The Vikings faced a pass-happy New Orleans Saints offense in the season opener. On Sunday, they face a Miami Dolphins offense that tries to wear down defenses with a physical running game with their tag-team combination of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.
That's not to say the Dolphins aren't a threat in the passing game. The Vikings secondary figures to have its hands full with wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who arrived in a trade this offseason.
Since 2007, Marshall has the second-most catches in the NFL (315) and is sixth in receiving yards (3,763).
Marshall caught eight passes for 53 yards against Buffalo last week. "He's a big body," cornerback Asher Allen said. "He likes to get his hands on you, but he also has some finesse to his game. He's a big-time receiver, a big-play receiver." It looks likely that the Vikings will go into the game with only three healthy corners again. We wrote about that situation today. Cedric Griffin and rookie Chris Cook are the team's two biggest corners, but they might not be ready to return. If that's the case, Marshall (6-4, 230 pounds) would have a decided size advantage against the other corners. Allen is listed at 5-9, 194 pounds; Antoine Winfield is 5-9, 180 pounds; Lito Sheppard is 5-10, 194 pounds. "[Marshall] is a big, physical guy," Cook said. "He's 6-4, 230. You don't see too many guys like that, that can run, especially at skill positions. He has a tight end type of body. That's a big problem. We just have to play him smart." We're scheduled to have our weekly press conferences with the three coordinators and Adrian Peterson after practice today. Check back later for highlights.
