KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hello from Arrowhead Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings will kick off their third preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs at 7 p.m. CDT. It's going to be a muggy night -- it's currently 95 degrees outside, and won't dip into the 80s until after 9 p.m. -- so the Vikings' dress rehearsal for the season will be spent in conditions they probably won't face more than once, if at all. Alas, they'll have to manage.
There are no major surprises on the list of players who won't dress for Minnesota on Saturday night -- cornerback Jabari Price is expected to sit out, as are linebackers Gerald Hodges and Brandon Watts, tight end Chase Ford and defensive tackle Linval Joseph. Matt Asiata will again start at running back in place of Adrian Peterson, who isn't expected to play. Fred Evans starts in Joseph's place at nose tackle, and Chris Crocker will again start at safety alongside Harrison Smith.
Peterson, who was away from the team for personal reasons on Wednesday and Thursday, is dressed for the game and going through warmups with the team. He was expected to travel with the team after missing practice, and a picture the Vikings released of their Friday walk-through showed Peterson back with the team, so things appear to be going to plan.
We'll hopefully get some answers tonight about how the Vikings will handle the safety position, how things are shaping up at middle linebacker and whether Teddy Bridgewater has a shot to unseat Matt Cassel at quarterback. Check back later for more from Arrowhead.
