Thursday, November 26, 1998

Cowboys face secondary test against Vikings

By MIKE BALDWIN

The Daily Oklahoman

IRVING, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys will get a heavy dose of Minnesota Vikings rookie wide receiver Randy Moss on Thursday afternoon at Texas Stadium.

That's bad news and good news for an injury-riddled secondary.

The bad news is Moss, who ranks third in the league with 851 yards receiving, will play 70 snaps, instead of his customary 25 to 35 plays. The good news is Moss is starting because Jake Reed had back surgery and won't play Thanksgiving Day.

But the Cowboys (8-3) have their own injury concerns. Containing the Vikings prolific offense would be a difficult assignment even if All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders were healthy. But Sanders, hobbled by a sprained toe, isn't healthy. It's uncertain how much he will play.

"It's going to be a challenge for us, but we'll be up to the challenge," safety Darren Woodson said. "If we get Deion back, it's going to make it easier on us. I'd like Deion to be out there. If not, we still have to go win the game."

Facing Minnesota's high-octane offense is a formidable task that can intimidate defensive coordinators. The Vikings are on pace for one of the highest-scoring seasons in league history. They have scored at least 24 points in every game, and they've scored 31 or more points eight times.

Minnesota (10-1) thrives on big plays. Getting pressure against quarterback Randall Cunningham is important against an offense that has produced 47 plays of 20 yards or longer. Even if you have their wide receivers covered, they can leap above a defender like Dennis Rodman going for a rebound.

"That's a smart move if you look at it," said safety Kenny Wheaton. "If you've got receivers that are 6-3 or 6-4 with a 3- or 4-inch difference on the corner, why not? I talked to a couple of buddies around the league, and they say, 'They don't run routes; they just throw the ball.' "

That's just half the problem. Minnesota's offensive line is among the league's best, and running back Robert Smith has rushed for 967 yards. Like the receivers, Smith is a threat to break a long play. Smith has averaged 42 yards on his eight touchdowns and has TD runs of 24, 57, 61 and 74 yards.

"If you just focus on the wide receivers and don't realize you've got to stop him, you're making a big mistake," said coach Chan Gailey. "Boy, he's somebody we'll try to stop. We'll always try to stop the run. You've got to do that."

But the pregame hype is Moss and Cris Carter matched against the Cowboys' secondary, which may be starting Charlie Williams, their No. 4 cornerback. This is the one game Sanders' coverage skills are needed, but Sanders hasn't practiced the last two weeks.

"We have to be careful the situations we put the young guys in," said defensive backs coach Mike Zimmer. "At the same token, you can't get away from your game plan. You've always got to stop the run. If you don't allow the corners to be singled up once in a while, you'll get killed in other ways."

Minnesota's defense has similar matchup problems. The Cowboys have a significant size advantage up front. In their lone loss against Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers rushed for 246 yards.

"We obviously have concerns about their big tackles," said Vikings coach Dennis Green. "Larry Allen and Erik Williams are two big guys and we're considered a small, quick front. They're considered a big, powerful, pounding type offensive line. ... They're offense is one of the best. They're scoring a lot of points."

Minnesota is ranked third offensively, averaging 31.7 points a game. Dallas is ranked fourth and has averaged 30.2 points in the five games Troy Aikman has played start to finish.

"They're a great football team," said Cowboys' wide receiver Michael Irvin. "It's going to take us playing our best to win. Those guys, offensively, are as explosive as any team in the league. We're going to have to try and do something to match that."

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)