Winfield does light workout, nears return

Antoine Winfield did some work on the side during Monday's light practice, but it remains uncertain when the Vikings' Pro Bowl cornerback will be able to return.

Winfield has missed two games because of a right foot injury suffered Oct. 18 against Baltimore. He stayed in the Twin Cities during the bye week to receive treatment.

The Vikings have a comfortable three-game lead in the NFC North and play host to the 1-7 Detroit Lions on Sunday, but coach Brad Childress said Winfield is pushing to get back on the field as soon as possible.

"Those guys' bodies talk to them," Childress said. "He's like most of our guys. They are not trying to malinger or anything like that. They are trying to get themselves back out there and get in the mix, and he's no different. He's pushed it as hard as he possibly can under doctors' orders. The next part of it is getting out here and moving on this hard surface."

The Vikings had about 1,800 tickets remaining Monday afternoon for Sunday's game. Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing, said there are about 1,300 tickets left for the Nov. 22 game against Seattle at the Metrodome.

• The Vikings went through a short practice Monday after a six-day break for the bye week. Players will have their usual day off today before starting preparations for Sunday's game on Wednesday.

• Childress said Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen, who leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks, spends considerable time studying himself on tape in order to pick up his own tendencies.

"If he's showing them one thing all the time, good pass rushers go back and study themselves and say, 'You know I'm always starting with this,'" Childress said. "I just think he continues to refine that as he goes along because if somebody is willing to do the work on you and you're doing the same thing, they can come up with a plan to stuff you."

• Rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford threw five interceptions in the Lions' 32-20 loss at Seattle on Sunday and was tied for 31st in the NFL among quarterbacks with 12 picks entering Monday night. Two of those interceptions were by Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway in Week 2.

"He's tremendously talented, got a big arm," Greenway said. "He's a rookie, he's going to make those mistakes. But he's battling through it and he seems like he's a great competitor."

• The Lions could be without linebacker Ernie Sims on Sunday after he suffered an injury to his right hamstring in the second half. Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Sims' injury has the potential to be "fairly significant" and that Sims was going to get more tests performed.