EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs flew into town for the team's annual holiday party, but wasn't spreading much cheer Monday.

	Randy Moss has been very inconsistent in his second NFL season.

McCombs, the San Antonio billionaire businessman who bought the team a year ago, lashed out about star receiver Randy Moss's inconsistency and the Vikings' dismal defense that has collapsed in the closing seconds three times, including Sunday night in Kansas City.

McCombs, however, held steadfast to his stance that the Vikings can atone for last season's monumental playoff collapse and reach the Super Bowl.

He said he didn't believe in sophomore slumps but was curious as to why Moss, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998 -- who is expected to renegotiate his contract in the offseason -- can have such swings in his play.

Against the Chiefs, Moss scored touchdowns on a 12-yard pass and a 64-yard punt return, but he also dropped two passes and lost the ball twice on fumbles, once after a catch inside the Chiefs 10 and another when a punt ricocheted off his chest.

"I don't know why he is spectacular one moment and certainly less than so at other moments," McCombs said. "But if he is going to be the kind of player that all of us think that he's going to be, well then he'll have to focus more on the spectacular side and a little less on the garbage side."

Earlier in the season, Moss drew coach Dennis Green's ire by saying "our hero's in Baltimore," a reference to former offensive coordinator Brian Billick, while answering a question about the performance of new offensive coordinator Ray Sherman.

McCombs said he didn't think Moss can blame his play on the coaching switch.

"Whether it's second year or changing coordinators, I don't think Brian Billick had one thing to do with him dropping those balls," McCombs said. "So, hey, in this business, and rightfully so, you are as you do. That's the bottom line."

McCombs said he spoke with Green about the Vikings' failures to hold off opponents in the two-minute drills. The Vikings have lost in the closing seconds at Green Bay, Detroit and Kansas City.

"We still have to learn how to stop somebody in the two-minute drive," McCombs said. "I've always felt that from the time you're in high school, you put so much energy into the offensive side of the two-minute drives. Why isn't there that much energy on the other side of the ball on two-minute drives?"

Still, McCombs said he remained convinced that the Vikings (7-6) can reach the Super Bowl -- if they can emerge from the logjam of wild-card contenders.

"Certainly, we didn't expect to be with this record at this stage of the season. But the fact is we can still win it all," he said. "We're going to have to play better football. But we're still alive."