Well, folks, we are a couple of hours away from the Vikings' third, and arguably most important, pre-season game of 2008. They'll also be in the national spotlight this evening, as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Metrodome.
As far as the Vikings' injury situation, it looks like Tarvaris Jackson isn't going to play after all, and in my estimation, that's the right move to make. Even though pre-season game #3 IS the most important (if any pre-season game can really be considered "important," that is), there's no point in risking your starting quarterback in a pre-season game if it means that there's a chance he won't be ready when the bullets start flying for real. So, Gus Frerotte will get the majority of the snaps with the first team this evening, with Brooks Bollinger and John David Booty following him up.
On the wide receiver front, Bernard Berrian is going to play tonight, despite a toe injury that apparently gave him trouble last season as well. On the down side, Sidney Rice (the official wide receiver of The Daily Norseman) will NOT play this evening, as he's had a virus all week long.
The rest of the Vikings' injury situation tells us that DE Brian Robison, S Madieu Williams, and TE Garrett Mills are out (and this has to be putting a serious crimp in Mills' attempts to make the roster), while OL Drew Radovich and OL Tim Mattran are questionable. Marcus Johnson should be coming back from a knee injury this evening.
This is Mike Tomlin's first trip to Minneapolis since he took the Steelers' head coaching job after the 2006 season.
The game will be on your local CBS affiliate. If you're somewhere that doesn't have a TV, might I suggest this link here (scroll down a ways to find it). That's how I'll be watching, in any event. . .stupid DirecTV not giving me my local channels.
In any event. . .
SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!