Green Bay Packers fans Gannon Blankenship, left, 15, his brother Gage Blankenship, 13, and their father Doyle Blankenship watch players warm up before the start of the game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, October 20, 2019, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The three are from Oklahoma. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Houston Texans, and the game was louder than anything they had previously experienced. Laremy Tunsil continued to struggle with penalties, and Aaron Jones noted just how loud U.S. Bank Stadium was rocking. That is not something that Lambeau Field is capable of generating.
The Green Bay Packers play at one of the most revered stadiums across the National Football League. It’s a great cathedral of historical significance, but the homefield advantage is primarily rooted in weather. This weekend the Vikings aren’t going to see snow from Northern Wisconsin, and the temperatures won’t be frigid either. There goes whatever advantage Green Bay is supposed to have from their home field.
A vast majority of the Minnesota Vikings have previously played at Lambeau Field. They know what to expect from the natural grass surface, understand the historical context that the field brings to the table, and will not be phased by it. However, the Packers have to face a Vikings team that has experienced a real homefield advantage and is flying high offensively.
The Packers will look to build off the win they experienced to end the season last year against Minnesota, but this is not the same team. Sam Darnold is not Nick Mullens, and Aaron Jones is now wearing a better jersey. Justin Jefferson is ready to embarrass Jaire Alexander, and Kevin O’Connell has his team’s sights set so much higher than overlooking any opponent.
It’s very cool that Lambeau Field exists. There have been upgrades over the years, but it still remains the same sort of landmark that it has always been. To Minnesota, it’s just another venue where they can pick up a win. This will be the Vikings’ second road game this season, and it will be their first against an NFC North division opponent.
The Vikings are off to a 3-0 start, but they need to beat the teams they are competing against within the division. Taking the road game would be a monumental start to that pursuit, and doing it against one of the better teams makes it even sweeter. You can bet that Kevin O’Connell will have his team ready to go.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.