MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-1)	GAME #8	GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-2)
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Hey, so there's a game this afternoon, I hear.

You know, I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but I'm not nearly as amped up for this game as I was for the clash at the Dome a few weeks ago.  Am I more confident?  Not necessarily, even though (as you can see) I think the Vikings win this afternoon.  Is it having to wait until 3:15 to see the game?  Maybe a bit.  Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for kickoff and everything, but I'm not crazy or nervous like I was before the Week 4 matchup.

So, what are the keys this afternoon?

1) Keep Favre upright - In the first meeting between these two teams, Brett Favre saw very little in the way of a pass rush from the Packer defense.  Part of this likely stems from Green Bay's boneheaded decision to take one of the best pass rushing defensive linemen in football, Aaron Kampman, and make him drop back into coverage a lot.  Kampman is, allegedly, playing more on the line of scrimmage since the Packers' bye, but we'll see how well that works against a quality team like Minnesota as opposed to teams like Cleveland and Detroit.  Favre is 6-0 in his career against teams that have either been coached by or had their defenses coordinated by current Packer defensive coordinator Dom Capers, so the next time that guy fools #4 will be the first.  If the Vikings can keep Favre's jersey clean, it should be a very good day for the ol' gunslinger.

2) Get to Aaron Rodgers - The Packers keep moving people around on the offensive line, and the net result is a unit that still isn't very good.  Jared Allen will likely be matched up against rookie T.J. Lang, who #69 had his way with as an injury replacement in the first game.  The Packers' starting center, Jason Spitz, also appears likely to miss today's game, which is good for the Williams Wall.  The Packers are down to three healthy wide receivers, and TE Jermichael Finley (who put on a show against the Vikings a few weeks ago) is a "long shot" to play today, according to Packers coach Mike McCarthy.  That could limit some of the package the Packers like to run, such as their five-wide set.  That might mean they leave more guys in to block, but the Vikings showed in the first matchup that they can get to Rodgers regardless.  They need to keep that trend going today.

3) Let the Packers pick their poison - Green Bay has a choice to make.  They can either focus on stopping Adrian Peterson and let Favre go nuts (like they did in Week 4), or they can devote more guys to the pass and let #28 go crazy (like they did in the 2008 matchup at the Dome where AP got 192 yards on them).  They've shown that they're not good enough to do both.  The Vikings need to figure out what the Packers' plan is and keep attacking it.

This game can pretty much put the NFC North division on ice for the Beloved Purple if they can pull out a victory today.  It would give them a season sweep of the Packers and, essentially, a three-game lead over Green Bay going into the Vikings' bye week.  With a three-game homestand coming out of the chute after the bye against three teams that aren't particularly good (Detroit, Seattle, and Chicago), the Vikings could find themselves in very, VERY good shape if they win this afternoon.

It's about ninety minutes before kickoff, ladies and gentlemen. . .and, in a sign that the football gods are smiling down on us, the Vikings are the featured game today on Fox, and we won't have to listen to one second of whining douchebaggery from Joe Buck, as he's busy with that whole World Series thing going on in Philadelphia tonight.  In the words of latter-day American philosopher Ice Cube. . ."Today. . .is a good day."

Oh, and since I haven't mentioned it already. . .our intrepid co-blogger Eric is actually going to be in Green Bay today.  He'll be part of an interview session with Bart Starr, Jan Stenerud, and Paul Krause before heading to Brett Favre Field to take in the game.  Hopefully he'll be checking in with some live reports as the game goes along.  Have a good time, Eric!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-0)	GAME #7	PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-2)
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Yeah, yeah, I know. . .bad pun.

I'd like to kick this Game Thread off by apologizing to both you folks and the Steeler fans that have happened by during the course of the week for the lack of interaction between us and the folks from Behind the Steel Curtain this week.  I've had a lot of stuff going on here, what with the notification of my next assignment, finishing up a college course I'm taking, and a few other things.  This week has been the exception, not the rule, as far as interacting with our non-divisional opponents, and I will effort to make sure that this doesn't occur again this season.

