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There is nothing quite like the roar of an NFL crowd both in person and on television. Not only is crowd noise an integral part of the NFL experience, but it can also have an impact on the game being played as well. Here, we look at the loudest stadiums in the NFL and which teams have some of the top home-field advantages in the league because of them.
Below is the list of the loudest NFL stadiums, going by the maximum decibel level at each venue. It is interesting to note that there is a pretty even split on this list between indoor and outdoor stadiums, proving that being in an enclosed space does not guarantee volume the way that one might think it would. In either case, these are the 10 loudest NFL venues.
By far the loudest stadium in the NFL, Arrowhead Stadium has provided a legitimate home-field advantage for the Kansas City Chiefs. Topping out at 142.2 decibels, this stadium has held the world record for the loudest sporting venue in the world before. Naturally, all of that noise has been a big help to the Kansas City Chiefs, as they have built their dynasty over the years with Patrick Mahomes at the helm.
Everyone has heard the story of Lumen Field registering on the Richter Scale during Marshawn Lynch’s iconic touchdown run in the postseason against the New Orleans Saints. But this stadium is consistently loud, even when an all-time great moment is not taking place. This venue has maxed out its volume at 137.6 decibels, which is the equivalent of an airplane taking off.
Our first indoor venue on this list is Caesars Superdome, which serves as the home to the New Orleans Saints. There was a period of time that the Saints had the biggest home-field advantage in all of football, with their crowd noise being a big reason for that edge. This stadium tops out at 130 decibels, which is the equivalent of an air raid siren or a jackhammer being used at a construction site.
The Arizona Cardinals are not typically known for their crowd noise, but that is more a product of their struggling football team than it is anything else. In any case, State Farm Stadium in Glendale is capable of generating some serious noise for the Cardinals when the team can get the fans energized. This stadium tops out at 130 decibels, putting it solidly into the top five in terms of its maximum decibel levels.
Rounding out the top five in our list of the loudest NFL stadiums is Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Packers fans are known as some of the most passionate in all of football. After all, many of them own parts of the team. But those team owners and non-owners come together to produce incredible amounts of crowd noise on a regular basis, maxing out at a rambunctious 123 decibels, the equivalent of a rock concert.
Minnesota Vikings fans have seen their share of ups and downs with their favorite team, but they have still brought the noise at every turn at US Bank Stadium. The Vikings’ home venue has seen a maximum volume of 120.1 decibels. Whether that noise has been a product of fans screaming about the quarterback play of Kirk Cousins, or the fans are trying to give their team a boost is up to you to decide.
The New England Patriots have been one of the proudest franchises in the NFL over the last two decades, and their fans have been witnesses to some of the great moments in recent NFL history. Therefore, it is not surprising to see them on this list, as the crowd at Gillette Stadium can be as loud as 106.4 decibels on game day. That is equal to a snow blower running in your ears, which could be the case given how many memorable moments for the Patriots have taken place in the snow.
The Baltimore Ravens have won multiple Super Bowls in their history, and have been very exciting in the Lamar Jackson era on top of that. That is why it is no surprise to see them on the list of the top-10 loudest NFL stadiums. Baltimore’s home field has seen noise levels of up to 105 decibels, as they look to continue to support a defense that is always trying to live up to the days of Ray Lewis and company in the 2000s.
Philadelphia sports fans are known for being on the loud side about most things, from the play of their teams to the game officials and just about everything else happening in a sporting event. One might expect them to be higher on this list, but they come in at ninth-loudest in the NFL. Lincoln Financial Field maxes out around 93 decibels, which feels a little tame for a city with the reputation that Philadelphia has.
Rounding out our top-10 loudest NFL stadiums is Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. This is another venue that has seen the ultimate levels of success in the NFL, with fans rewarding the Steelers with up to 90 decibels of noise. That noise is more important than ever in the present day, as the Steelers defense needs all the help it can get to get stops and hand the ball back to their young quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Some readers may be asking why crowd noise matters at football games, and that is certainly a fair question. After all, teams call which plays they want to run and they must then execute those plays, regardless of what is going on around them. But there are a couple of key impacts that come from crowd noise in the NFL.
First, crowd noise makes it much more difficult for visiting teams to communicate their plays to one another on the field. While they can decide on a play and relay it to each other in the huddle, crowd noise makes it difficult to make any changes or get lined up in the event of changes before the snap. There are non-verbal ways to do this, but crowd noise can lead to false start penalties and delay of game penalties at times, which can really hurt the drives of visiting teams.
There is also a psychological effect that crowd noise can have that works in the favor of home teams in the NFL. With pro football being so greatly impacted by momentum and the mental side of the game, having tens of thousands of fans cheering you on can really motivate a player to make a big play. Whether that play is a big hit or fighting for a couple of extra yards, a loud crowd can give a player just the boost they need to step up and deliver on a big stage.
There are so many reasons that NFL crowds make noise, from the excitement of simply being at a game, to the obvious desire to see their team win. But there are a couple of key factors that really help ramp up the crowd noise at pro football games.
The history of a team can have a major impact on whether or not a fan base is willing to make an impactful amount of noise for their players. For example, the Green Bay Packers have long been one of the most successful NFL teams, and their fans have responded in kind by making massive levels of noise on their behalf. Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders were poorly run for a long time, and they are still trying to build goodwill with their fans as a result.
Along with the impact that team history has on fan enthusiasm, the current state of a football team also have a major impact on fan enthusiasm. Teams with winning records at home or teams with a chance to make the playoffs will receive more enthusiasm from fans than teams without those things.
Jay Sanin is a sports bettor and writer from New York. He has been handicapping since the moment he was old enough to gamble legally, with his specialties being niche sports like the WNBA and XFL. He’s been told he has a voice for radio. He also has a face for radio.
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