IT'S FINALLY HERE: VIKINGS-REDSKINS

It's finally here. The first real Minnesota Vikings game of the season, on Monday night against the Washington Redskins (or Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons). This is Out of Left Field's first attempt at live-blogging at football game, so bear with me.

FINAL THOUGHTS. It's only one game, and you could probably argue that Washington shot itself in the foot with penalties, not to name any names (cough, Sean Taylor), but all in all, it's hard for a Vikes fan not to feel just slightly delirious. (Well, as delirious as you can get under "Minnesota nice.")

Positives for the Vikings: They were good on both sides of the ball on third down and didn't give up on the running game -- which proved crucial in wearing down Washington's defence. The offensive line, which was mediocre in the pre-season, did a pretty good job protecting Brad Johnson, who probably made only one or two bad decisions all night. And finally, Troy Williamson made a big catch when it counted.

Negatives: The running game still struggled, but at least the Vikes didn't abandon it. Defensively, Brunell was getting way too much time to throw the ball, which was understandable since the Vikings were missing Dwight Smith (benched for disciplinary reason) and playing a rookie, Greg Blue, at free safety. They couldn't blitz six or seven guys, since they had to drop more players into coverage to help out Blue. They won't get away with that as the season unfolds.

The defence also got crossed up a couple times by misdirection plays (witness the Ladell Betts catch-and-run that set up the Portis touchdown). The special teams were just OK and gave up two sizeable returns.

Overall, though: a come-from-behind win on the road over a 2005 playoff team? The Vikings haven't had that in quite some time, so believe you me, it's a relief.

Buffalo Bills fans should note that the defence co-ordinated by their ex-coach, Gregg Williams, gave up touchdowns on the first drive of both halves.

Turning point: My friend Neil Acharya points to Ray Edwards batting down the screen pass to force a punt on Washington's next-to-last drive. Earlier, the Vikings had managed three first downs before kicking. Thanks to Edwards' knockdown, Washington had to kick and send its tiring defence right back out on the field.

10:19. NO GOOD! John Hall misses a 48-yard field goal wide left. Vikes win! Picture a fat balding guy dancing around his apartment doing the Tiger Woods fist pump. OK, don't picture that.

It was a little hairy there. Washington got a good kick return and 25-yard pass down the sideline to (who else?) Santana Moss, moving down to the Vikes 40. The Vikes held though, and forced Washington into a longer field-goal try.

10:15. Longwell kicks the 30-yard field goal. Vikings 19, Redskins 16 with exactly one minute left and Washington out of timeouts.

10:13. Stupid Joe was right: the Vikes should have tried to score a touchdown, possibly with a safe pass. Johnson hasn't made a bad decision all night. Why put even more of a burden on the D? (Can you tell I'm not used to the Vikings have a good defence?)

10:06. Yours truly feel like he's played a game. Taylor, who's now up to 28 carries, gets a first down to the Washington 11. The clock runs down to the two-minute warning. Nothing against Longwell, but it would be more reassuring if the Vikings could get seven points here. Remember the Washington-Dallas Monday nighter last year when Brunell and Moss hooked up on two long touchdowns in the final minutes?

10:04. No field goal try here. Vikings need to punch it in for the touchdown. There's 2:26 left.

10:02. Finally! Troy Williamson not only hangs on to a third-down pass, but shakes a tackler and gets the first down inside the Redskins 40. A facemask penalty on Sean Taylor moves the ball inside the 25. That's 30 yards in penalties against Taylor in the past 10 minutes or so.

9:57. Barely holding on, the Vikings force a punt after rookie defensive end Ray Edwards bats down Brunell's third-down pass. They'll be taking over on their own 33-yard line with 5:34 left in the fourth quarter.

9:52. Of course, the Vikings can't down Chris Kluwe's punt -- it goes into the end zone. Washington's taking over at its 20-yard line with less than eight minutes to play.

9:50. Well, the Vikes are moving -- a personal foul on Sean Taylor, followed by a 25-yard catch by Travis Taylor, gets the Vikes out to midfield. The drive stalls, but it's better than punting from your own end zone.

9:42. Still, the Redskins down the punt at the Vikings 2-yard line. Suppose Childress had punted, and the defence had held. Where would they be getting the ball? Probably at their own 30- or 40-yard line.

9:41. That was a huge show of faith in the Vikings' D, and it rewards Childress by forcing a punt. The drive stalls after Fred Smoot busts up a backside screen to Chris Cooley, dropping him for a nine-yard loss. Mike Tirico referred to Smoot "smelling it out," which in light of the Sex Boat scandal, probably sent a few people in hysterics.

9:35. Childress is going to get second-guessed after Ryan Longwell isn't even close on a 54-yard field goal try. Instead of starting inside their own 20 after a punt, the miss sets up the Redskins at their own 44. You never ever make it easier for the other team to score when the game's tied in the fourth quarter.

9:32. Tied going into the fourth quarter, all because of the botched hold on the first extra point. Picture me tearing out what little hair I still have.

