PHILADELPHIA — Editor's note: The above video is from May 14.
The last time 67,594 fans packed the seats of Lincoln Financial Field, the Philadelphia Eagles were a very different team.
It was Jan. 5 of 2020.
Philadelphia was in a wild card matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
Then-franchise quarterback Carson Wentz and head coach Doug Pederson had led an injury-plagued roster made up of backups and practice squad members on a four-game win streak to clinch the NFC East.
Although Wentz was knocked out of the game with a concussion just two drives in and the Eagles failed to come back against the Seahawks, there was a feeling the team had turned a corner.
Wentz, finally, after two years of seeing his backup in Nick Foles finish the season on back-to-back playoff runs, had a run of his own.
The franchise quarterback had almost literally carried the team into the playoffs, something that he wasn't able to do in his first three seasons.
The idea was to get everyone back healthy, get some speed at wide receiver, and the team's window still appeared to be wide open.
Nobody could have predicted what would come next in the year of 2020.
The coronavirus pandemic hit the United States hard, forcing quarantines, and closing stadiums across the NFL from fan access for the upcoming season.
The Eagles went on to have the worst season in eight years, finishing 4-11-1.
As a result, they fired Pederson as head coach. They traded Wentz to Indianapolis. They moved on from many other veteran coaches and players as well.
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Although the team had regressed since the Super Bowl win in 2017, the 2020 collapse was certainly not expected.
Luckily for fans, and for the team as well, "The Linc" didn't host many during the season to witness such bad football.
Skipping over that disastrous season, fans will return to the stands to see a very different team: A team stepping foot into a brand-new era.
Unlike the reigning of boos that would have surrounded the team throughout 2020, head coach Nick Sirianni and many players and coaches will part-take in their first home opener in front of a roaring, optimistic crowd of nearly 70,000 Eagles fans.
Whether it is because of the cheering or booing, being at Lincoln Financial Field during a game is an experience unlike any other, and you can tell the newcomers to the team are excited.
In all of sports, you may not find a better place to be thank "The Linc" when fans are excited about their Eagles. You may not find a better home field advantage, either.
Since 2016, the Eagles have a 72% winning percentage at home when fans are in the stadium.
When things go bad, you may not find a worse place to be at than "The Linc" when the Eagles are struggling.
It is an up-and-down relationship, but the constant factor that always remains is the intense energy and passion of the fanbase.
For a lot of the team, Sunday will be the first dose of that unique bond.
First impressions are everything right?