Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow prepared for loud crowd in AFC title game against Kansas City Chiefs
CINCINNATI -- Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow knows that his ears will probably be ringing on Sunday.
One of the loudest stadiums in the NFL has been a main topic of conversation as Cincinnati prepares for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Burrow said it's par for the course this deep in the postseason.
"It's always going to be a topic when you're playing on the road in the playoffs," Burrow said. "It was loud last week. We handled it OK. We had a couple of mistakes.
"But I think we've had a good week of practice within that noise. I think we're going to be more well prepared for it."
All week, the Bengals have prepared for the expected decibel levels at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. Cincinnati piped in artificial crowd noise for practices inside Paul Brown Stadium that could be heard from blocks away.
During a Monday Night Football game in 2014, the crowd for Kansas City's win over the New England Patriots set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for the largest crowd roar at a stadium at 142.2 decibels.
However, the stadium capacity is smaller than several college football stadiums, including those in the SEC.
"I think a lot of the guys, and specifically Joe, is ready for that because guys like him and (Ja'Marr) Chase and guys who played in the SEC played against opponents where it was hundreds of thousands of fans in the stadium," Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd said.
Still, the Bengals should be well prepared for the potential pre-snap disruption in Kansas City. Cincinnati has spent the week working on its nonverbal communication in anticipation of all the noise.
Cincinnati committed two false start penalties in the team's road win over Tennessee in last week's divisional playoff game. Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams, who played college ball at Alabama, said both stadiums can be plenty loud.
"It's a big deal," Williams said. "I don't think that these things are mutually exclusive. I think the SEC [stadiums] can be loud and Arrowhead can also be loud. I don't think anyone means to slight them by saying that."
The fourth-seeded Bengals are looking to block out the noise, upset Kansas City and advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1989. Williams added that at a certain point, all noise eventually falls on deaf ears, no matter the volume.
"It could be 140 decibels," Williams said. "It could be 300 decibels. It doesn't matter. You can have no ear drums. But as long as you're communicating nonverbally and have a good understanding of the scheme and how to work together, that's our plan."
