We'll have more in this online and in the paper later tonight, but the Vikings expect Dallas quarterback Tony Romo to use a lot of three-step drops and quick-hitting passes to try and counter their pass rush.

That approach has worked against the Vikings late in the season and Romo used it extensively in the playoff game against the Eagles on Saturday.

"He does have a lot of three-step rhythm throws," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "They're getting it out quick and not letting him hold it. But that's just part of the game. That's the way teams play these days. It's stuff we have to defend. If they catch it, we have to tackle them." Quick-hitting passes put a premium on tackling and not allowing short catches turn into long gains. That is something that hurt the Vikings at times late in the season as missed tackles sparked explosive plays. "Tackling is obviously a big deal," linebacker Ben Leber said. "You get those short screens and swing passes and things like that, you have to be able to get guys up there and tackle so you don't have any bleeding yardage. It's imperative for us to stop the run and be good tacklers." The Vikings can disrupt the Cowboys timing by being physical with their receivers at the line. The defensive linemen say they also need to get their hands in passing lanes when they aren't able to collapse the pocket around Romo. "Fundamentally, you've got to tackle and then you've got to bat some balls down," defensive end Jared Allen said. "You've got to get a couple of breaks in that area. You can negate a lot of those short passing situations by getting off the field and your offense scoring points. When you're in a close game, those short passes affect it and how you do that is tackle and then you can work on forcing fumbles. When they're catching it quick, if you're hitting them quick, you can always knock the ball out."