BALTIMORE — After the Baltimore Ravens ‘ 34-10 divisional playoff win over the Houston Texans last week, the wife of kicker Justin Tucker asked him if it was especially loud on the field.
“Because it felt like the stadium was literally rocking,” said Amanda Tucker, who sat in the stands with the wife of guard Kevin Zeitler . “I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the stadium like that.”
When the Ravens host the first AFC Championship Game (3 p.m. ET, CBS) in their 28-year history Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will have to contend with the 12th man at M&T Bank Stadium, and that means about 120 decibels — which was the measured noise level on Saturday and is comparable to a jet plane taking off.
The Ravens believe their crowd contributed to seven penalties by the Texans: five false starts, one delay of game and one encroachment.
Asked if the fans were louder in the postseason, Baltimore wide receiver Zay Flowers said, “Yes, you couldn’t tell? Houston noticed it. We’ve got the best fans in the country. ‘The Bank’ is hard to come into because the fans got grit.”