Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Assigning blame and credit in pass coverage is a tricky business in the NFL. The closest defender is not usually responsible, and occasionally a smart adjustment by 1 player makes an additional look good. David Stluka/Getty Pictures Cedric Griffin expects to become tested by Drew Brees and also the Saints on Monday night. In that context, we cannot specify how many completions Minnesota cornerback Cedric Griffin has given up this season. What we are able to tell you is that opponents are targeting him frequently -- sufficient to make him the Vikings' fourth-leading tackler, an ominous statistic for an NFL cornerback. Griffin doesn't have an interception this season, has batted away only one pass and faces a stiff challenge Monday night against New Orleans' top-rated passing offense. Speaking last week within the Vikings' locker room, Griffin acknowledged he's becoming picked on this season but attributed it to a pair of extenuating elements: The presence of veteran Antoine Winfield on the other side of the Vikings' defense. Teams naturally prefer to throw away from Winfield, Griffin said.His status as the right cornerback. Based on Griffin: "Most teams are right-handed, and the ride side is generally the single-receiver side ... exactly where they run their outs and curls. I adore playing right corner because I get a great deal of action." Griffin, of course, has seen a lot of action in component because he hasn't stopped receivers from catching medium-range passes in front of him. Vikings coaches note Griffin has given up only one long pass play, a 58-yard completion to Indianapolis receiver Anthony Gonzalez, and they don't appear unhappy with his efficiency. Here's how defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier assessed Griffin's play therefore far: "Some individuals have caught some passes underneath, some outs and some curls, and using the exception with that one play with [Anthony] Gonzalez, he's done a great job of not permitting large plays over the leading of him. That is what we ask him to complete in our scheme. So long as he does that and tackles nicely ... then he'll be fine. There are issues that people try to do because Antoine [Winfield] is such a good player on the left side. He's holding his own. You just need to do a great job of tackling and not giving up large plays more than the leading and we'll be fine." From our vantage point, a collection of 7-yard receptions can hurt a defense just as a lot as 1 lengthy pass. Griffin is really a physical player, however it only takes 1 missed tackle to turn a short pass into a big play. It appears fair to expect opponents to continue targeting him unless he tightens up his coverage enough to make an interception or at least break up passes more consistently. Griffin does not disagree, but stated the worst thing he can do is start pressing for an interception. "You can't be too aggressive available," Griffin said. "You need to patient, you have to relax and you have to have a lot of confidence. When my time comes ... to get some picks, it is going to come." Monday night would be a good time for the Vikings.