The Vikings woke up in great shape Friday, tied for the the NFC North lead with the Bears and Lions, a half-game clear of the struggling Packers, who were dismantled 36-16 by the Seahawks in the NFL opener Thursday.

(Full disclosure: We think that game said more about how good Seattle is than how bad Green Bay might be, but it is possible both are true).

Regardless, opportunity is sitting there for the Vikings to claim complete control of their border rivals with a full-game lead if they are able to go on the road and win at St. Louis on Sunday.

You're saying: The Vikings did not win a road game in 2013, so why should they start now? And we're saying: Well, um, er … no! … we're saying: Things have the potential to be different under head coach Mike Zimmer, and this game at St. Louis is the perfect way to start.

Not only did it seem like a winnable game before camp began, but now it could be even more so thanks to Sam Bradford's injury.

Moreover, the Vikings don't figure to be facing the same type of hostile environment the Packers went up against on Thursday. That is to say, we don't imagine police in St. Louis will have to dress like Vikings fans in order to catch unruly Rams fans in the act of bad behavior. For one, there are more important things going on in the area; for another, this game isn't exactly a hot seller and could feature a bevy of empty seats.

ESPN.com's weekly NFL schedule lists the number of tickets available on StubHub for every game, as well as the cheapest price for a ticket to all the games. The Vikings/Rams game has the most tickets available on StubHub (nearly 4,000 as of Friday morning), and also has the cheapest asking price ($14) for a ticket.

It's a game that could set the tone for the entire season (particularly considering tougher opponents coming up quickly on the Vikings schedule), and in what could be a stagnant Dome, it's a game in which a fast start could set the tone for the game.