There may not be a more fitting penultimate game to an abnormal 2020 season than the Vikings' return to New Orleans on Friday, when the ravenous Superdome will be muted and the 73,000 fans that ignited the atmosphere during Minnesota's overtime playoff win in January largely gone.
Few home-field advantages are as tangible as the Superdome, which should be deafening for a nationally televised Christmas Day game. But only 3,000 fans are expected to attend when quarterback Kirk Cousins throws his first pass there since his game-winning touchdown to tight end Kyle Rudolph.
Cousins said this week that playoff game was the "loudest game I've ever played in," and that Friday "probably will be something I'm not used to," calling it a dramatic switch.