Forget about all of that NFC vs. AFC baloney. On Sunday afternoon in Dallas, the New England Patriots weren’t out there playing for conference pride. They were, instead, playing to dispel any notions that there might be another team not named Indianapolis who could put up a fight. It was billed as a Super Bowl Preview. It was discussed as the battle of star quarterbacks and problem receivers. At the end of the day, America found out that Brady and Moss are a combination that can’t be touched.

New England ended up winning the game by 17 big points, a margin that has become their calling card as of late. During much of the game, it didn’t even look like Dallas should have been on the same field, though. Terrell Owens was frustrated, but Dallas still had its chances on offense. In typical New England fashion, the Patriots just never let it get too close. When Dallas made a run, Brady would respond by tossing a long one to Randy Moss. At the end of the day, the former Super Bowl MVP had surpassed his career best of four touchdowns by tossing five.

Where do these two teams go from here? For the Patriots, the answer is simple. They should keep rolling along until their November 4th clash in Indianapolis. There’s some speculation among football minds that the Patriots have a legitimate chance at running the table. That seems a bit premature at this juncture, though.

What are we to make of the Cowboys, who have looked both impressive and abysmal on their way to 5-1? At this point, I think it’s fair to call them like we see them. They’re an above average football team with lots of holes. In the NFC, that might be a good enough situation on which to stake a claim. There’s no reason to go parading them around as a Super Bowl contender just yet, though. Until the Cowboys find some semblance of a pass defense, they will be susceptible against any team that has the nerve to put the ball in the air.

In the end, the “Super Bowl preview” turned out to just be another game between the Patriots and some unworthy contender. For all the hype that both sides accumulated, the Dallas team came out with a resounding thud for the second straight week in the national spotlight. After watching that effort, don’t be surprised if it’s difficult for me buy into the hype for another October showdown.