Cunningham content in Dallas while Culpepper blossoms in Minnesota

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Randall Cunningham will be watching from the other side while his protege throws passes for a Super Bowl contender. <br><br>Second-year quarterback Daunte Culpepper is blossoming in

Wednesday, November 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

IRVING, Texas (AP) _ Randall Cunningham will be watching from the other side while his protege throws passes for a Super Bowl contender.

Second-year quarterback Daunte Culpepper is blossoming in Minnesota, where just two years ago Cunningham had the best season of his NFL career. Now Cunningham is the backup for struggling Dallas.

``You don't need to throw the whole playbook at him, you need to condense it to the things he does best and use the ability of the other players. And that's what they are doing,'' Cunningham said. ``I've seen a lot of growth in Daunte. Even last year, he began to grow rapidly.''

While the development of Culpepper basically left no need for Cunningham in Minnesota, he harbors no resentment for the Vikings or their young quarterback.

Cunningham will get a close look at Culpepper on Thursday when the Vikings (9-2) travel to Dallas (4-7) for the Cowboys' traditional Thanksgiving Day game.

``They are probably the best team in the NFL right now. They're gelling together at the right time,'' Cunningham said. ``And Daunte is getting better and better each week.''

When the Vikings drafted Culpepper in 1999, they considered him the top player available. They gave him the season to adjust while Cunningham started the first six games before being replaced by Jeff George.

After last season, both Cunningham and George left Minnesota.

``Now we feel we have one guy to put our fortunes in,'' Vikings coach Dennis Green said. ``We think he's the right guy and we are hopeful that over the next 10 years we won't have anybody playing quarterback but Daunte.''

Cunningham signed with Dallas, content with being Troy Aikman's backup, after being released by the Vikings last summer.

Culpepper has responded as the Minnesota starter with 2,919 yards to complement the NFL's best running game with Robert Smith (1,128 yards).

Culpepper said his season alongside Cunningham was valuable, and the two still talk by phone periodically.

``Randall is definitely a mentor for me, and a role model at the same time,'' Culpepper said. ``He was a good person to be around for a young guy like myself coming into the league, and just a good person to be around.''

The Vikings, who lead the league with 143.4 yards per game rushing, are preparing to play the NFL's worst rushing defense. Dallas is allowing 171.1 yards per game, including two 200-yard rushers and 187 yards to Jamal Lewis in last week's 27-0 loss at Baltimore _ the Cowboys' first shutout loss since 1991.

When Smith isn't running the ball, Culpepper is throwing to Randy Moss and Cris Carter, who is just seven catches away from joining Jerry Rice as the only players with 1,000 career receptions. In the past two games, Smith has had 100-yard rushing games while Moss and Carter both had more than 100 yards receiving.

Two years ago, when the Vikings won 46-36 on Thanksgiving Day at Dallas, Aikman threw for a career-high 455 yards while Cunningham was on the other side throwing for 359 yards and four touchdowns, mostly to Moss and Carter.

That was part an All-Pro season for Cunningham, who was 13-1 as a starter with 3,704 yards passing and 34 touchdowns as the Vikings advanced to the NFC championship game. He was replaced by George as the starter after Minnesota started 2-4 in 1999.

In that 1998 Thanksgiving shootout, all three of Moss' catches were for touchdowns _ the first for 51 yards and the other two for 56 yards. Carter had seven catches for 135 yards, including a 54-yard TD.

``Yeah, just throw it up there, that's what people used to say,'' Cunningham said. ``I flashback and look at it. It was a lot of fun. To be able to come down here and play the Cowboys and do what we were able to do that, that was just God's grace on us.

``I'm praying that it will be reversed this time when they come in here.''

The Cowboys, who will be without eight starters because of injury, can use all the help they can get.