MINNESOTA VIKINGS	WK 1	ST. LOUIS RAMS
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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.

The long, dark tea time of the off-season officially ends today, everybody. Today, for the first time since last December, the Minnesota Vikings will be taking the field for an honest-to-goodness meaningful football game. The team has a new coach and a new attitude, and hopefully they can start the new era off with a victory on the road against a tough St. Louis Rams squad.

So, what are the keys to this one for our favorite football team?

1) Keep Matt Cassel upright - It's the first game of the season, but this might be the best pass rush the Minnesota Vikings see all season long. Matt Kalil is going to have his hands full with Robert Quinn, who had 19 sacks last year, while Chris Long and Phil Loadholt will be an interesting match-up on the other side. Cassel is not exactly what we'd call fleet of foot, so the Minnesota offensive line has to give Cassel enough time to hang in the pocket and deliver the ball to his vast array of targets.

2) Damn it, take that Hill - The Rams are going to be starting Shaun Hill at quarterback, and while he's performed admirably when asked, he hasn't started a game in four years and has just 16 pass attempts over the last three. The Rams are going to want to run the football with Zac Stacy, but when they do throw, the Vikings are going to have to do their best to get after the veteran quarterback. Today's the day where Everson Griffen can start earning that big extension he got this off-season.

3) Feed the beast - As much as we've heard about Norv Turner's new offense and the passing game being ready to take off, this is still Adrian Peterson's offense. He didn't have a carry all pre-season (for the third year in a row), so he's completely fresh. The Rams' front four is capable of generating a hellacious pass rush, and getting Peterson established early could do a lot as far as opening up the play action game and keeping Chris Long, Robert Quinn, and company honest.

Kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome is a little less than sixty minutes away, ladies and gentlemen. Here's hoping that the Minnesota Vikings can get off to a successful start to the 2014 NFL season.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!