DETROIT – NFL players participated in a poll to rank the toughest stadiums to play in around the league.
Since the Lions became a Super Bowl contender at the start of the 2023-24 season, Ford Field has been one of the loudest and most difficult venues for opposing players.
Detroit hosted a pair of playoff games last year for the first time since Ford Field was built, and the Lions knocked off the Rams and the Buccaneers -- with an assist from the home crowd.
This season, the Lions are 6-2 at home.
ESPN asked 111 NFL players about the toughest places to play in the league, and here’s the top 10:
- Kansas City
- Seattle
- Minnesota
- Philadelphia
- Buffalo
- New Orleans
- Denver
- Green Bay
- Pittsburgh
- Detroit
On one hand, it’s great to see Detroit included in the top 10 after so many decades of losing.
But also, 10th feels a bit low for this current version of Ford Field. Maybe some of the players who participated in this study haven’t been to Detroit the past two seasons.
The city promises to be rocking this weekend, when the Lions host the Vikings with the No. 1 seed in the conference on the line. The winner will take the NFC North crown and a first-round bye, while the loser will drop to the No. 5 seed and hit the road in the playoffs.
