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.
“They’ll be packed out, and there’ll be no Cardinals fans,” Gannon said. “It’s a tough place to play.”
The Vikings, who are 3-1 at home this year, face Atlanta on Dec. 8 and Chicago on Dec. 16. After a game at Seattle on Dec. 22, they're back home again against Green Bay on Dec. 29 in a schedule that will keep them mostly home for the holidays. Their last game is at division-leading Detroit.
“I want everybody to be pushing forward, trying to continue to chase improvement and progression all the way through the end of our season,” coach Kevin O'Connell said. “They’re going to be jacked to be back in front of our fans at U.S. Bank. We know it’ll be an unbelievable atmosphere. We’ve got to give them something to be excited about.”
The Cardinals (6-5), who are coming off a 16-6 loss at Seattle — another challenging environment for visiting teams — are 2-3 on the road this year. They're tied with the Seahawks for the NFC West lead.
“We can’t let one turn into two, two turn into three. We have to get right back on the horse and keep going, and the guys understand that,” Murray said. “We’ve done a good job of bouncing back, and we get another opportunity to go out there this weekend and do that again.”
Murray moved into the MVP conversation during Arizona's four-game winning streak, but his candidacy took a hit against the Seahawks. He threw an interception that was returned 69 yards for a touchdown and took five sacks under a heavy rush.
“You have to fight that, though, and still stand in the pocket and deliver,” Murray said. “I think that’s an internal battle for every quarterback, feeling pressure and sticking in there.”
Murray, with 380 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, has an exceptional ability to elude defenders whether on a scramble or a designed run. The Vikings are on high alert, having faced Bears quarterback Caleb Williams the week before.
“It was kind of like a warmup for one of the guys who does it the best in the league. That’s why he gets paid the money he does, because he’s really good at it,” Metellus said. “We know what we have to clean up to keep a guy like that in place and in check.”
One reason the Cardinals have climbed into the playoff race after posting a 4-13 record in each of the last two seasons is a defense that has steadily progressed. They've allowed only one offensive touchdown over the last three games, with safeties Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson leading a strong secondary and linebacker Zaven Collins highlighting the pass rush.
The Vikings are back home after three straight road games, the 11th such stretch on their schedule in the 64-year history of the franchise. This was the first time they won all three.
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