Moss has praise for Belichick

IRVING, Texas - Patriots receiver Randy Moss gave coach Bill Belichick a verbal hug following yesterday's 48-27 win over the Cowboys. Speaking for the first time since the Sept. 9 season opener, Moss said he's enjoying his first year in New England and Belichick is one of the reasons.

"Coach Belichick is a helluva coach, if not the greatest ever, and I really mean that," said Moss.

"He doesn't let us get too ahead of ourselves. That's one thing that I really love and really like about Coach - because we can come out here and put 48 points up but he is still going to lay a couple lashings on us when we get in [to meetings]."

Moss, who finished with six catches for 59 yards, has been a model Patriot. He recorded his eighth touchdown catch of the season yesterday - already the most by a Patriot in a season since tight end Ben Coates had eight in 1997 - and had two more possible touchdowns nullified. Replay overturned a 43-yard score in the third quarter and he drew a pass interference call to negate a 19-yard TD in the fourth quarter.

After two disappointing - and frustrating - seasons with the Raiders, Moss is enjoying playing for a winner, and it shows.

"I come to work every day, I love seeing the guys, love the camaraderie in the locker room and going out there to practice every day," he said. "We have fun. But at the same time, you all have heard about the humble pie. Coach Belichick has a tight grasp on us; he doesn't let us get too ahead of ourselves.

"At the same time, he lets us enjoy what we're doing."

Whatever happened in Oakland, Moss has left behind, like a defensive back on a go route.

"For all the negative attention that I caught coming to [New England], and y'all probably put some negative stuff in your columns - about what I've done in the past, how can I play, I've lost a step - I really didn't think about that throughout the season," said Moss. "I just wanted to come in. Coach Belichick brought me into this organization; I just want to go out and make things happen. I don't really feed into any negativity."

Morris hurts chest

The Patriots were running on empty yesterday.

They were without running back Laurence Maroney, who missed his third straight game with a groin injury, and they lost Sammy Morris in the third quarter with a chest injury. Morris was injured on the second play from scrimmage after a 2-yard gain. He left for the locker room later in the quarter.

That left Kevin Faulk as the only true tailback. The team captain and nine-year veteran delivered for the Patriots. After not having a carry in the first half, Faulk had 13 carries for 50 yards in the second half while filling in as the feature back. That's a role that few ascribe to Faulk, who has made his reputation as one of the best third-down and passing-situation backs in the game, but teammate Heath Evans said Faulk is capable of carrying the load when needed.

"If you don't look at him as that, that's your fault," said Evans. "We know what he's capable of doing and he does it consistently, and there is never a bat of the eye when he's in there."

Faulk, who moved into 10th place all-time on the Patriots' rushing list, passing Craig James, also added three receptions for 24 yards.

It looked like Maroney might give it a go before the game. He took the field in his game pants in the hours leading up to kickoff to test his groin in various drills, but he couldn't play.

Kernels of truth

Following their win over the Cowboys, at least three Patriots took the advice of Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens and sampled some popcorn.

Ellis Hobbs, a DeSoto, Texas, native who played Pop Warner and high school football at Texas Stadium, savored a win in his backyard, Orville Redenbacher-style. He was joined by linebackers Rosevelt Colvin and Adalius Thomas, who also made like they were at the movies.

"Shouldn't you be asking TO about that?" said Colvin after the game. "The statement said, 'I'm not going to speak to the media this week. I'll talk to you after the game. P.S. Getcha Popcorn Ready,' so we would like to taste some. We had plenty of opportunities, and when are we going to come back to Texas Stadium, so we had to enjoy the moment. It was decent. I prefer - me and my wife - butter."

Hobbs said teams should know by now not to provide motivation for the Patriots with media ploys.

"Don't give us any headlines because we get them all and we read them all," said Hobbs. "Day in and day out, we use those as fire and we're going to continue to use those as fire. Whatever you want to say, you say it, but at the end of the day let's play it in between the lines."

Record for Harrison

Rodney Harrison started for the first time since returning from his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Last week, playing for the first time since the suspension, Harrison took his first defensive snap on the sixth play of the Browns' first drive.

Harrison's first-quarter sack of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo improved his career sack total to 29 1/2, an NFL record for defensive backs.

"That's something that I'm very proud of. I've always prided myself on getting in position to hit the quarterback and try to make plays in the backfield, as well as deep downfield," said Harrison, who had two tackles.

Watson hurts ankle

Benjamin Watson injured his left ankle after safety Roy Williams tackled him following a 6-yard reception with 5:38 left in the first half. The play was negated because Dallas was offsides, but Watson left the game and didn't return . . . Patriots defenders were impressed with Cowboys running back Marion Barber, who had eight rushes for 47 yards and two catches for 12. Barber pulled a Houdini in the third quarter, when he escaped a sure safety, eluding seven tacklers before going out of bounds on what went into the books as a 2-yard gain. However, Hobbs said the bruising Barber's stiff-arms were borderline punches. "He's a great runner, man, but some of that stuff he's swinging out there," said Hobbs. "We tried to complain to the ref."

Getting his kicks

Stephen Gostkowski's 45-yard field goal in the third quarter was his longest of the season. Gostkowski's previous long was 36 yards, which came against Cincinnati. He had missed his only other 40-yard attempt during the regular season, a 41-yarder in Week 2 against the Chargers. Gostkowski, who made a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter, is now 9 for 10 on the season . . . Matt Light, who missed practice Friday with flu-like symptoms, started at left tackle but was replaced on the second series. Nick Kaczur, who started at right tackle, moved to left tackle for Light, and Ryan O'Callaghan replaced Kaczur on the right side. On that series, he surrendered a sack to DeMarcus Ware. Light returned on the next series.

Hold on tight

Junior Seau sealed the victory with a fourth-quarter interception of Romo. After receiving some flak for nonchalantly displaying the ball over his head against the Browns on the second of his two interceptions last week, Seau clung to the ball with both hands, cradling it like his life depended upon it. He got a smile and a congratulatory tap on the head from Belichick . . . University of Connecticut product Deon Anderson was announced as the Cowboys' starter at fullback . . . The other Patriots inactives besides Maroney were safeties Mel Mitchell and Rashad Baker; defensive linemen Santonio Thomas and Kareem Brown; and offensive linemen Wesley Britt and Billy Yates. Matt Gutierrez was the third quarterback for the sixth week in a row.

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.