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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Randy Moss might ask the NFL if the
Minnesota Vikings can play in Texas Stadium every Thanksgiving.
|  | | Robert Smith ran for 148 yards and a touchdown during Minnesota's Thanksgiving Day victory. |
Moss made two sensational touchdown catches and another great
grab on a 52-yard bomb that set up a TD run by Robert Smith,
carrying Minnesota to a 27-15 victory over Dallas on Thursday.
Two years ago, Moss highlighted his rookie season by catching
touchdowns passes of 51, 56 and 56 yards -- on his only three
catches -- as the Vikings beat Dallas 46-36 on Thanksgiving.
What made this one special was the way Moss dominated.
His deep ball came against triple coverage. His first touchdown
catch, a 7-yarder, was while running against the back line of the
end zone, arms fully stretched and the ball getting jammed with the
tip up between his fingers. His second touchdown, a 36-yarder, came
while getting untangled from a shorter cornerback, then quickly
dropping his toes in bounds.
"I see it every day in practice," said quarterback Daunte
Culpepper, who was 15-of-22 for 205 yards. "Put it in his area and
he'll come up with it."
Moss finished with seven receptions for 144 yards. The two
touchdowns give him an NFL-best 12. He has eight in four games
against Dallas, his most against any opponent.
"I don't think it's anything against the Cowboys. He's just a
big-play player," Vikings coach Dennis Green said.
While Moss has proven how wrong teams were to let him slide to
the 21st pick in the 1998 draft, he might still want to rub it in
on Dallas, which picked eighth and needed a receiver. The Cowboys
were trying to rebuild their image and felt Moss was too much of an
off-field risk, the same label that scared other teams.
Moss said he does like showing up the Cowboys, especially in the
Thanksgiving spotlight.
"It's in front Pat Summerall and John Madden on Turkey Day,"
Moss said. "I just try to go out there and make it happen -- that,
and show them they did mess up on draft day."
Moss said a halftime change into dry uniforms sparked Minnesota
(10-2) to break open a close game in the third quarter.
"That made us feel good, feel loose," said Moss, who scored
both his touchdowns in the third quarter.
Then again, his 52-yarder came in the soggy second quarter with
safety Greg Myers was on his back and another safety, Izell Reese,
jumping in front of him. Cornerback Ryan McNeil was in the area,
but not close enough.
"That was probably the toughest catch of my career," Moss
said. "I had to look back in the rain and turn my body. When the
ball hit me in the chestplate, I was shocked."
The Vikings won their third straight game, securing their grip
on home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
Smith, the NFC rushing leader, splashed across the puddle-filled
turf for 148 yards on 21 carries. Even kicker Gary Anderson booted
the rain-soaked ball 49 yards for a field goal, tying his
season-best, and added a 29-yarder.
Dallas, playing without eight injured starters, lost running
back Emmitt Smith to a concussion in the third quarter. The Cowboys
(4-8) lost for the fourth time in five games and face likely
playoff teams the next four weeks.
"We won one game my rookie year and that was pretty
miserable," said quarterback Troy Aikman, who was 30-of-42 for 276
yards with a touchdown and an interception. "This is now. We're
disappointed and frustrated to be in the position we're in."
Coming off a shutout by Baltimore, Dallas extended an
offensive-touchdown drought to nine quarters before getting one
with 2:32 to go.
Aikman and Emmitt Smith, who had 100 yards on 12 carries
including a season-best 52-yarder, did a good job moving the ball
early, but the Cowboys settled for three field goals. They led 6-0
and were behind only 10-9 at halftime.
Smith was hurt on the Cowboys' first drive of the second half.
Safety Robert Griffith held him up, then linebacker Ed McDaniel hit
Smith helmet-on-helmet, spinning him around and causing him to
fumble. He was motionless for several minutes, then helped off the
field. He was laughing before going up the tunnel to the locker
room, then was sent home. He'll be examined again Friday.
Minnesota's Cris Carter caught two passes for 22 yards, putting
him over 1,000 yards for an eighth straight season -- tying Steve
Largent for second-best in NFL history. Carter needs five more
catches to become the second receiver to 1,000 in his career.
Game
notes
Griffith's interception was only the sixth of the year for
Minnesota, which has the fewest in the NFL. ... Minnesota improved
to 5-1 on Thanksgiving, with three of the victories against Dallas.
The Cowboys are 21-11-1 on the holiday. ... Robert Smith had his
fourth straight 100-yard game. ... Emmitt Smith had 108 yards
rushing and receiving, giving him 17,666 net yards in his career
and passing Marcus Allen for sixth place on the career list. ...
Culpepper ran for 8 yards, giving him 366 this season. That's
second-best for a quarterback in team history, 10 behind Fran
Tarkenton's total in 1966.
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ALSO SEE
Minnesota Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
Cowboys' Smith knocked out with concussion
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Dennis Green says his players want to be world champions.
wav: 262 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
 ESPN's Ed Werder talks with Robert Smith after the Vikings sensational win over the Cowboys.
avi: 1904 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Dennis Green talks about the tremendous speed Randy Moss has on the field.
avi: 1774 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Robert Smith comments on the fear Randy Moss has put in the Dallas Cowboy's defense.
wav: 94 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Daunte Culpepper made a lot of excellent throws to Randy Moss in the Vikings win over the Cowboys, according to Chris Carter.
wav: 94 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Randy Moss strives to make a spectacular play at least every game of his career.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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