Tuesday, November 24, 1998

Randy Moss to test Cowboys, with or without Deion Sanders

By Don Pierson

Chicago Tribune

(KRT)

CHICAGO - Randy Moss will be there whether Deion Sanders is or not. The Minnesota Vikings' receiver doesn't share the anticipation of NFL fans over a Thanksgiving Day feast of Moss vs. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Sanders.

Sanders is nursing a sore toe that could severely limit him on Thursday. He had to leave Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks early. The Cowboys said Monday Sanders won't be able to tell whether he can run until he tries to play again on Thursday.

"I am not looking at this game as (only) Deion Sanders. I'm looking at the Dallas Cowboys," Moss said. "Hopefully, Deion is not looking at this game as me being a rookie and showing the world what he can do with me or what he can't do with me. Hopefully, they'll call my play and I'm just going to try to catch the ball no matter who's on me."

That's pretty much been his pattern. He thinks he can get to any pass thrown anywhere near him.

"If the ball is my way, I'm either going to catch it or bat it down," Moss said after Sunday's 28-14 win over Green Bay. "Today I caught it."

Minnesota coach Dennis Green thinks Moss' Oct. 18 matchup against Washington cornerback Darrell Green will help him against Sanders. Green and Sanders are two of the few corners who can match Moss' speed.

"I think Randy will do better in this game as a result of the battles he had with Green," Dennis Green said. "Darrell is one of the great warriors in the game. He and Randy went at it tooth and nail. Randy learned a lot. He still has a lot to learn."

Moss said he learned he had to go "full speed all the time. I'm not going to look at this game any different. We have a heck of a trio here (with Cris Carter and Jake Reed). There's no way Deion can be all over that field at one time."

The trouble with covering Moss is you only think you have him covered. Packers cornerback Rod Smith thought he was right with him on Moss's clinching touchdown pass until Moss suddenly cut around him and made a great adjustment on the ball.

"You get a guy 45 yards down the field, on the top shoulder, with your head around him, pinning him to the sidelines, you figure you're in pretty good position, you know?" Smith said.

Forgotten man: Add Mitch Berger to the Vikings' big-play arsenal. In the past two games, Berger has nine touchbacks on kickoffs and is averaging 55.1 yards on seven punts. He has 28 touchbacks on kickoffs this season, a team record.

Berger was with Green Bay in the 1995 preseason but was cut after kicking off poorly.

"We got him to do exactly what he's doing for them," Packers General Manager Ron Wolf said. "But he wasn't able to do it for us, so we let him go."

Berger also was with the Bears during the 1995 off-season before they drafted Todd Sauerbrun. He was drafted by Philadelphia and also had stops in Cincinnati and Indianapolis. He finally found a home in Minnesota.

"It's not like early in my career, where you're like one bad kick and one bad game and you know you're cut. I know I'm a part of this team, and I know everybody has faith in me," Berger said.

Berger said Green Bay gave him only one day. He said the Bears told him the job was his after they let Chris Gardocki go. "Then they said they couldn't believe Sauerbrun was there (in the second round) and couldn't pass him up," Berger said.