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© St. Petersburg Times, published September 30, 2001
The opponent: Minnesota Vikings
TAMPA -- It has been a difficult week for the Vikings, to say the least. Not only have they endured the scrutiny over their 0-2 start, but they've had to try to live down the images of players and coaches quarreling on the sideline during their loss to the Bears.
There have been public apologies, closed-door meetings and a lot of soul-searching. And today, the Vikings hope to emerge a different team against Tampa Bay at the Metrodome.
"We have to take it upon ourselves to focus and run the plays the coaches call," veteran receiver Jake Reed said. "And if something bad happens, then don't worry about it. Just get that close-knit (feeling) back.
"That's one of the things we focused on, and that's one of the things I expect people will see this week. The closeness on the field."
STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT: The Vikings might be weak at strong safety, where inexperienced Don Morgan starts in place of Pro Bowl player Robert Griffith, who is out with a fractured fibula. Morgan has spent most of his career on special teams and has only six defensive tackles.
"They put a lot of pressure (on you as a starter)," Morgan said. "I'm out to try to prove something. Prove that I can handle the job just as well as Griff and contribute to the success of the team."
With Griffith out, veteran free safety Orlando Thomas takes over the play-calling. He has impressed the coaches with his understanding of the game; so much so that he has been told he would make a good coach.
"Orlando is a very smart player," coach Dennis Green said. "He's like a quarterback on the field."
DID YOU KNOW?: With Randy Moss and Cris Carter struggling to get involved in the offense, tight end Byron Chamberlain leads the team in catches with 12. He has as many receptions as Moss and Carter combined and almost as many yards (133 to 166).
Speaking of Carter and Moss, look for the Vikings to send them in motion a lot and line them up in various positions to make them harder to double-team.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis on the need to get more passes to Moss and Carter: "I'm trying. Believe me, I'm trying."
JUST NOT UP TO SNUFF?: One of the most asked questions in Minnesota these days must be what's wrong with the Vikings offense, which has mustered 23 points in two games?
The answer might be nothing.
Carter suggested the offense simply might not be as good as in past years, when it was regularly among the league scoring leaders.
"We still have tremendous personnel. Maybe not as good as we have been in the past," he said. "We probably can't dominate the way we've been able to do before."
Quarterback Daunte Culpepper has hinted at the same thing.
"I think a lot of people can say whatever they want to, but Chicago and Carolina both have pretty good defenses," Culpepper said of the team's first two opponents. "You want to say that we beat ourselves, but to be truthful about it, those two teams played pretty well against us."
TICK, TICK, TICK. . .: Culpepper said facing Tampa Bay's speedy defensive linemen won't allow him the time in the pocket he typically has to find a receiver.
"My main thing with them is just make sure I have that clock in my head," he said. "I can't be back there holding the ball because you only can block those guys for so long. I don't care how good your line is.
"So I've got to get the ball out of my hands and make my decision fast and just go with it."
- Compiled by staff writer Darrell Fry using information from other news organizations.