MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Deion Sanders' troublesome toe deprived football fans of one of the elite matchups in the NFL last season.

The league's best cover cornerback watched helplessly from the Dallas Cowboys' sideline as Randy Moss burned his backups for three long touchdown catches in the Minnesota Vikings' 46-36 victory on Thanksgiving Day.

Moss had TD receptions of 51, 56 and 56 yards in cementing his own reputation as a prime time player.

"There was a lot of talk about it last year, how things would've been different if we'd have had Deion," Dallas safety George Teague said.

The teams meet again Monday night at the Metrodome with Sanders and Moss, the 1998 Offensive Rookie of the Year, finally getting to face each other.

"There's going to be a lot of eyes on that matchup. I know I'll be watching to see what happens," Teague said. "Mr. Moss is a great athlete and a great receiver, but we've got a guy who can handle him, that's for sure. My money's on Prime Time."

Minnesota's money is on Moss, who has struggled at times this year against multiple coverage -- he has just four TD catches after getting 17 last year -- but is still every bit the threat he was last season.

He caught a career-high 10 passes against Detroit three weeks ago and had an 84-yard touchdown catch against Denver's Dale Carter last week called back by a debatable push-off.

Sanders is struggling, too. He strained a hamstring last week, when he was burned several times in Indianapolis, and has walked with a pronounced limp since.

But both are eager to showcase their skills in a key game for both Dallas (4-3) and Minnesota (4-4).

"I think it's a good chance for me to go against the best and for Deion to go against the best," Moss said.

Outwardly, Sanders isn't as caught up in the matchup.

"When you talk about the Minnesota Vikings, you're looking forward to Cris Carter, Randy Moss and Jake Reed _ a trio of receivers that's great. You really can't just emphasize one," Sanders insisted.

But Sanders' teammates are absorbed in the showdown.

Sanders got beat several times last week by Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis, the worst coming when he bit on play-action and was burned for a long touchdown.

"The guy is human," Teague said. "I guess he is entitled to get beat once every six years."

Moss has held his own against the premier defenders in the league, including Carter last week and Oakland's Charles Woodson.

But he considers Sanders the only cornerback worthy of his worry.

When he faced Woodson in Week 2, he said he wasn't concerned at all: "I could see if it was Deion Sanders. I'd be like, well OK, I'm a little shaky, I'm a little nervous because it's Deion, but man it's just another guy."

Leroy Hoard said this is the kind of game that could define Moss' career.

"I think that Randy has so much ability that just to see him compete at a young age against the best is just a treat," Hoard said. "And to see how he handles it is going to definitely determine where he makes his mark in this league."

Moss isn't just impressed by Sanders' skills, but by his showmanship.

"I think it's just his passion and desire to go out there and showboat and also to show you that he can still make it happen," Moss said.

Moss also knows better than to trash-talk the game's best trash-talker.

Two weeks ago, Sanders helped lift Dallas to a 38-20 victory over the Redskins and Washington's cocky wideouts Albert Connell and Michael Westbrook, who dissed Deion before the game, suggesting he wasn't the playmaker he used to be.

After the game, Sanders told Connell "that if he is going to hunt rabbits, sometimes it ain't no fun if the rabbit has a gun, too."

Moss won't dare Deion the way the regretful Redskins did.

"You can't really talk trash to a guy like that, because he's going to go out and hurt you not by his mouth, but just by how he plays," Moss said.

Although many teams concede Sanders half the field, Minnesota quarterback Jeff George said he won't allow Sanders to negate his deep threat.

"He's the best at what he does," George said. "But we feel we have weapons that can compete with anybody."

Moss is out to prove that on Monday night.

DALLAS Season schedule and results

MINNESOTA Season schedule and results

September 12 @Washington W 41-35 September 20 Atlanta W 24-7 October 3 Arizona W 35-7 October 10 @Philadelphia L 10-13 October 18 @NY Giants L 10-13 October 24 Washington W 38-20 October 31 @Indianapolis L 24-34 November 8 @Minnesota 9:00pm ET November 14 Green Bay 4:15pm ET November 21 @Arizona 4:15pm ET November 25 Miami 4:15pm ET December 5 @New England 8:20pm ET December 12 Philadelphia 1:00pm ET December 19 NY Jets 4:15pm ET December 24 @New Orleans 3:05pm ET January 2 NY Giants 4:05pm ET

September 12 @Atlanta W 17-14 September 19 Oakland L 17-22 September 26 @Green Bay L 20-23 October 3 Tampa Bay W 21-14 October 10 Chicago L 22-24 October 17 @Detroit L 23-25 October 24 San Francisco W 40-16 October 31 @Denver W 23-20 November 8 Dallas 9:00pm ET November 14 @Chicago 1:00pm ET November 28 San Diego 1:00pm ET December 6 @Tampa Bay 9:00pm ET December 12 @Kansas City 8:20pm ET December 20 Green Bay 9:00pm ET December 26 @NY Giants 1:00pm ET January 2 Detroit 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

Copyright 1999 STATS, Inc. Commercial distribution without the express written consent of STATS is prohibited.