Thursday, November 30, 2006

T.O. targets Plaxico for KO

Says 'Boys want revenge

BY OHM YOUNGMISUK
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER


Terrell Owens says Cowboys will have a ball - at expense of Plaxico Burress.

IRVING, Tex. - Plaxico Burress has more to worry about than just Michael Strahan.
Terrell Owens remembers how Burress called him a "coward" who purposely slipped on the turf to avoid a potential hit during the Giants' 36-22 win in Dallas last month. Owens says Burress will want to watch out this Sunday, particularly for hard-hitting safety Roy Williams.

When reminded yesterday that Owens had joked a few weeks ago how Williams would take care of Burress for him, Owens said, "Yeah, we'll get him this week. We'll get him this week. All I know is, everybody, that defense has been hitting some people, kind of laying the wood a little bit," Owens said after practice at the Cowboys' Valley Ranch base. "I'm pretty sure they have been watching the film so he better watch out."

The Cowboys' bulletin board should be overflowing with motivation for their rematch with the Giants at the Meadowlands. Bill Parcells already has Jeremy Shockey's "there is no way they have a chance in hell to beat us when we play our football" boast from a week ago to work with.

"He was just popping off at the mouth," Owens said of Shockey. "Whatever he needs to do to spark that team and probably try to get a rise out of us. He is not going to do it. Right now he is frustrated. What they should really be focusing on trying to do is get off that losing streak. And I don't foresee it happening this weekend."

Williams, who was not available for comment, has incentive to target Burress. After that Monday night Giant win, Burress criticized the Dallas safety for complaining about how he was impeded by an official from making a play on Burress when the Giants' receiver caught a 50-yard touchdown bomb. Williams collided with the back judge on the play. "He couldn't have made that play if he wanted to," Burress said after the game. "He can't cover and No.25 (rookie safety Patrick Watkins) can't cover. It wasn't a surprise. That's been (Williams') rap since he came in the league. He's a 250-pound ankle tackler. That's what he is. And horse collars, too."

"He wouldn't have made that play if he was on a skateboard," Burress added.

Burress went on to say Williams' reputation for being a premier hitter should come with an asterisk.

"He is, when you ain't looking," Burress said. "He'll sock you when you ain't looking. Look at how he tackles guys coming straight at him and guys that are not looking. He's a different football player."

Owens is still surprised that Burress knocked him. The two controversial receivers are both represented by agent Drew Rosenhaus and they trained together during the offseason in Miami. "For him to make that comment, it was very disturbing to me," Owens said. "I called up Drew and said, 'What is going on? Why would he say a thing like that?' (Rosenhaus) had no answers for me. We have never had a war of words or any type of animosity toward each other. It came out of thin air."

Originally published on November 30, 2006