Patriots Pull Away Late, Roll For 48-27 Victory

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    Terrell Owens said he didn't want to talk about the game, and especially Randy Moss, until after it was over here on Sunday.
     Despite the Cowboys' 48-27 loss to the Patriots at Texas Stadium, Owens had no problems talking about the game in his usual post-game press conference.
     But he still wasn't saying anything about Moss.
     "Next question," Owens said when asked how the Patriots wide receiver played on Sunday. "It's not me against hm. It's a team game. We lost the game."
     Earlier in the week, Owens posted a sign in his locker at Valley Ranch stating that he would not speak to his reporters this week because he didn't want to field any questions about the "Original 81 and the other 81."
     Like Owens, Moss didn't talk much to reporters this week. But even after the game, Moss wasn't taking the bait.
     "Never in my career have I really gotten into that," said Moss, who is now 7-0 against the Cowboys in his career, playing with the Vikings, Raiders and now Patriots. "You are the media. You know how T.O. is. I just wanted to do what I could to help my team win the game. I didn't want to feed off what he was saying or the hype over the games between the two 81's. I don't really buy into that. I've got a job to do and that's to try to catch touchdowns and get first downs. That's what I tried to do today."
     And while both players scored first-quarter touchdowns, neither Owens nor Moss was a major factor statistically.
     Moss had six catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Owens, meanwhile, had six grabs for 66 yards and a 12-yard score, his first touchdown in four games.
     But while their stats were similar, the big difference was their teammates.
     The Cowboys did a decent job of handling Moss, but in the process, it allowed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to torch the Cowboys' secondary using his second- and third-receivers.
     Slot receiver Wes Welker had a career day, catching 11 balls for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Donte' Stallworth, who like Welker and Moss, is in his first season with the Patriots, had his best game of the year, catching seven balls for 136 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown to seal the game early in the fourth quarter.
     "Well, you've got to worry about Moss," head coach Wade Phillips said. "And then we get Welker covered and (Stallworth) catches a 69-yard touchdown pass on us. They're an outstanding team with tremendous match-up problems for any defense."
    The battle between the two 81's was hard to gauge Sunday. But if Moss had one advantage, it certainly would be his supporting cast.
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