You enter the fog of Seattle and perhaps also history.

They embark on a three-week journey Sunday to reach the culmination of perhaps the most endearing season in the long and unfinished legacy of Minnesota Vikings football.

They will play in perhaps the most atmospheric stadium in football. The Seattle Seahawks’ home field is now called Lumen Field, and come late Sunday afternoon when this important game is decided, it will feel and look like a film set by a talented director.

This game is won or lost at dusk, when misty rain is present or threatened, casting the scene in sepia tones.

The Vikings have been here before, geographically and emotionally. This is the place where Russell Wilson stole apparent victories from them, where the weight of one of the loudest outdoor stadiums and most passionate fan bases makes the fourth quarter seem like a grunge mosh pit with a goal line. A member of Pearl Jam can show up at any time, as can a fourth-quarter collapse by the visiting team.

NFL games in September and December feel different not only because of the greater importance of a playoff race. They also look different, especially in outdoor stadiums.

The light becomes dimmer as the pieces become more alive. Each piece will elicit a collective cringe, cheer or groan from millions of people.

This begins a three-week test of the Vikings’ resistance to their own franchise’s deserved reputation. The path is steep but clear.