That having been said, after last week's "biggest test of the year," the Beloved Purple move on to their new biggest test of the year this week, as they road trip to the Steel City to take on the defending World Champions.  Vikings' cornerback Antoine Winfield is expected to miss this one as he rests his sprained foot, while star safety Troy Polamalu is expected to play for the Steelers, albeit with a heavy brace on his knee.  This game should be an interesting clash between a couple of the league's premiere teams.  So, what are the keys for the Vikings in this one?

1) Control the time of possession - With the absence of Winfield in the secondary and Ben Roethlisberger having a monster year behind center for the Steelers, the Vikings' best strategy is to hang on to the football and keep the Steeler offense on the sidelines.  When one realizes that Pittsburgh is one of the NFL's best defenses against the run, that sounds like something that's easier said than done.  But, according to the folks at Football Outsiders, with as good as the Steeler defense has been this season, they've been pretty much awful on third downs.  Based on DVOA, the Steelers are 28th against the pass on third down and dead last against the run on third down this season.  If the Vikings are going to win, they're going to have to convert third downs at a significant clip and keep the offense on the field.

2) Get to Roethlisberger often - If you've watched the Steelers during the Roethlisberger era, you know that Big Ben likes to hold on to the ball. . .and hold it. . .and hold it. . .and get rid of it at the last possible second.  With his propensity for holding on to the ball, it's very likely that the Vikings will get to him a time or two today.  However, a time or two isn't going to be enough.  Jared Allen, Kevin Williams and company are going to need to be in his face all afternoon long to make things as tough on him as possible.

3) Be. . .aggressive.  B-E aggressive - Last week was an example of Brad Childress, seemingly, being afraid to blow a team out.  The Vikings scored two quick touchdowns against the Ravens, and then completely went into a shell offensively until the end of the game when they had to mount a furious comeback after Baltimore made the necessary adjustments and took the lead.  This trend can not continue.  The Vikings have a ton of offensive talent, and if they find something that works, they need to stick with it.  If that's pounding Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor at a Steeler defense that recently lost their best run defender (DE Aaron Smith), then they need to stick with it.  If that's Brett Favre going after a Steeler secondary with a gimpy Polamalu, then they need to stick with that.  Either way, this team absolutely can't let off of the throttle if they jump out to a quick lead.

On the New York Times' Fifth Down blog, Mike Tanier of Football Outsiders says that "this may be the greatest Vikings team ever assembled, better than the 1998 flash-in-the-pan that finished 15-1, better than the 1970s conference powerhouse that this team so closely resembles."  But even the 1998 team lost a game, and the 1974 team that faced the Steelers in Super Bowl IX only went 10-4, so even if this is the "greatest Vikings team ever assembled," they're still going to have a stumble or two. . .and I think one of those stumbles happens today.

Back in April, when I did my insanely early look at the Vikings' schedule, I said this about the matchup with the Steelers:

I won't lie to you, folks. . .out of the sixteen games on Minnesota's 2009 schedule, there's only one that I can honestly say that I don't think the Vikings have any real shot at winning.  And it's this one.  The Steelers are just that good.  If this game was in Minnesota, I might give us a slight chance.  At Pittsburgh, on the other hand?  Not so much, no.  Sure, we might catch the Steelers on a bad day or something. . .crazier things have happened before. . .but that's not something we should necessarily be betting on.

Yes, that was before Brett Favre and everything else, I get that.  But I still don't think we win this one.  I think it will be close, but I can't shake the feeling that it's going to be too much Roethlisberger and Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes for a secondary without one of the best CBs in the National Football League to handle.  I don't pick the Vikings to lose often, and when I do I tend to be wrong (see me picking the Vikings to lose the game that Adrian Peterson rushed for 296 yards). . .and, believe me, I'd love to be wrong today.  Hopefully everyone will be able to line up and say "I told you so" after this one is done with.

It's about an hour and a half until game time, as per usual.  We hope to see everyone here for what should be the game of the day in the NFL for Week 7.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-2)	GAME #6	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-0)
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This is the Game Thread, as evidenced by the fancy table there at the top.

This appears, at least on paper, to be the toughest matchup that the Vikings have faced over the first six weeks of the 2009 season.  The Ravens have been outstanding on offense this season (5th in the NFL in points scored and yards/game), and while their defense has been good, it hasn't quite been what it has in the past (12th in the NFL in points allowed and 10th in yardage, including 26th in the NFL against the pass).  The Vikings offense has been highly efficient (3rd in the NFL in scoring while only being 19th in yardage) and have played solid defense as well (10th in the NFL in scoring defense and 14th in yards/game).  So, what are the keys for Minnesota to win this afternoon?

