Baker Mayfield downplays potential crowd noise against Lions

A lot has already been made about this Sunday’s Divisional Round showdown in Motown.

It’s objectively rich with storylines, as the Detroit Lions are trying to keep their dream season alive and reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991 and absolve the city of decades worth of pain. Meanwhile the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are unexpected party guests, having been picked to tank before the season started before going on to win the NFC South for the third-straight season.

On top of all that, Sunday will be a rematch between the two teams. Detroit got the better of Tampa Bay back in Week 6, but the Bucs are an entirely different team now than they were then.

We’ve heard our fair share of trash talk ahead of Sunday’s game, but one thing that is expected to be undeniably loud is the crowd noise inside of Ford Field.

It’s been hyped up all week but the Bucs don’t seem to be very bothered.

Baker Mayfield downplays potential crowd noise in Detroit

Unlike the first meeting, which happened in Tampa Bay, the Bucs will be heading to the Lion’s Den and a truly hostile territory. Los Angeles Rams players talked about how incredibly intense the crowd was during the Wild Card game, and it’s already gone down as the fourth-loudest game in NFL history.

Baker Mayfield acknowledged the challenge the crowd noise could present but downplayed how big of a factor it might end up playing.

“It just comes down to everybody knowing exactly what our gameplan is – all the calls to and from, because there could be certain times where they can’t hear certain things," Mayfield said. “It shouldn’t be a surprise for us. It’s going to be a great atmosphere.”

Baker Mayfield acknowledged the challenge the crowd noise could present but downplayed how big of a factor it might end up playing.

He also mentioned atmospheres in both Minnesota from earlier this year and the playoff game he played in at Arrowhead as similar environments. Baker wisely didn’t throw any shade at Lions fans to give them an excuse to get even more fired up, but it sent a clear message that it’s not his first rodeo with a ruckus crowd.

After all, he played in places like Pittsburgh as a rival player in the past — plus had his own fans turn on him in Cleveland — so he’s no stranger to hostility.

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