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Buffalo's new Highmark Stadium will help Bills surpass the Chiefs

This fascinating video shows exactly how the new Highmark Stadium in Buffalo will be a very difficult place for opposing teams to play.
Brian Letscher|
Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans cheer.
Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans cheer. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Often referred to as 'the twelfth man' in the NFL, crowd noise can be a literal game-changer. When a home team has fans that makes enough noise to reach the decibel level of a jet engine that team has a distinct advantage - just ask the Bills biggest rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, who play at Arrowhead Stadium which has the record for loudest stadium ever.

The current Highmark Stadium has long been considered by many to be among the most intimidating environments in the NFL.

ESPN released a poll asking 111 NFL players to rank the toughest places to play across the league. They received anecdotes from players and incorporated it into the report. Per ESPN, players were asked to rank their top three hardest places to play. Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City was the top vote-getter with 57 points, followed by Lumen Field in Seattle, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota, and Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The current Highmark Stadium was ranked as the fifth toughest place to play in the country.

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Patrick Mahomes
Sep 22, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) signals to the crowd. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

With the construction of their new Highmark Stadium, the Buffalo organization clearly intends to compete not only on the field but also in the game of crowd noise. The team recently posted a fascinating video that details the incredible speaker technology and power, as well as how the stadium itself is designed in order to maximize the decibel level.

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Erik Carlson, senior project executive for the new Highmark, detailed the specifics behind the design and said, "With the amount of speakers that are in this place, this is going to be one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL - by far. With an open roof like this, the acoustical design is [to be] as high as you possibly can and firing right down on the crowd."

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Josh Allen
Nov 3, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans hold a poster of quarterback Josh Allen. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

As the Bills look to move past their disappointing loss the Chiefs in the AFC championship game, they will welcome with open arms the addition of a potent 'twelfth man' in their new Highmark Stadium. While the Bills players and fans will have to wait until 2026 to bring the noise, the hope is that it gives them one more home field advantage in their quest to the Super Bowl.

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Brian Letscher
BRIAN LETSCHER

A Michigan native, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in another century, where he earned a degree in economics and a Rose Bowl Championship ring while playing football for the Wolverines under Head Coach Gary Moeller. Brian went on to coach Division 1A football for several years before becoming a full-time writer and actor while maintaining an unhealthy interest in sports. He is currently developing a scripted television series, THOSE WHO STAY, based on a series of historical fiction articles he wrote about Bo Schembechler's Michigan football program as they struggle to unite and win the championship - which requires beating #1 Ohio State - during the tumultuous civil rights and anti-war movements of 1969.

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