The Minnesota Vikings had hoped to stay at home for the entire postseason.
With a bye week to start, a home game in the Divisional Round and the prospect of the Super Bowl being played at U.S. Bank Stadium, all the 13-3 Vikings needed was a Philadelphia Eagles loss to the Atlanta Falcons last Saturday to make the dream possible.
It didn’t happen, obviously, as the Eagles defeated the Falcons 15-10, forcing the Vikings to hit the road for the NFC Championship Game for the second time in the last nine seasons.
With the road trip comes exposure to some of the most raucous fans in football, famous for their unapologetic trash talk and unpredictable antics. Eagles fans become famous for pelting a dressed-up Santa Claus with snowballs in 1968. Fifty years later, things haven’t changed much, as a 22-year-old fan was taken into custody last week for punching a police horse at the game.
Just chalk it up to passion, says Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur.
“They love their football team, and they’re there to watch the game and contribute in a way to help their team win, so I get it,” said Shurmur, the former Philadelphia assistant. “I lived it for 13 years on that side of it, and it’s going to be a great environment for a game. We have to approach it as we do any road environment where it’s the noise that we have to deal with.”
Some of that noise may have started a few hours before the scheduled kickoff.
Eagles fans plotted to blow air horns throughout the night outside the Vikings team hotel, though there was confusion on social media over which hotel Minnesota was staying at: the Westin or Loews.
“They love their football team, and they’re there to watch the game and contribute in a way to help their team win, so I get it”
Video surfaced Saturday of the Vikings arriving at the Loews. A person staying at the Loews told Zone Coverage that the hotel was bombarded with air horns and an early-morning fire evacuation, though the hotel has not corroborated the report.
It has become fairly common for opposing fans to try messing with teams’ sleep schedules before big games.
“To me, that’s part of it,” right guard Joe Berger said this week of the unique road atmosphere. “You know you’re there with your group. That’s all that matters, and that’s all you have to win the game, and you don’t need anything else.”
Minnesota fans haven’t exactly been silent.
The traveling Vikings fan contingent gathered for mass “Skol Chants” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Liberty Bell, while some went to work redecorating the famed Rocky statue in Vikings garb.
The week-long back-and-forth between Vikings and Eagles fan bases — both starving for a Super Bowl berth — shapes up to create a frenzied atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday.
“I wouldn’t really want it any other way,” said running back Latavius Murray. “I’m excited about everything that I’ve been hearing about playing there, and obviously this is just a big game in general. We’re talking about the NFC Championship.”
The Vikings were 6-2 away from home this season with wins at Chicago, London, Washington, Detroit, Atlanta and Green Bay. Their losses occurred in Pittsburgh and Carolina.
Minnesota scored 23 points per game on the road this year and allowed 19.
The Vikings played in Philadelphia Week 7 of last season, losing 21-10 to begin a four-game losing streak. But wide receiver Stefon Diggs — hero in last week’s playoff win — believes the experience will help, at least somewhat.
“It’s going to be the NFC Championship,” said Diggs, “so it’s going to be a little bit louder than it was in the regular season, but it’s definitely going to be another challenge for us, and I know my guys are looking forward to it.”
Reportedly, Philadelphia police are greasing light poles to prevent fans from climbing them, and local travel agents have warned Vikings fans not to celebrate too vigorously in the case of Minnesota win, lest they anger Eagles fans.
The Vikings, it seems, are embracing the hostility.
“Might get some names called. Might get some beer spilled on you,” said Murray. “Just hope it’s like some Coors Light or something.”
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