Vikings eager to rev up crowd for December residency at U.S. Bank Stadium, with Cardinals up first
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The advantage of playing at home in the NFL now is not quite what it used to be, with so many artificial surfaces in climate-controlled and warm-weather stadiums and such a wealth of rocket-armed passers and big-legged kickers around the league.
Paying a visit to the Minnesota Vikings these days, though, is still a daunting task. The combination of the crowd noise under the translucent roof at U.S. Bank Stadium and the organized chaos of a disguise-heavy and fast-moving defense puts a lot of stress on an opponent.
Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals are up next, the first of three straight home games for the Vikings (9-2), who are pursuing a playoff berth and the NFC North lead.
Any chance you get to play in an energized and electric environment that´s in our favor is going to help, especially in December,” safety Josh Metellus said. “When teams are trying their hardest to play great football, that crowd noise and that energy can kind of throw people off.”
Home teams in 2024 have a .525 winning percentage, which ranks 51st out of 55 seasons since the AFL-NFL merger. The home record ranks in the previous four years were 39th, 36th, 53rd and 55th, according to Sportradar. The Vikings themselves did a lousy job of feeding off their fans last year, going 2-6 for their fourth-worst home record in the franchise’s 64 seasons.
But his year, with the defense igniting the crowd, U.S. Bank Stadium has been buzzing. Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, who was a Vikings assistant during the first two seasons the building was open, has a firsthand experience to share with his club.
