MINNESOTA VIKINGS	P1	CINCINNATI BENGALS
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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 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.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is once again time for some actual, honest-to-goodness National Football League action. . .or, you know, a reasonable facsimile.

Yes, the Minnesota Vikings are ready to take the field for the first time since January, as they open their preseason against the Cincinnati Bengals. These teams got the opportunity to practice against each other over the past couple of days, and now they're getting ready to take each other on for semi-real.

So, what are the three biggest things that yours truly is looking for this evening?

1) No injuries - There are four preseason games. This is going to be point #1 on every one of the preseason game threads. Why? Because it's the most important goal of every team in the preseason. . .or, at least, it should be.

2) Sorting out the linebacker position - Three members of the Vikings' linebacker corps. . .Eric Kendricks, Edmond Robinson, and Brandon Watts. . .did not make the trip with the team to Cincinnati. With Kendricks and Anthony Barr entrenched at two of the linebacker spots, this is going to be an opportunity for players to stake their claim to a spot on the roster. Whether it's an old hand like Audie Cole or a newcomer like Kentrell Brothers, there are spots on the linebacker depth chart to be had, and that process starts tonight.

3) Scoping out the offensive line - The Vikings thought they were going to have a lot of competition along the offensive line, but injuries have made it less of a battle. However, this will be the first opportunity to see whether or not the Vikings' fixes to the offensive line have been effective under actual live fire conditions. Obviously, people are going to be keeping an eye on the starters, particularly who gets the start at the center spot between John Sullivan and Joe Berger, but the guys that will be playing the majority of the evening will have plenty on the line as well.

We're a little less than an hour away from kickoff, ladies and gentlemen. We hope that you enjoy the Open Thread and the return of Minnesota Vikings football for the 2016-17 season.

Oh, and no injuries.

SKOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL VIKINGS!!!!