The Minnesota Vikings are about to open their doors to a wildebeest Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers come roaming into town.
As part of their act, the 49ers will tote Randy Moss back into the Metrodome. Moss was a scarier proposition five years ago, but Vikings coach Leslie Frazier isn't thumbing his nose at the 35-year-old receiver.
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"They still take some shots with him down the field," Frazier told The Star Tribune on Wednesday. "There are times they're trying to get behind the secondary with him. So he still shows that if you blink, he can run by you. He's got that ability. He really seems to be rejuvenated in their offense. He's doing a good job."
Moss -- with five catches for 61 yards and a touchdown over two games -- has been kept in shadows. We don't dismiss the possibility of some future-day offensive explosion, but the reality draping Moss is less compelling. This is a role player, back on the field in search of a Super Bowl ring.
Moss undoubtedly is motivated to torch his old team, and Frazier knows the wisdom behind dishing out glowing platitudes, but this isn't Minnesota's biggest headache. The Vikings allowed the 49ers to run for almost 200 yards in a single half when they met in August. That was no mirage. San Francisco is a legitimate nightmare on the ground -- stop that, and let Moss try his thing. That's how you beat this team in 2012.
UPDATE: Moss told reporters Wednesday he is looking forward to returning to Minnesota.
"I'm just very fortunate to go back where it all started at. We had some great times in Minnesota," Moss said, according to The Associated Press. "I'm looking forward to just hearing the Metrodome rock. Now I'm on with the away team and I look forward to a good game."
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