1) Keep Brett Favre upright - After going down seven times against Cleveland and Detroit to start the season, Favre has only been sacked four times in the past three games, and the pass protection has improved greatly as the season has gone on.  The Baltimore front seven, featuring such talented players as Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata, is still very good.  They don't blitz as much under new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison as they did under Rex Ryan, but they're still capable of getting to the quarterback.  If the Vikings can keep the Raven rushers away from #4, he could have a field day operating against an underachieving Baltimore secondary.

2) Get the crowd involved early - While Ravens' QB Joe Flacco has performed extremely well this season, it's still only his second season in the NFL, and he can still get rattled by the atmosphere in the Metrodome, as well as the absence of his starting left tackle, Jared Gaither.  (Rookie OT Michael Oher will be lined up across from Jared Allen this afternoon, while converted guard Marshal Yanda will man Oher's spot at RT in Gaither's absence.)  Whether it's offensively or defensively, a big play or two at the start of this game could really get the Dome rocking and possibly throw the youngster off of his game.

3) Try to get the running game going - The Ravens have been one of the NFL's stingiest run defenses over the first five weeks, giving up only 76 yards/game (good for 4th in the NFL).  However, they gave up their first 100-yard rusher in a long time last week when Cincinnati's Cedric Benson gashed them in their victory over the Ravens last weekend.  While the Vikings' offense hasn't needed to be carried by Adrian Peterson through the first five weeks of the year, he's still the best running back in the NFL, and is capable of having a big game against just about anybody.  If the Vikings can get Peterson and Chester Taylor established early, it could go a long way towards keeping Brett Favre on his feet and off his back, which could lead to big days for both of them.

This should be a bruising, physical matchup between two of the NFL's most talented teams.  It could very well come down to which team makes the fewest mistakes, and that could play to the Vikings advantage, as they've only turned the ball over four times in the first five games (2 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles) and are +8 in the ever-so-important turnover margin.  The Ravens are +2 in that category, having forced nine turnovers in their first five games while turning it over seven times themselves (5 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles).  I'm looking forward to a hard-fought, close game of football this afternoon, and hopefully one where nobody comes out with any significant injuries.

It's about an hour and a half until kickoff, folks.  Whether we have a new thread every quarter or for each half is going to be dependent on comment traffic, and I'll be sure to keep you appraised of how it's going to go.  Hope to see a big turnout this afternoon!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-0)	GAME #5	ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-4)
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Yes, this is the Game Thread.  The table above with the fancy graphics and stuff is always your Game Thread indicator.

I'm usually loathe to pick blowouts in these game. . .particularly since, as we all know, the Vikings are notorious for playing down to the level of their competition.  But the trend around the internet has been that the Vikings are going to stomp the Rams this afternoon, and that seems to be the consensus even over at our Rams site, Turf Show Times, so I don't think I'll be outwardly offending too many people with such a prediction at this point.  So, what are the keys this afternoon?

1) Do not, do not, do NOT overlook this game - Yes, the Ravens are coming to town next weekend, and the Vikings travel to Pittsburgh and Green Bay after that.  The Vikings need to remember that this week's opponent is the Rams. . .not the Ravens, not the Steelers, and not the Packers.  As Eric has pointed out, this game has "trap" written all over it, and the Vikings need to avoid that in order to build on the momentum they've gathered to this point in the season.  Get by St. Louis first, then worry about Baltimore.

2) Contain Steven Jackson - The St. Louis passing offense has been abysmal this year.  How bad?  The Rams average 6. . .yes, six. . .points per game.  The Vikings, on the other hand, average close to 7.5 points. . .per quarter.  The Rams are 30th in the NFL in passing yards/game, and their quarterbacks have put up a combined 67.5 QB rating (5th worst in the NFL).  In addition, the Rams' top two receivers, Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, are both listed as questionable with hamstring injuries, and Ruvell Martin, the former Packer, is listed as doubtful.

