MNF Vikings go into Colts game with Moss sidelined

Indy enters tonight's game with the NFL's worst passing defense.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indianapolis defensive backs will get a break tonight. They won't have to deal with Randy Moss.
For a shaky secondary, it's one of the few advantages the Colts have against Minnesota's talented receivers.
"They are big," safety Idrees Bashir said. "When Daunte [Culpepper] starts scrambling, they body you off and you just have to do whatever you can."
Moss, a five-time Pro Bowler, could have turned the game into a survival test for the Colts' secondary. Instead, he will miss the first game of his career because of a strained right hamstring.
Still dangerous
Even without Moss, the Vikings still possess one of the most dangerous receiving combinations in the NFL.
At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Marcus Robinson is physical and fast. Kelly Campbell, the smallest of the group at 5-11, 173, is a big-time deep threat and still taller than the Colts' two starting cornerbacks. Nate Burleson, at 6-0, 192, is another speedster who has emerged this season as a consistent target for Culpepper.
On paper, the mismatch looks even greater. The Colts enter the game with the NFL's worst passing defense, while the Vikings have the league's No. 1 passing offense and something to prove.
Indianapolis' starting cornerbacks, Nick Harper and Jason David, are 5-10 and 5-8, respectively. So coach Tony Dungy spent this week using tight ends as wideouts to simulate the physical play he anticipates.
Poster children
"They are probably the poster child for big receivers," Dungy said. "We've played against some big receivers, but these guys are more so. It's like what's the next level of good, the next level of big, the next level of fast."
The size difference isn't just found in the receiver-secondary matchups.
Minnesota's offensive line outweighs the Colts' defensive line by an average of 51 pounds. Culpepper, at 6-4, 264, is nearly as big as Colts Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney, who is listed at 268 pounds.
And the Colts' secondary is still trying to adjust to some new faces and nicked-up bodies.
David, a rookie, has produced some key interceptions this year, but has struggled in coverage. Rookie Bob Sanders, the Colts' top draft pick in April, will make his first start. Bashir has fought through several injuries this season, the most recent a sore lower back, and Harper has played through shoulder and elbow injuries. Even nickel back Joseph Jefferson has a sore knee.
Moss factor
But Moss' absence could be an equalizer. With a slowed Moss last week, the Vikings struggled and lost 34-13 to the New York Giants.
"We still have to go out there and win games, and we can do it," Culpepper said. "We have the guys to do it. We just have to have everybody step up and be on the same page and make plays."