MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Even Eric Allen, who will line up across from Randy Moss most of the time, can't wait to see Charles Woodson cover his man when the Oakland Raiders visit the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

"It's like some of the great pitching matchups, like Roger Clemens vs. Tony Gwynn," Allen said. "Though they're going to face other people, you have to watch that matchup."

This is the first time Woodson, the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner and 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year, faces Moss, the league's most rousing first-year player since Gale Sayers and the 1998 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

"It's going to be a good one, two rookies going to the Pro Bowl coming out of college," Moss said. "He won the Heisman. I should have won the Heisman. People wanted to see me and him coming out of college. Now, you get your chance."

Woodson, 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, intercepted five passes last year and had 64 tackles, statistics all the more impressive when you consider teams stopped throwing to his side after Allen missed the last six weeks with a knee injury.

In his head-turning debut season, Moss, 6-4 and 200 pounds, caught a rookie-record 17 TD passes and tied Elroy Hirsch's record with 10 TDs of 40 or more yards.

"Their strengths are their physical abilities," Allen said. "You just have a guy who can run and a guy who can cover."

Maybe better than anybody else in the game, even with both just 22 years old.

The Moss vs. Woodson matchup might be just one element of the game between the Vikings (1-0), who beat Atlanta at the Georgia Dome in their opener, and the Raiders (0-1), who lost at Green Bay when Brett Favre engineered a thrilling comeback with an injured throwing hand. But it's definitely the most anticipated part of Sunday's game.

"Randy and Woodson would like to go against each other," Vikings coach Dennis Green said. "Woodson's not afraid of Randy and Randy's not afraid of him, either. There might be some times when they're matched up 1-on-1."

And those could be the most exciting moments all afternoon.

But don't forget Allen, a six-time Pro Bowler and one of the best cover cornerbacks in the league, going against perennial Pro Bowler Cris Carter and the rest of Randall Cunningham's bevy of receiving threats.

"I don't think Allen's overlooked," Green said. "I just answered the question: Do people want to see Moss and Woodson? Woodson's a Heisman Trophy winner and Moss was Rookie of the Year. I don't think that takes anything away from Eric, who's a terrific football player, just like I don't think it takes away anything from Cris Carter or Jake Reed."

Cunningham said it's because of those veterans on both sides that the young stars were able to make such an immediate impact in the NFL.

"Charles has got one of the best in the game coaching him over there in Eric Allen. That's why I believe he's been able to come along so quickly," Cunningham said. "When you have natural, raw talent, it's kind of like Randy having Cris as a teacher."

Both Woodson and Moss had rather inauspicious 1999 debuts, however.

Favre threw three passes Woodson's way in the game-winning drive after avoiding him most of the afternoon. Moss was limited to three catches for 24 yards, although he drew pass interference calls that set up both Vikings touchdowns.

That prompted Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan to complain: "What's Randy Moss, Michael Jordan or something?"

Green said the analogy is correct if you're talking about special talent, not special treatment.

Teams will do anything to stop Moss this season, including holding, nudging, jostling and clobbering him, Green suggested.

"I think it's like the player that drives to the lane in basketball. You can score points by going over top of guys, you can score points by going down the lane and they have to foul you," Green said.

Moss expects to see plenty of jamming at the line of scrimmage as defenders such as Woodson try to knock him off his routes.

One tactic the Raiders won't use, Oakland defensive coordinator Willie Shaw insisted, was pitting Woodson against Moss no matter when he lines up, and having Allen stay on Carter.

Allen, 33, said he couldn't pick a receiver and stick with him anyway.

"I used to be able to do that," he admitted, "but it gets tougher with age. It's tough to change sides all the time."

OAKLAND Season schedule and results

MINNESOTA Season schedule and results

September 12 @Green Bay L 24-28 September 19 @Minnesota 1:00pm ET September 26 Chicago 4:15pm ET October 3 @Seattle 8:20pm ET October 10 Denver 4:15pm ET October 17 @Buffalo 1:00pm ET October 24 NY Jets 4:15pm ET October 31 Miami 4:05pm ET November 14 San Diego 4:05pm ET November 22 @Denver 9:00pm ET November 28 Kansas City 4:15pm ET December 5 Seattle 4:15pm ET December 9 @Tennessee 8:20pm ET December 19 Tampa Bay 4:05pm ET December 26 @San Diego 4:05pm ET January 2 @Kansas City 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Atlanta W 17-14 September 19 Oakland 1:00pm ET September 26 @Green Bay 4:15pm ET October 3 Tampa Bay 1:00pm ET October 10 Chicago 1:00pm ET October 17 @Detroit 1:00pm ET October 24 San Francisco 1:00pm ET October 31 @Denver 4:15pm ET November 8 Dallas 9:00pm ET November 14 @Chicago 1:00pm ET November 28 San Diego 1:00pm ET December 6 @Tampa Bay 9:00pm ET December 12 @Kansas City 8:20pm ET December 20 Green Bay 9:00pm ET December 26 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET January 2 Detroit 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

Copyright 1999 STATS, Inc. Commercial distribution without the express written consent of STATS is prohibited.