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Sights and sounds from an unprecedented NFL opener

Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The NFL is back, but normalcy remains at a distance.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans kicked off the 2020 campaign Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium in front of roughly 16,000 masked, spread out fans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A typically lively venue was nearly silent before the game, with empty seats surrounding the few who showed up early.

Texans head coach Bill O'Brien wore a mask on the sideline, while Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid went with a full face shield:

Those in attendance did their best to maintain the famous Arrowhead atmosphere, providing as much of a boost as possible to the Super Bowl LIV champions:

Here's what a touchdown for the visitors sounded like:

And here's the eruption that took place when the home side got on the board:

Much like other sports leagues, the Chiefs resorted to using cardboard cutouts to fill the stands, including images of The Rock and Queen Elizabeth II, which drew a response from the movie star.

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