Pass defense is name of the game in NFL

Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier believes the NFL has become much more of a passing league than a running league.

"You don't see a lot of people sticking to the run, like they used to, but it has definitely become a passing league without question," Frazier said. "When you play against some good quarterbacks and the good receivers that we have, it is a challenge, there is no question about it. I think the numbers are up across the league as far as yards by quarterbacks and [completion] percentages, but that is the way the league has gone. You have to work hard to defend the pass in the National Football League."

Frazier said teams also have found ways to keeping the Vikings' two best pass rushers -- end Jared Allen and tackle Kevin Williams -- from getting to passers such as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who passed for 273 yards and four touchdowns against the Vikings on Monday.

"[Allen] is getting a lot more double-teams, [with teams] keeping the back in, keeping the tight end in," Frazier said. "They are doing a lot of things to keep him away from the quarterback, and we have to find a way to get him free.

"They are keeping that tight end to block Allen and they will slide the center and the guard sometimes to Kevin [Williams], and then there are some times Kevin will get a one-on-one. He will have to win in those situations, but most of the time it is a double-team on Jared."

Frazier said there is no question cornerback Antoine Winfield is struggling because of the foot injury that caused him to miss six games earlier this season.

"Right now he is struggling a little bit with that injury, and we have to do some things to help him," Frazier said, "but the [Bears' winning touchdown reception in overtime] is an easy play for him. He is a All-Pro corner when he is healthy."

"We miss him," Frazier said. "I felt that we would, even though Jasper [Brinkley] is doing a good job. He is still a rookie, there are some things he has to learn, but you just have to keep plugging away and keep hoping that Jasper gets better as we continue to play.

"He is improving every game he plays. ... A lot of things he is seeing in a game situation are for the very first time, so his reaction time is going to be a little bit slower, but he is going to get better the more he plays."

Well, you had to expect the defense to struggle some against the Bears with Henderson and (defensive tackle) Pat Williams on the sidelines, and Winfield not close to 100 percent.

Gophers lose tough one The combination of the Gophers' poor offense, their defense not being able to stop the Iowa State rushing game led by former DeLaSalle star Alexander Robinson and a crucial fumble by freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray on the Iowa State 17-yard line with about four minutes left cost the Gophers an opportunity to win their first Insight Bowl in three tries Thursday night.

In the Cyclones' 14-13 victory, they rushed for 212 yards to 123 by the Gophers, with Robinson leading the way with 137 yards.

Iowa State finished 7-6. One of its victories was over Nebraska, one of the better teams in the country.

Sharper memories Giants football coach Tom Coughlin, speaking about his team's past two losses to the Vikings, credits former safety Darren Sharper (now with the Saints) for making life miserable for quarterback Eli Manning.

"Darren Sharper is the guy that stole the ball umpteen times two years in a row," Coughlin said. "We certainly didn't play well against the Vikings a year ago. We were going to be in the playoffs, the Vikings needed to win to get in. It was a tight football game and I chose not to play Manning in the second half."

Manning agreed about Sharper's contribution.

"[Sharper] is a tremendous player and always seemed to have big games against me when he was at Minnesota," he said.

Another former Gophers coach, Tony Peterson, who left Minnesota for Iowa State, is expected to be named associate head coach and quarterback coach at Marshall.

Running back Devon Wright of Coral Springs Taravella (Fla.) High School, who has committed to Minnesota, was named player of the year in Broward County, where some of the best high school football in Florida is played. Wright rushed for 1,529 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season, including a 255-yard game in the season finale against Coral Springs. The 6-1, 190-pounder also caught seven passes for 161 yards and one touchdown during the regular season.

There is a good reason the Iowa Hawkeyes are attractive to bowl organizers when it fields a good football team. Iowa has sold 16,500 of its 17,500 seats for its Orange Bowl game against Georgia Tech on Tuesday.

Iowa, the Gophers' basketball opponent at Iowa City on Saturday, has a 5-8 nonconference record and is 0-1 in the Big Ten after losing 67-56 at home to Purdue on Tuesday.

Corey Koskie, the former Twins third baseman whose career ended because of concussion-related symptoms when he was injured as a member of the Brewers, has opened a new Planet Fitness center in Bloomington.