"I'm going to do my best," Sanders said, smiling. "We're going to have a good time."

Sanders hobbled through Dallas' 27-17 loss to Minnesota earlier this season because of hamstring and groin problems. He missed the Vikings' 46-36 victory Thanksgiving Day 1998 because of a toe injury that required offseason surgery.

Without Sanders to slow either Moss or Carter, the Cowboys were helpless.

Moss caught three touchdown passes totaling 163 yards and Carter had seven catches for 135 yards in the victory last season. Then they combined for 15 catches, three touchdowns and 207 yards in November.

Round III comes Sunday at the Metrodome in a first-round playoff game.

Sanders, who is considered the NFL's best cover cornerback, knows his performance will go a long way in determining how the Cowboys handle Moss and Carter, the NFL's most productive receiving tandem.

"I'm better this time," Sanders said. "I think it will allow us to do more things and not just sit back and wait on what they're going to do. We'll be able to force them into situations.

"But even if you had Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes, I don't know if you'd have enough talent to match up with those guys."

While fans would love to see Sanders and Moss go head-to-head on every snap, Dallas coaches won't allow it. They prefer mixing up their coverages to avoid being predictable.

Still, Sanders mostly will line up on the right side of the defense, often before Minnesota is done with its huddle. Once quarterbacks stand over the center, they make sure to find Sanders.

Jeff George sure did two months ago.

Of the 15 times Sanders lined up against Moss, George went that way only twice. The battle was a draw as Sanders knocked down a long pass and Moss had an 8-yard catch.

"Deion's unbelievable," George said. "When he's not healthy he's unbelievable. Just his presence on the field is unbelievable.

"But that doesn't mean you shy away from the guy. We have every bit of confidence in our receivers and our running game."

The respect teams show Sanders shifts pressure to the other side of the field. And that's where Dallas has been vulnerable.

Injuries to would-be starter Kevin Smith and top backup Kevin Mathis have increased the playing time of converted safety Charlie Williams and undrafted rookie Duane Hawthorne.

Although whoever is out there gets help from a safety, it's not always enough.

The back of Williams' jersey is all over the tape from the last game against the Vikings, especially on Moss' big plays. Teams also have started picking on Hawthorne, who is generously listed at 5-foot-10.

The good news for the Cowboys is that Smith and Mathis might both be back for the first time since the previous Vikings game. Each has been in and out of the lineup since then.

"I thought the guys who were on the field the two previous times were not healthy," Dallas coach Chan Gailey said. "So even if Kevin Smith and Kevin Mathis don't make it back, at least the guys who are on the field will be 100 percent. We'll gain an advantage there. Then if we get either of those guys back, it'll help our chances of being able to match up."

Sanders is glad to have help and he's happy to be healthy himself.

But there's one more thing he'd like to see.