9:30. Chester Taylor has had a quiet night running the ball, but he really impressed on the last couple plays. First he picked up eight yards on a screen pass, setting up a 3rd-and-short. Then he made a tough catch for the first down, swivelling his head around and bringing in the ball (not many backs can do that), then carrying down to the Redskins 36. Tony Richardson threw a big block to spring Taylor.

9:27. Been a while since someone's tried that. Under pressure, Johnson throws a pass a left-handed. But Wiggins drops it.

9:18. Well, it had been a while since the Vikings had been penalized, so you knew this was coming. After a pass breakup on 3rd-and-3 from the Vikes 22, a roughing-the-passer call on Erasmus James keeps the drive going. As Luke Wilson's Anchorman character said, "C'mon! This is getting to be ri-god-damn-dic-u-lous!"

James shoved Brunell after the ball was thrown, and apparently you're not allowed to even do that. Why doesn't the NFL just make it two-hand touch on the quarterbacks, once and for all.

The call doesn't hurt the Vikes, though. They hold on the next series, and the 'Skins settle for a chip-shot field goal. Redskins 16-Vikings 16.

9:14. What is it about these first drives of the half? Helped by a defensive-holding call against the Redskins on a 3rd-and-long play, the Vikes drive 55 yards to take the lead. Johnson hits ex-Eagle Billy McMullen for a big gain on third down to get the ball down to the Washington 24-yard line, then hits Marcus Robinson on a deep corner route for a 20-yard TD. Vikings 16-Redskins 13.

MNF showed a quick shot of injured Redskins cornerback Shawn Springs on the sideline. How come the T-shirt worn over the sweatshirt look only works for guys who are in shape?

9:06. Vikes force a three-and-out on the first series of the second half. Mewelde Moore, one of yours truly's favourite Vikes, tears off a 20-yard punt return to set the offence up at the Minnesota 45 -- best starting field position so far on the night.

FIRST HALF THOUGHTS: The Vikes are in deep, deep trouble. Of course, yours truly always thinks this, but the defence has been on the field an awful lot, which is especially bad early in the season.

Offensively, the rhythm that was there on the first drive has evaporated. Brad Johnson was 3-for-5 for 70 yards passing on the first drive; since then, he's 5-for-12 for 35 yards. It says something for him that's he been sacked only once and hasn't committed a turnover, since the Redskins are getting pressure.

On the other hand, you could make the case that Washington had a chance to deliver the quote-unquote kill shot, hasn't done it, and should be up by more than 13-9. Quite often you see teams crumble in the second half after dominating the first half but coming out with only a slim lead.

8:42. OK, what the heck is Vikings coach Brad Childress thinking? You have a timeout left, you're on the 34-yard line, you need to get in safer field-goal range. What are the Redskins going to be guarding against? Sideline passes and deep passes. So why is Johnson throwing deep and down the sideline two plays in a row?

On 3rd-and-10, a quick hitch pass to Williamson moves the ball six yards closer. Ryan Longwell makes a 46-yard field goal on the last play of the half. HALFTIME: Redskins 13-Vikings 9.

8:38. Go figure. There's been six flags on the Vikes, none on the 'Skins, but Stupid Joe almost starts foaming at the mouth when Washington gets called for obvious defensive holding. That's the first first down of the entire quarter for the Vikes, and it comes with less than a minute left before halftime. Jermaine Wiggins makes a big catch on the next play, taking the Vikings down to the 34-yard line.

8:35. The Vikes hold. On third and goal, Brunell throws to Moss in the back of the end zone, but Darren Sharper drills him to knock the ball loose and save the touchdown. The way things have been doing, it wouldn't have been at all surprising if Moss had been awarded the touchdown. I mean, he did get a hand on it for a split-second before Sharper separated him from the ball and his senses.

Hall makes the field goal. Redskins 13-Vikings 6. Vikes will have a minute and all three timeouts to get something going.

8:28. With at least two members of his offensive line committing holding penalties that aren't going to get called (not tonight), Brunell gulps up a prayer that is caught inside the Vikings 10 by Moss, who had stepped out of bounds, thus making the catch illegal. Except, with the refs calling everything for Washington, it's ruled that Moss was pushed out of bounds, so it was OK for him to be the first person to touch the pass. That totally makes sense.

First-and-goal for Washington at the six as the two-minute warning arrives.

8:24. Williamson finally holds on to a third-down pass, but wouldn't you know it -- it's wiped out by an illegal-formation penalty on the Vikings. Minnesota has six penalties for 42 yards; the Redskins haven't been flagged once. You think the NFL might be hoping Washington wins at home on the 9/11 anniversary?

The Vikings can't convert on 3rd-and-12, so they'll be punting again with less than three minutes left in the half.

8:21. The Vikes force a three-and-out -- nice play by Erasmus James to tackle Moss on a quick hitch pass. Now the bad news... penalty during the punt pushes them back.

