Winfield’s injury hurts more than just himself

By MikeBullock  |   Thursday, October 29, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

Minnesota Vikings
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His eleventh year out of Ohio State was promising to be his best. Going in to the week six game against the Baltimore Ravens, Antoine Winfield had amassed 28 solo tackles, 4 passes defensed and 1 interception. While those numbers don’t seem astronomical, take into account the number of times opposing teams either ran or threw away from Winfield and you get a fairly complete picture of a studly cornerback.

Then, it all came crashing down in the second quarter of the Raven’s game. Winfield went out with a nasty foot injury and the floodgates opened. Over the next two quarters, not only did Raven’s QB Joe Flacco take the wood to that side of the field through the air, Baltimore’s running game did the same.

It also took away one of the Vikings’ most feared plays on defense, the CB blitz. For a man that stands only 5’9” and weighs in at a meager 180 lbs, Winfield hits like linebacker, a big one. Just ask Jake Delhomme.

While no one man is all important, far too often the importance of just one man is understated in today’s game. Had Winfield not gone out, Baltimore never would have been in a go-ahead position late in week six. The Vikings would have had that game wrapped up well before then.

Fast forward to week seven. Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp and Asher Allen did their best to stop the bleeding, and held Hines Ward to a forgettable performance. However, the x-factor that Winfield brings to the game was certainly missed. Paymah and company had more than one opportunity for an interception, which, chances are Winfield would have collected. In addition, having Winfield on the turf would have given Ben Roethlisberger a moment or two of pause before firing that way, which might have been all the time Jared Allen needed to finish off a sack.

Of course, these are all suppositions, with no basis in reality, as they never happened. However, one thing we can be certain of: Winfield is a winner and without him, bringing home a W this week from Lambeau Field will be that much harder for the Purple Pride.

The latest reports have Winfield trying desperately to rehab enough to make the trip and play this weekend. However, does Vikings Coach Brad Childress really want to risk losing him for even longer? This weekend’s game certainly has big implications for the NFC North Division Championship, as well as the road to the Superbowl, but is week eight really the time to pull out all the stops?

Either way, the injury Winfield is enduring right now, brings with it more than just physical discomfort, it carries the potential for a two game losing streak, which is far more pain than the Vikings and their fans care to imagine.
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