Vikings Host Houston Texans In Preseason Debut (When to Watch, Streaming, TV Schedule)

Jun 11, 2013; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) passes in drills at the Minnesota Vikings minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings kick off their preseason schedule tonight at Metrodome against the Houston Texans. (Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM CT. Local TV coverage provided by KARE 11. The game will be available online via NFL Preseason Live. Radio coverage provided locally by KFAN 100.3 FM and KTLK 1130 AM).

Okay it’s only a preseason game. Okay many of the team’s starters will be sitting. Okay even the star players who do appear will only be in for one series at the most.

But it’s still football. NFL dang football. With HELMETS.

And don’t sit there and say there’s nothing on the line in tonight’s game. There is plenty on the line. If your name happens to be Adam Thielen. Or Bobby Felder. Or Joe Banyard.

There are guys out there fighting to make the team. Or at least the practice squad. The value of preseason is in watching those guys. The UDFAs and late round draft picks. The guys busting it just to stick around for one more day.

And of course there are the highly-touted rookies. We’re getting our first look at some of these guys. Cordarrelle Patterson. Sharrif Floyd. Not Xavier Rhodes because he’s hurt. But we’ll get to see Gerald Hodges and Michael Mauti. And new punter Jeff Locke.

We’ll get a look at some of the young guys from last season to see how they’re progressing. Jarius Wright. Robert Blanton. Audie Cole.

Plenty of stuff to watch for. Okay so the quality of play will likely not be very high. The game will not be very watchable from a pure football point of view. But hey. It’s Vikings football. It’s been a long time.

Welcome back purple gang. Let’s kick this sucker off right.

Like The Viking Age on Facebook.
Follow TVA on Twitter.
Subsribe to the Fansided Daily Newsletter. Sports news all up in your inbox.