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Cowboys hope to bounce back from first loss

Oct 21, 2007 - 10:31 AM Minnesota (2-3) at Dallas (5-1) Sunday 4:15 pm EDT

IRVING, Texas (Ticker) -- Last week showed that the Dallas Cowboys aren't in the same class with the New England Patriots. Now, they get back to the business of trying to prove they are the best team in the NFC.

The Cowboys look to rebound from their first loss of the season when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

After cruising to a 5-0 start, Dallas had no answers for Tom Brady, who threw for a career-high five touchdown passes in the Patriots' 48-27 victory.

"We wanted to be one of the elite teams in the league," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "Obviously, we're not. This was certainly a wake-up call for us."

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo passed for 199 yards - the second time he has been held under 200 yards this season - and suffered a slight shoulder strain. But Romo finished the game and the injury is not considered serious.

The Cowboys are tied with the Green Bay Packers (5-1) for the best record in the NFC and are one game ahead of the New York Giants (4-2) in the NFC East.

Dallas' challenge this week will be trying to contain Vikings rookie phenom Adrian Peterson, who rushed for a franchise-record 224 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 34-31 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Peterson broke Chuck Foreman's club record of 200 yards set against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1976, and gained the most yards against the Bears in their 88-year history.

Tarvaris Jackson was back in as the Vikings' starting quarterback after missing two games with a groin injury. But it almost did not matter who played the position as Peterson scored on runs of 73, 67 and 35 yards.

Even with Peterson's dazzling running, it took a 55-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell as time expired to give the Vikings' a needed victory.

Peterson's big day pushed to him to the top of the NFL's rushing leaders with 607 yards - 80 more than San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, who ran for 198 yards against the Oakland Raiders.