In short, Steven Jackson is the St. Louis offense at this point.  Jackson's responded about as well as you could expect someone in his situation to respond, as he's currently tied for 4th in the NFL in rushing with 367 yards.  Minnesota needs to key on Jackson this afternoon and not allow him to set the tempo on offense for the Rams.  Kyle Boller is starting at quarterback for St. Louis. . .and, with all due respect to the Rams and their fans, there's no way a defense like Minnesota's should be getting beaten by Kyle freaking Boller at this point in time.

3) Minimize mistakes - In three of the first four games of this 2009 season, the Vikings have allowed a touchdown on either special teams (Week 1 @ Cleveland, Week 3 vs. San Francisco) or on defense (last week vs. Green Bay).  While the Rams' offense has struggled, their defense has been pretty good early on in games, and inevitably gets worn down towards the end because their offensive ineptitude causes the defense to be on the field a lot more than they should be.  With the Rams' offensive struggles, the Vikings absolutely, positively do not need to be giving them additional help in the form of points or advantageous field position.

This is a game the Vikings should win.  This is a game the Vikings should win in a big way.  Will they?  Well, we're about to find out.  It's about an hour and a half until kickoff, and we hope you'll stay right here and enjoy the game and the conversation with all of us.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-1)	GAME #4	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-0)
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You know, I probably could have had some big, sweeping inspirational something-or-other about tonight's game, but really. . .do I have to hype this game any further than it's already been hyped?  We know what it's all about, and we know what's at stake.  So what do the Vikings need to do to win tonight?

1) Don't forget who your best player is - Yes, the story on the marquee says that this is all about Brett Favre.  However, we all know who Minnesota's best player is, and he wears #28.  Over the past two weeks, the Packers' run defense has given up 141 yards to Cedric Benson and 117 yards to Steven Jackson (on a Rams' offense that really doesn't have a whole lot else).  They currently rank 23rd in the NFL against the run, and the Vikings need to be able to exploit that.  Adrian Peterson has gone over 100 yards in three of his four career games against the Packers, with the Al Harris cheap shot game being the only exception.  With the Packers' switch to the 3-4 going a bit roughly, the best running back in the NFL should be able to easily eclipse the century mark again.

2) Get after Aaron Rodgers - The Packers' offensive line situation is a mess.  Left tackle Chad Clifton won't play because of an injury, so the offensive tackle spots for Green Bay will be manned by converted guard Daryn Colledge and Alan Barbre.  Barbre has been, quite frankly, terrible throughout the first three games of the year for the Packers, and Ray Edwards has played very well for the Vikings thus far, so he should be able to take advantage.  Against St. Louis, Colledge gave up four or five pressures to something named James Hall. . .and, with all due respect to Mr. Hall, he ain't Jared Allen.  Not to mention the advantage the Vikings have on the interior with the Williams Wall.  The Vikings have to exploit this matchup tonight.

3) Don't get hammered by the big play - Aaron Rodgers, when he gets time, can throw a pretty good deep ball, and the Packers have an outstanding deep threat in Greg Jennings.  Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin will have to come up big tonight on those occasions where the Minnesota pass rush doesn't get into the Green Bay backfield.  The longest pass the Vikings have allowed this year has been 31 yards, and they defended the deep ball well against Calvin Johnson and the Lions back in Week 2, so hopefully that success will continue and the Vikings' pass defense will maintain their top 5 standing (Minnesota is currently 4th in the NFL against the pass).

On paper, Minnesota appears to be the better team.  But, as we all know, NFC North divisional games aren't played on paper.  I'd expect nothing less from these two teams than another hard-fought, smash-up battle.

Do I think the Vikings will win?  Do you remember what site you're at?

About an hour and a half until kickoff, folks. . .let's get to it!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-0)	GAME #3	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-0)
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For the first time since 7 January, the Minnesota Vikings will take the field at the Metrodome in a game that actually means something.  As we've mentioned more than once over the course of this week, this is the only Week 3 matchup that features teams that are 2-0, which is a bit of a surprise.  Only one team will come out of this one unscathed. . .what do the Vikings need to do to make sure that it's them?

