When the Minnesota Vikings host the Washington Commanders in Sunday’s Week 14 matchup from U.S. Bank Stadium, there will be a reunion. Minnesota defensive tackle Jonathan Allen faces off against his hometown team, the team he spent his first eight seasons with before the Commanders released him last March in a salary-cap move.

Allen, 30, was a first-round pick for Washington in the 2017 NFL draft. In eight seasons, Allen played in 109 games for the Commanders, recording 401 tackles, including 60 for loss and 42 sacks. Allen was with Washington through some of the most difficult times in franchise history, remaining a positive force in the locker room and a leader on and off the field.

In his first season with the Vikings, Allen has started every game and has 46 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and eight quarterback hits.

While this is obviously a big game for him personally, Allen is treating it like another game on the schedule.

“Obviously, you know, I’m excited to see the guys back there, but honestly, I’m trying to treat it like another game,” Allen said on Friday. “Not make it too much more than what it is, and focus on what I gotta do to help this team win.”

How challenging is that for Allen to treat this like just another game?

“It’s a little bit easier that this game was a little bit farther off, and I had more time to focus on what I have to do here and not so much that game. So, going into my ninth year in the league, it is definitely something that I am able to do thanks to my experience. But I am excited for it.”

The Commanders went 12-5 in Allen’s final season in the burgundy and gold, while the Vikings were 14-3. This year, Washington sits at 3-9, and Minnesota is 4-8. That surprises Allen.

This isn’t a game where the ex-player and his former team have bad feelings toward one another. While Allen probably wasn’t happy about being cut last winter, the Commanders allowed him to look for a trade and released him before free agency, giving him a chance to find a new team before full free agency began.

Allen is beloved in Washington and will likely be recognized for his eight seasons with the Commanders at some point in the future. But on Sunday, don’t let Allen’s comments fool you; he wants this one badly