Dan Campbell expects Ford Field 'to be louder' than K.C. for Detroit Lions' home opener
The Kansas City Chiefs have historically had one of the best homefield advantages in football. After winning at Arrowhead Stadium last week, Dan Campbell thinks the Detroit Lions' crowd for Sunday's home opener will be even better.
"I know what Arrowhead is, and it was loud," Campbell said. "I expect it to be louder than that, I really do. I just know our fans. And it’s going to be — it’ll be to the point where you can’t hear yourself think. For them, anyway."
The Lions host the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener Sunday at Ford Field with a chance to start 2-0 for the first time since 2017.
The Lions entered the season with unprecedented hype as favorites to win their first division title in 30 years, and last week's win against the defending Super Bowl champions only heightened expectations.
According to OddsChecker, the Lions went from plus-1100 to plus-600 to win the NFC North after beating the Chiefs, and Dan Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch saw their odds skyrocket to win NFL Coach of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively.
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Lions fans showed up in droves in Kansas City, serenading the team with chants of, "Let's go Lions," at various points throughout the game. And the Lions expect a sellout crowd Sunday after selling out season tickets for the first time in Ford Field history.
While many hold the Lions' 2011 Monday night win over the Chicago Bears up as an example of how raucous a Ford Field crowd could be — crowd noise was such an issue, the Bears committed nine false start penalties in the game — Campbell said he got his first glimpse of the Lions' potential homefield advantage in his first season with the team as a player in 2006, when the Lions lost to the Seahawks, 9-6, in their season opener.
The Seahawks committed three false start penalties in that game, when more than 60,000 fans packed Ford Field despite the Lions coming off a 3-13 season.
"I was not expecting that and it was — it was loud," Campbell said. "It was loud. And I had been in some loud places and been around and I just, I was not expecting it. And that was my first eye-opener to, 'Wow. We get some wins here and this place will really be on fire.'"
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Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow said he has never experienced hype like what's engulfed the Lions this year.
"Not even close, if I’m being honest," he said.
He encouraged fans to be "super quiet when we’re on offense and super loud when they’re doing that communication at the line of scrimmage, as loud as you can while we’re on defense."
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“It’s going to be rocking," Ragnow said. "I couldn’t believe how many people were at Arrowhead, it was awesome, and especially after that big win, I think it’s going to be a pretty cool environment. I’m looking forward to it."
Bait and tackle
The Seahawks lost both of their starting tackles, Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, to injuries in their season opener Sunday, a 30-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Cross sprained his big toe and had to be carted to the locker room, while Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters Lucas was dealing with knee pain.
Campbell said he expects both to play Sunday.
"It’s Monday, so I don’t know how significant that is," he said. "We’re assuming they’re both going to play until, hopefully we’ll know tomorrow, maybe the day after."
As for Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, who played through a sprained ankle against the Chiefs, Campbell said, "he's all right."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dan Campbell: Ford Field will be 'louder' than Arrowhead Stadium
