Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield has no special requests for Dallas game this week
Cornerback expects test from Dallas offense
BY DON SEEHOLZER
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 10/18/2007 12:17:26 AM CDT
Three weeks ago, Antoine Winfield successfully lobbied the Vikings' coaches to allow him to cover Green Bay wide receiver Donald Driver for the entire game. But the veteran cornerback had no such request this week regarding Terrell Owens.
Against the Dallas Cowboys' multifaceted offense, Winfield said it's not really an option.
"Really, he's not their No. 1 receiver," Winfield said Wednesday. "(Tight end Jason) Witten is. He has all the catches and most of the touchdowns."
For the record, Witten's team-high 32 receptions are five more than Owens' season total, and each has four touchdowns.
Throw in quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Patrick Crayton and the double-barreled running attack of Marion Barber III and Julius Jones, and Winfield said the Cowboys have far and away the best offense the Vikings will have faced this season.
"They have so many weapons," he said. "They really have a balanced offense where you can't just focus on one guy and try to take him out of the game. Somebody else will get you."
Linebacker Ben Leber agreed.
"You look at our past games and I think Green Bay, they have a couple young running backs and I think they were just going to throw the ball," he said. "Detroit was kind of the same situation. I think this is going to be a great test for us because it is a very balanced offense. They can come out and run the ball in nickel situations and throw the ball on first down. They're going to give us a bunch of different looks."
The Cowboys have the NFL's No. 2-ranked offense (11 rushing TDs, 3 passing TDs), behind New England, and their 203 points are second only to the Patriots' 230.
The Patriots used some unconventional defenses, including one featuring a single defensive lineman, in a 48-27 victory over Dallas last Sunday, but Winfield said the Vikings aren't planning anything so exotic.
"That's the Patriots," he said, laughing. "They've been doing that since I was in Buffalo. You'll see one defensive lineman and seven or eight DBs running around the line of scrimmage. I don't think you'll see anything like that."
Playing his regular left cornerback spot and slot man in the nickel defense, Winfield guessed he would see Crayton 60 percent of the time Sunday and Owens the other 40 percent, depending on how the Cowboys deploy their receivers.
And no, in case anyone is wondering, he hasn't asked to cover Witten.
"Nah," Winfield said. "I'll leave that to the linebackers and the safeties."
BY DON SEEHOLZER
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 10/18/2007 12:17:26 AM CDT
Three weeks ago, Antoine Winfield successfully lobbied the Vikings' coaches to allow him to cover Green Bay wide receiver Donald Driver for the entire game. But the veteran cornerback had no such request this week regarding Terrell Owens.
Against the Dallas Cowboys' multifaceted offense, Winfield said it's not really an option.
"Really, he's not their No. 1 receiver," Winfield said Wednesday. "(Tight end Jason) Witten is. He has all the catches and most of the touchdowns."
For the record, Witten's team-high 32 receptions are five more than Owens' season total, and each has four touchdowns.
Throw in quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Patrick Crayton and the double-barreled running attack of Marion Barber III and Julius Jones, and Winfield said the Cowboys have far and away the best offense the Vikings will have faced this season.
"They have so many weapons," he said. "They really have a balanced offense where you can't just focus on one guy and try to take him out of the game. Somebody else will get you."
Linebacker Ben Leber agreed.
"You look at our past games and I think Green Bay, they have a couple young running backs and I think they were just going to throw the ball," he said. "Detroit was kind of the same situation. I think this is going to be a great test for us because it is a very balanced offense. They can come out and run the ball in nickel situations and throw the ball on first down. They're going to give us a bunch of different looks."
The Cowboys have the NFL's No. 2-ranked offense (11 rushing TDs, 3 passing TDs), behind New England, and their 203 points are second only to the Patriots' 230.
The Patriots used some unconventional defenses, including one featuring a single defensive lineman, in a 48-27 victory over Dallas last Sunday, but Winfield said the Vikings aren't planning anything so exotic.
"That's the Patriots," he said, laughing. "They've been doing that since I was in Buffalo. You'll see one defensive lineman and seven or eight DBs running around the line of scrimmage. I don't think you'll see anything like that."
Playing his regular left cornerback spot and slot man in the nickel defense, Winfield guessed he would see Crayton 60 percent of the time Sunday and Owens the other 40 percent, depending on how the Cowboys deploy their receivers.
And no, in case anyone is wondering, he hasn't asked to cover Witten.
"Nah," Winfield said. "I'll leave that to the linebackers and the safeties."
posted by The Gryphon at 7:10 PM
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