1) Get back to being the Vikings' run defense - Over the course of the first two weeks, the Browns and Lions weren't afraid to run right at the heart of the Vikings' vaunted rush defense, and they had success in doing so.  The Vikings have become accustomed to being the measuring stick in the NFL for rush defense, yet "only" rank 15th in the league through the first two games of the 2009 season.  With Frank Gore leading the Niners into town this afternoon, the Vikings have to get back to where they're used to being.  Pat Williams and E.J. Henderson will be huge today for the Beloved Purple.  (Yes, I know, Pat Williams is huge anyway.  You know what I mean.)

2) Feed off the home crowd - The Vikings are one of the few teams playing their home opener in Week 3.  This is also, obviously, Brett Favre's first regular season game as a member of the good guys.  Playing on the road in the NFL puts a team at a distinct disadvantage, regardless of the strength of the opponent.  If the Vikings can get a few early stops on defense and a couple of big plays on offense early on, the Metrodome will be rocking, and Frank Gore will become a smaller part of the Niners' gameplan, which can only mean good things for Minnesota.

3) Play a complete game - The Vikings have gotten by in their first two games against teams they should have blown out after struggling in the first half and turning on the afterburners in the second.  That strategy isn't going to work against San Francisco, who is easily the best team the Vikings have faced thus far.  The Vikings can't afford to get off to a slow start against this team, and hopefully they know that.

It's been a pretty good week with the interaction between us and the good folks over at Niners Nation.  Here's hoping that the game will be of equally high quality, and nobody significant has any sort of major injuries.  Speaking of which, here are today's inactives for both teams:

San Francisco 49ers

QB Nate Davis (#3 QB)
LB Marques Harris
WR Jason Hill
CB Marcus Hudson
DT Ricky Jean-Francois
WR Brandon Jones
S Curtis Taylor
C Cody Wallace

Minnesota Vikings

S Husain Abdullah
CB Asher Allen
LB Erin Henderson
WR Jaymar Johnson
DT Jimmy Kennedy
OL Kory Lichtensteiger
DE Jayme Mitchell
QB Sage Rosenfels (#3 QB)

E.J. Henderson and Percy Harvin WILL play for Minnesota, which should make everybody happy.

Kickoff is about an hour away. . .let's get to it!

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-0)	GAME #2	DETROIT LIONS (0-1)
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Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's nearly time for the game that the Lions have probably had circled since the day the schedules were announced.  This is the home opener for Detroit, and the first home game for their heralded rookie quarterback, Matthew Stafford.  The rookie had a bit of a rough debut last weekend in New Orleans, and hopefully the Vikings' front four will make things just as rough for him this afternoon as well.  So what are the major keys for the Beloved Purple this afternoon?

1) Don't get overconfident - As we've all been reminded numerous times, the Vikings almost lost both their meetings to the Lions in 2008.  Fortunately for Minnesota, "almost lost both meetings to the Lions" is just another way of saying "Minnesota swept Detroit for the seventh time in the last nine seasons."  Despite the Vikings' recent record of success against Detroit, however, they absolutely can not forget what happened last season in their two games against the Lions, and I personally don't think that they will.

Oh, and speaking of things to remember from last year. . .do you suppose Jared Allen still wants to rip Gosder Cherilus' head off of his shoulders?  I'm guessing he probably does.

2) Minimize Calvin Johnson's impact - You're not going to "shut down" Megatron, because he might be the best receiver in the NFL. . .certainly somewhere in the Top 5.  He had a touchdown catch in each game against the Vikings last year, and when you have a young quarterback like Matthew Stafford, he's going to have a tendency to try to lean on a guy like Calvin Johnson as much as he can.  While the Vikings' front four will have to keep the heat on Stafford, the secondary will have to know where Johnson is at all times.

3) Hang on to the football - Much was made of Adrian Peterson's nine fumbles in 2008.  Of those nine fumbles, four of them occurred in the two contests against Detroit, and that played a part in allowing the Lions to hang close with the Vikings.  We saw last weekend exactly how dominating #28 can be once he gets rolling, and against a Lions' defense that allowed Mike Bell to go off for 143 yards last weekend, you would think that Adrian Peterson might be able to improve on that just a little bit.  There's no reason to think that he won't. . .as long as the ball doesn't find its way to the turf.

