The New Orleans Saints will open the doors of the Caesars Superdome to fans for the first time since 2019 on Sunday against the New York Giants.
During the 2020 regular season, there were heavy restrictions on attendance due to COVID-19. Then, in Week 1 of this season, the Saints had to move their scheduled Week 1 home opener to Jacksonville because of Hurricane Ida.
Needless to say, the fans are restless and Who Dat Nation is ready to explode.
The Giants are well aware of this and did everything within their power to prepare for the noise this week in practice. However, that can only take you so far before you experience the real thing.
“Yeah, we’ll be ready for it. We tried to simulate that [Thursday] in practice and we’ll keep working that, but it’s definitely going to be part of the game and something we’re going to have to prepare for, and we are preparing for it. So, we’ll be ready for it,” quarterback Daniel Jones told reporters on Thursday.
“Coach (Judge) gave us a little taste of how it’s going to sound. He played a little video for us,” defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence said. “Honestly, it’s just staying composed and being locked in on that one play at a time and don’t let the noise be too much. . . Your ears might ring a little bit, but that’s part of what’s going to help them. It’s part of the home field advantage. Just like I said, got to stay composed and do your job.”
The Saints are expecting it to be so loud and rowdy that they actually feel bad for the Giants.
“Man, I feel sorry for them boys,” Saints cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson told reporters on Friday. “They in for a rude awakening on Sunday. 12 o’clock gonna feel like 7:30 p.m. Get ready.”
Gardner-Johnson had to be reminded that it’s been nearly two years — not just two months — since the Caesars Superdome was last filled for a regular season game.
Either way, the Giants know it’s going to be loud and chippy. And that energy is something Gardner-Johnson feeds off of — he’s a known trash talker who often gets under the skin of his opponent.
The Giants need to stay cool, calm and collected if they hope to have any shot at an upset this coming Sunday.