Jags believe they have T.O. covered
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- If cornerbacks Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams could have chosen any team to play in Jacksonville's season opener, they agree it would have been Dallas.
After all, what would have been better - and potentially more rewarding - than trying to shut down receiver Terrell Owens in his much-anticipated Cowboys debut?
"I love the challenge," Williams said. "I wouldn't want to go out there and have an easy opponent. You want to go out there and play the best. If he's the best, we want to play him."
Mathis and Williams will get the chance Sunday when Owens officially begins his Cowboys career against Jacksonville and returns to Alltel Stadium for the first time since the 2005 Super Bowl.
"He's a good receiver," Mathis said. "He deserves all the respect given to him, all the hype. He makes plays year in and year out. But our defense is up to the task. Whoever we go against, we're going to hit him and hit him hard."
Mathis and Williams were given hefty contracts to be lockdown cornerbacks.
Mathis, a second-round draft pick in 2003, signed a five-year, $25.5 million contract extension in August 2005. Williams was the team's biggest offseason acquisition, signing a six-year, $32 million deal in March that included a $10 million signing bonus.
The duo will get its first - and maybe biggest - test against Owens and fellow receiver Terry Glenn.
"I was made for this," Mathis said. "I'm a cornerback and striving to be a great cornerback. If I didn't have that mentality, I'm at the wrong position."
Mathis played high school football in Jacksonville and probably would have been offered a scholarship to play at Florida State. But he broke a leg as a senior and ended up at Bethune-Cookman.
Instead of pouting, Mathis worked hard and finished his college career with 31 interceptions. Mathis probably would have been a first-round pick had he been at a more prominent school. But coming from a small, predominantly black college in Daytona Beach, Mathis was available to his hometown team in the second round.
He earned a starting spot as a rookie, then made a seamless transition to cornerback midway through the season and has started 42 consecutive games there. Mathis has 12 interceptions in three seasons, including five in each of the last two years.
Williams, a fourth-round draft pick from North Carolina State, started 48 games in four seasons with Minnesota and had 262 tackles and 12 interceptions. He had started 33 consecutive games for the Vikings before losing his starting spot to Fred Smoot last season and moving to nickel back.
Williams responded by skipping the team's offseason conditioning program and vowing not to return to Minnesota. Despite his displeasure, the Vikings designated him their transition player in February.
The tag would have allowed Minnesota to keep Williams by matching any outside offers, but it also guaranteed him a $5.5 million salary this season. The Vikings eventually lifted the tag because they couldn't justify paying a backup that much.
He signed with Jacksonville on the opening day of free agency.
Now, the Jags feel they can better match up with any opponent, whether it be Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne of Indianapolis, or Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds of Houston, or even Owens and Glenn.
"They have two good corners," Owens said. "I feel like we've got some weapons on the offensive side of the ball to really make some things happen. I'm pretty sure they're going to step up to the challenge, as well."
Owens caught 124 passes for 1,963 yards and 20 touchdowns in just 21 games with Philadelphia. He played the first seven games last season, but the Eagles suspended him the rest of the year after he griped about his contract and bickered publicly with quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Philadelphia finally released Owens in March, and he signed with the Dallas four days later.
He hasn't played a regular-season game since Oct. 30, 2005, when he caught three passes for 154 yards and a touchdown at Denver. He hasn't played in Jacksonville since returning from a broken ankle and catching nine passes for 122 yards in a loss to New England in the '05 Super Bowl.
"I'm looking forward to getting back out on that field and making some plays," Owens said.
Mathis and Williams are looking forward to it, too.
"He's the big story," Williams said. "He knows it, we know it, everybody knows it. I think we're well-equipped for the challenge."
AP Sports Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- If cornerbacks Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams could have chosen any team to play in Jacksonville's season opener, they agree it would have been Dallas.
After all, what would have been better - and potentially more rewarding - than trying to shut down receiver Terrell Owens in his much-anticipated Cowboys debut?
"I love the challenge," Williams said. "I wouldn't want to go out there and have an easy opponent. You want to go out there and play the best. If he's the best, we want to play him."
Mathis and Williams will get the chance Sunday when Owens officially begins his Cowboys career against Jacksonville and returns to Alltel Stadium for the first time since the 2005 Super Bowl.
"He's a good receiver," Mathis said. "He deserves all the respect given to him, all the hype. He makes plays year in and year out. But our defense is up to the task. Whoever we go against, we're going to hit him and hit him hard."
Mathis and Williams were given hefty contracts to be lockdown cornerbacks.
Mathis, a second-round draft pick in 2003, signed a five-year, $25.5 million contract extension in August 2005. Williams was the team's biggest offseason acquisition, signing a six-year, $32 million deal in March that included a $10 million signing bonus.
The duo will get its first - and maybe biggest - test against Owens and fellow receiver Terry Glenn.
"I was made for this," Mathis said. "I'm a cornerback and striving to be a great cornerback. If I didn't have that mentality, I'm at the wrong position."
Mathis played high school football in Jacksonville and probably would have been offered a scholarship to play at Florida State. But he broke a leg as a senior and ended up at Bethune-Cookman.
Instead of pouting, Mathis worked hard and finished his college career with 31 interceptions. Mathis probably would have been a first-round pick had he been at a more prominent school. But coming from a small, predominantly black college in Daytona Beach, Mathis was available to his hometown team in the second round.
He earned a starting spot as a rookie, then made a seamless transition to cornerback midway through the season and has started 42 consecutive games there. Mathis has 12 interceptions in three seasons, including five in each of the last two years.
Williams, a fourth-round draft pick from North Carolina State, started 48 games in four seasons with Minnesota and had 262 tackles and 12 interceptions. He had started 33 consecutive games for the Vikings before losing his starting spot to Fred Smoot last season and moving to nickel back.
Williams responded by skipping the team's offseason conditioning program and vowing not to return to Minnesota. Despite his displeasure, the Vikings designated him their transition player in February.
The tag would have allowed Minnesota to keep Williams by matching any outside offers, but it also guaranteed him a $5.5 million salary this season. The Vikings eventually lifted the tag because they couldn't justify paying a backup that much.
He signed with Jacksonville on the opening day of free agency.
Now, the Jags feel they can better match up with any opponent, whether it be Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne of Indianapolis, or Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds of Houston, or even Owens and Glenn.
"They have two good corners," Owens said. "I feel like we've got some weapons on the offensive side of the ball to really make some things happen. I'm pretty sure they're going to step up to the challenge, as well."
Owens caught 124 passes for 1,963 yards and 20 touchdowns in just 21 games with Philadelphia. He played the first seven games last season, but the Eagles suspended him the rest of the year after he griped about his contract and bickered publicly with quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Philadelphia finally released Owens in March, and he signed with the Dallas four days later.
He hasn't played a regular-season game since Oct. 30, 2005, when he caught three passes for 154 yards and a touchdown at Denver. He hasn't played in Jacksonville since returning from a broken ankle and catching nine passes for 122 yards in a loss to New England in the '05 Super Bowl.
"I'm looking forward to getting back out on that field and making some plays," Owens said.
Mathis and Williams are looking forward to it, too.
"He's the big story," Williams said. "He knows it, we know it, everybody knows it. I think we're well-equipped for the challenge."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:11 AM
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