8:16. Yours truly is not a pleasant person to be around right now. The Redskins are ahead, Troy Williamson just dropped another highly catchable pass that would have given the Vikes a first down, and we've had our first shot of the Redskins' nauseating owner, Daniel Snyder, looking like a six-year-old at his birthday party. Excuse me while I vomit.

Oh, yeah.... Washington's taking over around its own 25.

8:11. Portis has been a non-factor, but he runs left for a six-yard TD to put the Redskins ahead 10-6.

8:10. Randle El, lined up behind left tackle, flares right, and half the Vikes defensive front chases him, allowing Brunell to swing the ball out to Betts going the other way. He gains 28 yards, which after a penalty, puts the ball on the Vikings 6.

8:07. Noticed this a couple plays ago: Washington is putting their wide receivers -- Santana Moss and Randle El -- in the backfield and motioning them out, trying to create a matchup problem.

8:05. Jamie Foxx drops by the booth so the crew can slobber all over him. It would be too much to ask him if he's ever made through an entire viewing of Any Given Sunday without asking himself, "How did Oliver Stone make a movie with Jamie Foxx, Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Modine, James Woods and Cameron Diaz and manage to have none of their characters come off as sympathetic or likeable?"

8:02. Randle El, behind a couple big blocks, gets free for a 20-yard punt return to the Washington 49. Momentum is shifting. Brad Johnson is just 2-of-6 for nine yards since that opening TD drive.

8:01. Great way to start the drive: Matt Birk is flagged for holding. Vikings do nothing after being put in first-and-20, and have to punt.

7:57. This is different. The Vikings defence forces a three-and-out for the first time since... 1998, 1999? They're getting the ball back near their own 40 after a poor punt by Derrick Frost. Prioleau, the man hurt on the opening kickoff, is out for the night and may be done for the season.

7:52. Here's some pathos. As the Vikes set up to punt, Tirico says, "We know what Redskins fans want to see." (Italics mine.) That's the cue for Stupid Joe to chime in, way too enthusiastically, "I want to see Antwaan Randle El returning punts." Unfortunately for Stupid Joe, Randle El calls for a fair catch.

7:51. Ah, friggin' Troy Williamson. The speedy second-year wideout who had the big catch on the Vikes' first drive has a perfect deep ball hit him right in the chest inside Washington's 20. Vikings have to punt.

7:48. Jesse Palmer, of The Bachelor infamy, has signed with the Montreal Alouettes. (Here's a Palmer post.)

7:46. End of the first quarter and the Vikings are moving the ball again, with Johnson picking up another third down with a pass to Jermaine Wiggins.

7:42. Let's see. ESPN/TSN showed commercials when Washington called a timeout, returned to show two plays, went to commercial, showed the kickoff, and went to commercial again. At least that left time for a beer run.

7:40. Well, all the Packers fan who rag on the Vikings for their off-field problems, deal with this: Apparently the Packers have signed Koren Robinson. Have fun, Green Bay.

7:38. The Vikes finally make a third-down stop, with E.J. Henderson dragging Portis down on a little circle route. Washington settles for a 27-yard John Hall field goal. Vikings 6-Redskins 3.

7:35. Clinton Portis, he of the colourful disguises and banged-up shoulder, gets his first carry of the game, gaining three yards up the middle on 2nd-and-8 from the Vikings 14. Washington calls timeout before the the third-down play.

7:32. Does anyone know how to make a third-down stop? The Vikes were 3-for-3 on their drive, and the Redskins have converted two in a row to move into scoring range.

7:25. That's the NFL we know and love. A long touchdown drive is followed by commercials, they come back to show the kickoff, then show another block of commercials.

7:22. Yippie-kie-yay! Chester Taylor plows up the middle behind a Steve Hutchinson block for a four-yard TD run and the Vikes are on the board (drives cover 10 plays, 80 yards, four minutes 55 seconds). Naturally, this being the Vikings, the other shoe has to drop: they mess up the extra-point kick. Vikings 6-Redskins 0.

7:20. Not hard to tell what team Stupid Joe used to play for. After Williamson gets behind Mike Rumph on a 3rd-and8 play for a 46-yard gain to the Washington 6, Stupid Joe says, "luckily he gets caught from behind or else it's a touchdown." Don't you mean luckily for the Redskins?

7:17. First third-and-long of the season for the Vikes and they get it -- Troy Williamson finds an open seam in the zone defence for a 14-yard gain.

7:13. Not to make a fun of guy for getting hurt, but Washington's Pierson Prioleau has to be the first guy to get injured covering a kickoff that bounced through the end zone for a touchback.

7:10. All my rowdy friends are here on Monday night." So why am I watching the game by myself in my apartment?

7:05. Play-by-play man Mike Tirico proclaims MNF "the greatest tradition in television sports history," but he had to do that or else the terrorists would have won. Should it be pointed out that Hockey Night in Canada (on radio before TV came on the scene) predates MNF by some four decades?

7 p.m. ESPN sets the tone for its first regular-season Monday Night Football broadcast with an opening that makes you feel like you're living in the Sixth Reich.