Apologies to everyone that had commented in the previous thread. . .a miscommunication between Ted and I would have caused us to have two Game Threads, so I have gone ahead and swapped it over to the correct format. Ted's original posting is presented below, in its entirety, without commercial interruption. We now return you to your regularly schedule game thread, already in progress. - Gonzo
| MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0) | PRE-SEASON GAME #1 | ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-0) | |||
 |  | ||||
| Date: | 14 August 2010 | Location: |
St. Louis, MO |
| Time: | 7:00 PM CST | Stadium: | Edward Jones Dome |
| TV: | KARE, Ch 11 NFL Network, Check Listings | Know Thy Enemy: | Turf Show Times |
| Ted's Prediction: | It's Pre-Season, I just want no injuries | ||
| Final Score: | Will Be Completely Irrelevant | ||
Football, in all it's glory, is back. YES!! Okay, what to watch for in the first pre-season matchup.
OVERALL: No, injuries, first and foremost. It's pre-season and I want everyone healthy as they leave St. Louis. If there's a hint of injury, don't play. Let the guys who are staring a career with the Post Office fight it out for three quarters.
OFFENSE: Look for the starters to make a cameo appearance, and if they are still nursing injuries, maybe not at all. I want to see a cohesive offensive line, sharp, crisp decision making by Tarvaris Jackson, and an ability to run the ball. There will be nothing cosmic in terms of formations and plays, just vanilla everything. Focus on your fundamentals, string a few drives together, and call it a night. I will be looking at two things primarily: How Joe Webb looks, and how the backup running backs look. Whoever gets the most playing time will tell you who has the inside track, and who's in trouble.
DEFENSE: Like the offense, the defensive first team will play a series or two, and then give way to the 40 or so guys fighting for about three roster spots. I'm interested to see who starts at safety, Tyrell Johnson or Jamarca Sanford, and when and where Chris Cook gets into the game. I hope the Vikings will be smart about EJ Henderson and hold him out, so they ensure he's ready for opening night.
SPECIAL TEAMS: If the Vikings are really going to use a roster spot on a guy that does nothing but kickoff, Rhys Lloyd better launch the ball farther than an artillery shell. Every kick. Punt returner has been declared an open competition, so I will be looking at who steps up there, and whether or not Darius Reynaud can claw his way on to the roster.
And that's all I've got. I'm starting this thread a little early, because I'm just so damn excited to have the 2010 season underway. I thought everyone else might like talking about the game a little bit early as well.
Turn it up to 11, and SSSSSSSSSSSSKKKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!