No More Perfect NFC Teams

In a rare battle of 5-0 teams, the New England Patriots stomped the Dallas Cowboys as badly as everyone else they've faced this season, winning 48-27 Sunday behind a career-best five touchdown passes from Tom Brady. Although the Patriots put up their most points in 23 years, the game wasn't as lopsided as the score indicates -- which is what makes this victory so impressive. They won by three touchdowns despite giving up their most points of the season and trailing in the second half for the first time all year. "The reality is we got a win on the road and we're 6-0. That's what is important," Brady said. "Any time you win you're doing just fine. It's another step in the process. We have to continue to make improvements." Brady was 31-of-46 for 388 yards. His five TDs tied a franchise record and gave him an NFL record with at least three in each of the first six games of the season. However, he was sacked as many times (3) as he'd been all season; on one, he lost a fumble that Dallas returned for a touchdown. What made his performance special was the way he responded to that third-quarter deficit: touchdown, field goal, touchdown, field goal, touchdown. The last score came with 19 seconds left, a 1-yard run by first-year running back Kyle Eckel that Brady celebrated with two huge fist pumps. That's about all the celebrating this team is willing to do, especially when coach Bill Belichick comes away saying the Patriots "were lucky to hang in there." "There will probably be a couple of lashes waiting for us," Randy Moss said. "I'm not saying we're unstoppable, we just work hard at what we do." The Cowboys (5-1) were off to their best start since 1983 and were eager to see how they stacked up against the league's elite. Now they know they can compete, but still have a ways to go. The next 10 games will show whether that might be good enough in the NFC. "Hopefully we'll see them down the road," said Terrell Owens, referring to a possible Super Bowl rematch. "We just got to regroup. There's no confidence lost in the locker room."

Source: NE (AP)