DETROIT LIONS (3-2)	WK 6	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-3)
	@

Here are the ground rules for the Game Threads:

-Thou shalt not link illegal feeds of today's game, or I shall kick thy arse to the curb until the game is over. Do not promote then, do not mention them, do not even hint at them. Thou hast been warned.

-Thou shalt keep the GIFs out of the Game Threads. These things tend to bog down enough as it is due to the number of comments. We don't need it to potentially be any worse. If we get a GIF of a big Vikings' play or something, we will drop it in here.

-Thou shalt make an attempt to keep the swearing to a minimum. Understandable that it will slip occasionally, but do try to limit it. If you really feel the need to curse, use the spoiler tags to keep it covered up. We'll get the sentiment.

-Thou shalt not feed the trolls. Rather, thou shall simply point them out, and they shall be banished to the fires of Mordor. Or Wisconsin. Whichever we feel is more harsh at the time.

-Thou shalt not engage in racist, sexist, or other such insulting rhetoric. Somebody disagreeing with you does not make them racist or sexist. It means they disagree with you. Talk it out like adults.

-Thou shalt not bait the fans of other teams into trolling.

-Basically, thou shalt not be a jackwagon in the game thread.

Chapter 106 between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions will be kicking off from TCF Bank Stadium in about an hour or so. After the Vikings' last game, it's nice to finally see the team get back on the field again and finally rid themselves of the bad taste that game brought.

So, what do the Vikings have to do in order to come out of this game with their record back at .500?

1) Get to Matthew Stafford - The Detroit offensive line has been better this season than it has been in past years, but they've also allowed a lot of pressure to get to quarterback Matthew Stafford. Through the first five games, Stafford has already been sacked 17 times and hit on numerous other occasions. For an offense that is going to be without wide receiver Calvin Johnson and all-purpose running back Reggie Bush, the Vikings need to rattle Stafford and make sure he knows that they're there. Without his two most prominent targets, the Vikings have a real opportunity to take advantage of. Guys like Brian Robison, Everson Griffen, and Shariff Floyd really need to start earning their paychecks in this one.

2) Keep Teddy Bridgewater upright - The Lions' defense as a whole has been very good this year, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley have been playing great football, which means that rushing yards might be a little hard to come by. The Vikings are going to have to try to loosen things up through the air, a daunting proposition in its own right. Teddy Bridgewater showed a lot of poise and composure in his NFL debut when it came to standing in the pocket, making his reads, and moving around when he had to. He's going to need all of that today against a much tougher defense than the one he faced in his first start.

3) Get Cordarrelle Patterson involved - In a game like this one, a couple of big plays could end up making the difference, and nobody on the Vikings' side is more capable of making the big play than #84. The Vikings are going to have to do what they can to get him involved, whether it's short passes or handoffs or whatever the case might be. Patterson hasn't done much the past couple of weeks, but he had a big game against the Lions in Week 17 of last season, and he needs to be a factor again today.

This is the only weekend this season where the Vikings and the Minnesota Golden Gophers will play at TCF Bank Stadium on the same weekend. The Gophers got the weekend started with a 24-17 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. . .let's see if the good karma will carry over to this afternoon's contest. Kickoff from TCF Bank Stadium is less than an hour away.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!