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There are still twenty-nine excruciatingly long days until the 2014 NFL Draft. There are still over four long, arduous months until the 2014 season kicks off. But today, there is real live football to talk about.
Well, at least August meaningless exhibition football consisting largely of guys that won't make the final roster. But still--FOOTBALL!!
The NFL announced the 2014 preseason schedule on Wednesday. Here's who the Vikings will play as tuneups for the regular season:
| Week | Opponent |
| 1 | vs. Oakland Raiders |
| 2 | vs. Arizona Cardinals |
| 3 | at Kansas City Chiefs |
| 4 (Aug. 28) | at Tennessee Titans |
Specific dates and times haven't been set, except for the date of the final preseason game, which is Thursday, August 28 for all 32 teams. The preseason kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants from Canton, Ohio on August 3rd.
We don't know the Vikings regular season schedule yet (which should be announced within the next couple weeks), but we do know their home and away opponents. Here's a refresher of the sixteen games the Vikings will play in 2014:
| Home Opponents | Away Opponents |
| Chicago Bears | Chicago Bears |
| Detroit Lions | Detroit Lions |
| Green Bay Packers | Green Bay Packers |
| Atlanta Falcons | New Orleans Saints |
| Carolina Panthers | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| New England Patriots | Buffalo Bills |
| New York Jets | Miami Dolphins |
| Washington Redskins |
St. Louis Rams |
There's still a long way to go until Vikings football is back in our lives, but the announcement of the preseason schedule assures us that it's gradually getting closer and closer!