TCF Bank Stadium Hasn’t Felt Much Like Home for Vikings

On the schedule the Minnesota Vikings have 8 home games this year just like everyone else, but in reality the Vikings arguably play zero true home games in 2014.

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The fact is that, through 3 “home” contests, TCF Bank Stadium has felt more like a neutral venue than a true home stadium for Minnesota.

The energy at TCF has not been anything like what it used to be at the Metrodome, which was famed for its intimidatingly loud and boisterous atmosphere.

The Vikings weren’t always a good team in their years at the Dome but even in their down times they still had a genuine home field advantage thanks to the fans.

That advantage became even greater when they began building their roster with the Dome’s artificial surface in mind.

The Vikings always had great speed rushers like Chris Doleman and John Randle who got huge burst off that turf, making life difficult for quarterbacks.

The Vikes also would fill their team with speed receivers and backs like Randy Moss and Robert Smith, resulting in some truly explosive offensive teams.

The Dome days weren’t always great days for the Vikings, but home games always held the promise of excitement.

That feeling is not carrying over to TCF Bank Stadium thus far. The Vikings have won just one of three games there this year, playing in front of listless, quiet crowds.

The open air stadium just doesn’t have the same vibe as the tiny enclosed Metrodome where the fans felt like they were right on top of the players.

The stadium’s wind patterns have also posed a problem for the Vikings’ kicker Blair Walsh, who has missed 2 of 7 at TCF.

Walsh’s TCF struggles are symbolic of the team’s larger issue: they don’t have a true home field advantage at their home stadium.

And things may only get worse for the Vikings as we head into the cold months of the season. The Vikings’ roster, with its inexperienced QB, doesn’t seem particularly suited to survival in a bad weather city with no dome overhead.

TCF could prove to be a tangible disadvantage for the Vikings as the season progresses. And they still have to spend 2015 there as well.

Hopefully, today’s Redskins game will see a turnaround in the Vikings’ fortunes at TCF. Because so far that place has felt like anything but the home it is meant to be.