a 40-34 loss in time beyond regulation.
“It makes your nerves unhealthy,” Dean mentioned. “I lastly understood the saying, ‘Be ready, as you by no means know when your time goes to return up.’ And I used to be not ready for that second.”
Minnesota’s U.S. Financial institution Stadium is an indoor facility, however even with out the climate, the environment is uncomfortable for opponents.
“You’re feeling it,” New York Giants receiver Darius Slayton mentioned. “As quickly as you stroll in there, every little thing is purple.
“You’re feeling such as you’re misplaced there. That’s what a very good environment does. It makes you are feeling such as you’re within the improper place. Should you’re in a special colour, you are feeling like you do not belong in there.”
“You’re feeling such as you’re misplaced there. That’s what a very good environment does. It makes you are feeling such as you’re within the improper place. Should you’re in a special colour, you are feeling like you do not belong in there.”
Darius Slayton
San Francisco 49ers All-Professional linebacker Fred Warner mentioned the followers in Minnesota had a profound impact on him.
“They made me assume in a different way about how I method simply being on the sideline, simply staying centered on the sport and never worrying about every little thing else,” mentioned Warner, who’s 0-3 at U.S Financial institution.
One AFC South participant who wished to stay nameless remembered what it felt like when the Vikings jumped out to a fast lead.
“I heard that ‘Skol’ chant early and infrequently,” he mentioned. “Form of scarred from that. Nevertheless it’s a cool place.”
Tier 2: Hostile environments
Philadelphia (18.5)
Buffalo (18)
New Orleans (16.5)
Carolina Panthers defensive finish Jadeveon Clowney mentioned Philadelphia Eagles followers do probably the most jawing. They ship direct messages on social media, they usually remember, as evidenced by the response to his hit on former Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz in 2020.
“I bought the heat from that for like a yr,” Clowney mentioned. “They had been like, ‘You messed our quarterback up,’ and he wasn’t even on their workforce [anymore].”
Kansas Metropolis All-Professional defensive deal with Chris Jones helped knock Buffalo out of the playoffs in two of the previous three seasons, together with final yr’s divisional sport at Highmark Stadium. Jones is aware of the “Payments Mafia,” and he respects the eagerness.
“I fully get pleasure from enjoying in Buffalo,” he mentioned. “Their fan base, similar to ours. Very in tune, very captivated with their workforce.
“I do know once we go up there, it is not solely the Payments we’re enjoying however their followers additionally. It makes that sport extra fascinating and thrilling understanding we’re going into that environment that is much like our personal crowd.”
The New Orleans Saints have not been to the playoffs since 2020, however the Superdome doesn’t lack environment.
“It is simply straight-up noise,” Moore mentioned. “They do not shut up. It is like a celebration there.”
Tier 3: Altitude, noise and ‘Renegade’
Denver (12.5)
Inexperienced Bay (11.5)
Pittsburgh (10)
Detroit (9.5)
Baltimore (8)
Cleveland (8)
The Saints’ 6-foot, 324-pound defensive deal with Khalen Saunders picked Denver because the hardest place to play, however not essentially due to the followers or the Broncos.
Saunders performed for the Chiefs from 2019-22, which meant yearly journeys to Denver.
“It is horrible,” he mentioned. “I’ve bought bronchial asthma, and I am obese, it is not a mixture to be in excessive altitude.
“I made it, however I needed to get oxygen and inhalers for certain. Nevertheless it’s not a enjoyable time enjoying in Denver, particularly not when it is chilly, as a result of the air is even thinner.”
New York Jets tight finish Tyler Conklin additionally introduced up the altitude.
“It is horrible. I’ve bought bronchial asthma, and I am obese, it is not a mixture to be in excessive altitude.”
Khalen Saunders
“The blood-oxygen stage, that is actual,” he mentioned. “That is science. You are going to get drained faster.”
Three AFC North opponents cracked this tier, together with Pittsburgh, which fires up the gang with “Renegade” by Styx within the third quarter.
Inexperienced Bay’s mixture of climate and discipline situations was famous.
Detroit’s Ford Discipline was once a much less formidable place, however now that the Lions are among the finest groups within the NFL, that period is over.
“My first few years in Chicago, Detroit was quiet as s—,” Atlanta Falcons vast receiver Darnell Mooney mentioned. “However final yr we went on the market, and the primary drive, I mentioned, ‘Yo, I’ve by no means heard that.’
“I could not even hear our quarterback speaking. It was loud. I used to be like, ‘Rattling, that is lit. However I am unable to hear s— proper now.'”
Tier 4: The friendliest division in soccer
There are robust locations to play soccer, after which there may be the AFC South. Not one of the gamers selected the stadiums in Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston or Indianapolis.
Since 2021, visiting groups have a .563 profitable proportion in opposition to AFC South groups, the very best for any division, in line with ESPN Analysis. To distinction that, the AFC North has been the toughest division to play at with a .387 profitable proportion for visiting opponents.
For Jacksonville Jaguars working again Travis Etienne Jr., the reason being easy: Loud followers come to look at good soccer groups. Over the previous 4 seasons, the AFC South has a mixed document of 108-158-2 (.407).
“I really feel just like the followers within the NFL, they help winners,” Etienne mentioned. “You recognize, you have to win to your followers to return out, and we have to do a significantly better job at residence.”
All 32 NFL Nation reporters contributed to this story.
