INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis defensive backs will get a break Monday night. 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.

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 pounds, is a big-time deep threat and still taller than the Colts' two starting cornerbacks. Nate Burleson, at 6-0, 192 pounds, 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.

"Marcus, myself and Kelly Campbell have to go out there and make plays so that we don't have anyone questioning our talent without Randy," Burleson said.

What concerns the Colts are the apparent mismatches.

Indianapolis' starting cornerbacks, Nick Harper and Jason David, are just 5-10 and 5-8, respectively. So Dungy spent this week using tight ends as wideouts to simulate the physical play he anticipates Monday night.

"They are probably the poster child for big receivers," Colts coach Tony Dungy said of the Vikings. "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 a generous 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 Monday night. 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.

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."

Making plays has not been a problem for Colts' opponents this year.

Kansas City's Trent Green threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns. Jacksonville's Byron Leftwich had 300 yards and two touchdowns, and Green Bay's Brett Favre threw for 360 yards and four TDs.

To avoid a repeat of that, even without Moss, the Colts know they must fight.

"We have to prepare for a physical game, the rough and tumble," Dungy said. "They're going to create contact. Hopefully, we'll be ready for it."