One Aspect of Vikings Football Has Been Restored
One Aspect of Vikings Football Has Been Restored
At least for two games, the Minnesota Vikings' homefield advantage has returned — dramatically.
One Aspect of Vikings Football Has Been RestoredThe franchise has toppled the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans in back-to-back weeks by a point differential of 33 points. Both teams were and are considered Super Bowl contenders.
Homefield advantage is back after a confusing 2-6 record at home in 2023. On the whole, Minnesota finished 7-10, mainly because Kirk Cousins fell injured late last October, but even before the Cousins Achilles tear, the Vikings struggled at home.
To start 2024, the team has not floundered at home, returning to normalcy as U.S. Bank Stadium had served as a fortress of homefield advantage from 2016 to 2022. It's back, and no evidence suggests the 2-6 woes will return.
These are the Vikings' yearly records at U.S. Bank Stadium since its opening in 2016:
The franchise's 2023 home and road record, in theory, should've been flipped last year. If at all, Minnesota should've fired up a 2-6 record on the road while protecting homefield to the tune of 5-4. But no cigar.
The Vikings' rather wimpy 2-6 mark at home in 2023 — or winning 25% of the time — ranked 29th in the NFL. Only the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders played worse at home. For context, the Arizona Cardinals, a subpar club in general, had a 2-6 win-loss record at home one year ago.
U.S. Bank Stadium used to be a total garrison for Vikings' dominance. From 2016 to 2022, Minnesota's .684 win rate ranked fourth-best in the NFL, topped by the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2023, the Vikings had the NFL's fourth-worst homefield advantage.
It was fourth-best per stadium history to fourth-worst in 2023.
Early returns, though, claim homefield advantage is once again on the menu in 2024. With the team wearing throwback uniforms in Sunday's win over the Texans, fans threw the atmosphere back to the 2017 season when every game was a loud, visceral, intimidating experience. For those in attendance, it felt like years since that building sounded that raucous.
Unfortunately, homefield advantage won't be applicable for four weeks: Minnesota doesn't return home until after the bye on October 21st.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow . The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, 'The Sopranos,' Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
