Heading into last week’s game against the Steelers, the core issue was whether the Vikings’ defense would be exposed with the absence of Antoine Winfield.
Against the number one passer and number one receiver (Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward, respectively), the trio of Benny Sapp, Karl Paymah and Asher Allen rose to the occasion. Roethlisberger passed for only 175 yards and his favorite receiver, Hines Ward, had a measly one catch for three yards.
The only miscue in the secondary came on the last play of the first half, when Mike Wallace took a deep-in route for a 40-yard touchdown. This touchdown was the fault of the safety’s, Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson, who each had an opportunity to break up the pass, or at least bring Wallace to the ground.
As for Sapp, Paymah and Allen, their collective play allowed the Vikings to blitz Roethlisberger with regularity and play one-on-one coverage without giving up the big plays on the outside. Allen also chipped in with a forced fumble on Roethlisberger at the end of the fourth quarter, which was wastefully booted away by Ray Edwards.
Going forward, this trio will have to maintain their high level of play, as they face an even stiffer challenge against Aaron Rodgers and his receivers.
[Shahaab Tehrani can be reached at: shahaabt@yahoo.com]
