Driving home after games last season, Alex Anzalone hardly had a voice to talk with his wife and children. He had lost it trying to communicate with the defense over the fans inside Ford Field. The Lions linebacker and co-captain wouldn't have it any other way.
"As much as that makes it difficult (for us), it hurts the opposing offense even more," said Anzalone.
He's ready for more of the same in Sunday night's season opener against the Rams.
"A lot of us starters didn’t play in the preseason and that last preseason home game definitely got the juices flowing, as far as the excitement. And just getting in front of the fans and playing defense, there’s really nothing better than playing here," Anzalone said.
The fans packed Ford Field for the preseason finale last month, staying to the end to watch the Lions' backups beat the Steelers. Dan Campbell told his players before the game, "This is the best environment you’re going to find in a preseason game -- and we’re not even to the regular season yet, guys." He shook his head afterward and said, "Our fans, this was crazy. ... You can only imagine what this is going to be like two weeks from now on Sunday night."
Last time the Lions hosted the Rams on a Sunday night, the fans broke the decibel record at Ford Field. They broke it again the next week against the Bucs as the Lions won consecutive playoff games for the first time in the Super Bowl era.
"I’m fully expecting our fans to try and break that sound record again," said left tackle Taylor Decker. "You know it’s going to be rocking, they’re going to be partying all day. It’s going to be fun, and they deserve it, because they’ve been supporting this team for maybe 30, 40 years. You can’t understate the value of a home-field advantage like that."
The atmosphere for the Rams game was ratcheted up by the return of former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Like any visiting player, he was booed when he took the field. Stafford sounded bitter about it at first, but his stance has softened since. He can expect something similar on Sunday night.
"Knowing our fans, I’m expecting hostile territory for anybody who comes in here," said Decker, teammates with Stafford for five seasons in Detroit. "And I know Staff is going to take that in stride as a competitor, I don’t think it’s going to bother him one bit. But that's just the nature of the business. They want to cheer for their team and anybody who comes in here is the enemy. So we’ll see. I could be wrong, but I think it’s going to be hostile territory."
Campbell is ready. So are his players. He said he could "see it in their eyes" when he watched them walk up the tunnel after warmups before that final preseason game, like racehorses raring to go.
"Like, they know," Campbell said. "And they understand what they’re getting ready to walk into with our fans and our crowd and the type of game and opponent we’re getting ready to face. They feel it like I do, and they know it’s on us now and it's time to go."