The Vikings, on paper, are the better football team going into this game.  We know this.  And the Detroit Lions are eventually going to win a game and snap their losing streak. . .a streak that currently sits at 17 games and 22 of their last 23.  And yes, the Lions scared the Vikings twice last season in a big way.  But I really, honestly don't think that the streak ends for Detroit today.  Once again, Adrian Peterson should prove to be too much, and Brett Favre should be able to make the Lions' defense pay in ways that Gus Frerotte could not in 2008 if they commit too many people to stopping the run.

Kickoff is in an hour and a half, folks. . .make sure you're here for all the excitement of Vikings' football on a Sunday afternoon.  We'll see you here at noon!

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0)	GAME #1	CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-0)
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Since January 4th, we've waited for this.  It's been a long off-season since the playoff loss to the Eagles that ended the 2008 season for the Beloved Purple, but it's a new season full of new life and new excitement.  The expectations are high, and now we finally get to see if this group of players is going to be able to meet them.  So what are the keys to victory this afternoon for the Vikings?

1) Get Adrian Peterson going early - This one is obvious.  As the Vikings' running game goes, so goes the Vikings' offense.  Brett Favre is still trying to develop some chemistry with his receiving corps, and the best way to take the pressure off of him would be to pound Peterson and Chester Taylor into the line repeatedly to loosen things up in the passing game.  Big Shaun Rogers, who we're familiar with from his days in Detroit, has been listed as questionable with a foot injury, and that can only help the Vikings in the run game, too.  The Browns were also 28th in the NFL against the rush in 2008.

2) Get to Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar, or whoever the Browns have at QB - The Browns are not going to beat the Vikings on the ground.  Jamal Lewis is currently the only healthy back on the Cleveland roster. . .and, let's face it, Jamal Lewis isn't terribly good any more.  Yeah, he was a 1,000-yard rusher last year, but he did it while averaging 3.6 yards/carry.  So, it's important that the Vikings stop the Browns' passing game, and that starts with getting to the quarterback.  With Jared Allen matched up with All-Everything tackle Joe Thomas, I think that a lot of the Vikings' pressure is going to come up the middle.  If the Vikings can get pressure with the front four and blitz occasionally, they should be able to make it a long day for presumptive starter Brady Quinn.

3) Be a hell of a lot better on special teams than they were in 2008 - Cleveland's Josh Cribbs might be the best return man in the NFL, and we all know how abysmal the Vikings' special teams. . .particularly the punt coverage. . .was in 2008.  The Vikings can't allow Cribbs to constantly give the Browns the advantage of starting on a short field.  If the VIkings can make the Browns put together long, sustained drives, it plays to Minnesota's advantage, in my opinion.  Chris Kluwe would be wise to sacrifice some distance for hang time on his punts in this one.

Since I mentioned the injury reports, here they are for each team:

On paper, this is a game that Minnesota should win. . .of course, as Vikings fans, we all know how that tends to work out, don't we?  Let's just hope that this team goes out there and plays the way they're capable of playing, keeps the turnovers to a minimum, and sticks with the power running game that has been their hallmark during the Brad Childress era.  If they do those things, they'll start the season 1-0 and put themselves on the right track in 2009.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!

Sorry, folks. . .haven't been home for the better part of the last day and a half.  Long story, won't get into it here.

Anyway, the game kicked off about fifteen minutes ago.  None of the starters are playing tonight, and this game really doesn't have a whole lot of intrigue, save for the fact that it might be the last time we see Tarvaris Jackson in a Vikings' uniform.

So, let's just hope there are no significant injuries and we can start looking forward to the kickoff of the regular season.

This is the game thread.  If you're looking for the game thread, this is the one.

The biggest story for this evening is going to be the progress that Brett Favre has made as the Vikings' quarterback since his debut nine days ago against Kansas City.  Ron Jaworski has been quoted as saying that he was impressed with the way Favre has looked in practice the past couple of days, and Jaws' word would seem to be pretty good to me.  Hopefully it will translate onto the field as well.

Pat Williams will make his pre-season debut tonight, and Jared Allen will be back as well.  I haven't seen anything as to whether or not Bernard Berrian will play, but I'm sure someone will toss a comment out there if they've seen anything one way or the other.

So, sit back, enjoy tonight's game, and remember that it's only 13 more days until we get football for real.  Hopefully there won't be any injuries on either side this evening, and we'll be treated to a well-played game of pre-season football.