Lions eyeing noise record for season opener against Rams

ALLEN PARK — Ford Field howled at record levels when the Los Angeles Rams came to town for the playoffs last season.

The Detroit Lions want it even louder when the Rams return for a blockbuster season opener on Sunday Night Football.

“I’m fully expecting our fans to try and break that sound record again,” left tackle Taylor Decker said. “You know it’s going to be rocking, and they’re going to be partying all day. It’s going to be fun. And they deserve to have the fun because they’ve been supporting us, or supporting this team for maybe 30-40 years.”

Some, even longer.

The Lions finally broke through in the wild-card round of the playoffs, earning their first postseason win in 30 years with a 24-23 thriller against the Rams. The crowd sang Jared Goff’s name that night, while Matthew Stafford — who requested a trade out of town when Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell were hired in 2021 — was booed from the moment he ran out of the tunnel.

The crowd noise reached a deafening of 133.6 decibels, which was not only a Ford Field record, but the fourth-loudest reading in NFL history. Only Seattle, Kansas City and New Orleans have hosted games that were louder than that night in Detroit.

“It was loud,” linebacker Alex Anzalone said. “It was really loud. I don’t even know how to describe it. There was just like a buzz in the air, and I think that’s how it’s going to be going forward.”

The Lions actually topped their own record the following week in a divisional-round win against Tampa Bay (134.3 decibels), then made their unofficial return to Ford Field last month for a preseason game against Pittsburgh. And not only was the joint sold out, but it was so loud that Pittsburgh had multiple procedural penalties because of it.

Yes, in the preseason.

And when the Lions kick off their Super Bowl quest on Sunday night against the Rams, they expect mayhem once again — and even more boos for Stafford.

“Knowing our fans, I’m expecting hostile territory for anyone who comes in here,” Decker said. “I know Stafford is going to take that in stride as a competitor. I don’t think that’s going to bother him one bit. But that’s just the nature of the business. They want to cheer for their team and anyone who comes in here is the enemy. So, we’ll see. I could be wrong, but I think it will be hostile territory.”

Ford Field has always been hostile territory when the Lions are playing relevant football, and now that they’re more relevant than ever, the fans have responded. Ford Field has sold out for a second straight season — after never selling out in any season before that — and second-hand tickets are the most expensive in the league. Next season, a waiting list has already surged past 15,000.