Moss, Owens are more than a number

According to Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, he is “the original 81” and New England Patriots receiver Randy Moss is “the other 81,” but it’s getting harder and harder to tell them apart.

In the past that might have been because they were making news with off-the-field antics and run-ins with coaches and teammates, but this year they are making headlines with their hands and each is enjoying a career year for a conference leader.

That trend continued Sunday when Owens tied a Dallas team record with a career-best four touchdown receptions against the Washington Redskins and Moss set a Patriots franchise record with four.

Both players are one touchdown short of matching a career high for a season. Owens has 12 touchdowns and Moss has 16 -- six shy of the NFL record held by Jerry Rice. Moss passed Stanley Morgan’s franchise record for touchdown catches in a season and Owens is two short of Frank Clarke’s Cowboys franchise record.

Painful homecoming

It was a difficult day for Washington Redskins defensive back Shawn Springs, and not just because the Redskins lost to the Cowboys.

It was the first time Springs had played in Dallas since his father, former Cowboys running back Ron Springs, went into a coma in early October. Ron Springs has diabetes and required a kidney transplant in February. The kidney was donated by former teammate Everson Walls.

He is still in a Dallas-area hospital and doctors are unsure if he will emerge from the coma.

“A lot of memories came rushing back to me,” Shawn Springs said, fighting to compose himself. “I remember as a boy watching my father play teams like the Redskins. I had the Cowboys pajamas growing up. This was one of the toughest games of my life.”

Special guest

Bills tight end Kevin Everett has been released from a Houston hospital to resume his next phase of rehab, 10 weeks since sustaining a severe spinal cord injury.

Everett then made a special guest appearance in Buffalo before the Bills played the Patriots, delivering a videotaped message that was broadcast on the Ralph Wilson Stadium scoreboard.

“How are you doing Buffalo? This is Kevin Everett,” he said. “I just want to say, ‘Come on, let’s beat the Patriots.’ ”

The sellout crowd watched in silence and then broke out in a wild cheer after the 25-second clip, his first public comments other than news releases since he was feared permanently paralyzed after making a tackle during Buffalo’s season opener.

He has regained movement in his arms and legs, has developed enough strength to hold himself up briefly on a walker and has also been using his feet to push himself around in a wheelchair.

“You know with all the support and love you’ve been giving me out here, just letting you guys know it’s been special to me,” Everett said in his message.

Game-time decision

The San Francisco 49ers, working on a streak of 10 quarters without a touchdown, were trailing by seven when they drove to the St. Louis 28 and faced a fourth and 10 with less than two minutes to play.

So what did they do? Kicked a field goal, of course, cutting the lead to 13-9.

“I knew with three timeouts I’d get the ball back and then we’d be playing for a win,” Nolan said. “We had not been that effective so if I could go for a win rather than overtime I’d do it.”

It almost worked. They held the Rams, then got the ball back at their own 11 with 1:28 to go and no timeouts and drove to the St. Louis 21, but a final desperation pass was intercepted in the end zone and San Francisco lost.

Milestones

Peyton Manning had 163 yards passing against Kansas City to join the 40,000-yard club for his career. . . . Fred Taylor ran for 85 yards and broke the Jacksonville franchise record for yards from scrimmage, surpassing the previous mark of 12,285 yards set by wide receiver Jimmy Smith. . . . Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce had five catches for 54 yards, passing Henry Ellard to move into sixth place on the NFL’s career yardage list. . . . The Rams’ 13-9 victory over San Francisco was the 500th in franchise history.

Monday Preview

The Tennessee Titans (6-3) are second in the NFL in total defense as they head to Denver to take on the Broncos (4-5), who have lost five of their last seven and are averaging only 17 points a game.

Injury report

Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb sprained his ankle in the second quarter against Miami and did not return. . . . New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs injured his hamstring in the third quarter against Detroit and did not return. . . . Teammate Mathias Kiwanuka, a linebacker, broke his leg and could be lost for the season. . . . Jacksonville linebacker Mike Peterson broke his right hand and will be sidelined indefinitely. . . . Patriots running back Kevin Faulk sustained a head injury against the Bills and did not return. . . . Atlanta defensive tackle Trey Lewis appeared to sustain a season-ending knee injury, and offensive tackle Todd Weiner aggravated his left knee.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Well connected

Since Tony Romo took over as Dallas quarterback last season, he and Terrell Owens have combined 22 times for touchdowns, the most of any quarterback-receiver duo over that span. A look at the top five (*all in 2007):

*--* TDs Quarterback Receiver 22 Tony Romo Terrell Owens 20 Carson Palmer T.J. Houshmandzadeh 18 Eli Manning Plaxico Burress 16* Tom Brady Randy Moss 15 Peyton Manning Reggie Wayne *--*

source: dallascowboys.com