Friday, December 22, 2006

Owens Focused On Philly; Dismisses Pro Bowl Snub

Rob Phillips - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
December 21, 2006 5:47 PM

Terrell Owens said his numbers might be Pro Bowl-worthy, but admits he could've played better.


IRVING, Texas - Much has changed for Terrell Owens since he was held to three catches for 45 yards against his old Eagles teammates back in October.

Twelve weeks later, he's now well-adjusted to a Cowboys offense that has reached new levels of production with Tony Romo at quarterback. And while Owens' return to Philadelphia overshadowed the Cowboys' first meeting with their NFC East rivals, this week he's merely a key player in Monday's showdown for the division title.

"I think a lot is on the line, especially with the playoff race in effect," Owens said. "It's not only meaningful to me but for this team as well."

The Eagles did their best to blanket Owens in their 38-24 win on Oct. 8, but the veteran receiver has posted Pro Bowl-worthy numbers (77 catches for 1,040 yards and 11 touchdowns) this season. He wasn't one of four Cowboys selected to the NFL's annual All-Star game, but said that's not one of his goals anyway.

"I know what I can do on the football field - my numbers speak for themselves," Owens said. "My goal is to go to the Super Bowl and I'll definitely trade the Super Bowl over the Pro Bowl any day. I've been over to Hawaii five times and I'm not really missing anything."

Despite his team-leading numbers, Owens admitted his performance has been "up and down" this year but said he's been working diligently after practice the last couple of weeks to fine-tune his game.

Owens has been criticized for his double-digit drop total this season, but he's also been playing with a torn tendon in his right ring finger that has limited his flexibility. He opted against season-ending surgery and said he plans to have it after the season.

Owens said he discussed his decision with Romo and fellow receiver Terry Glenn, along with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who first revealed the injury, saying he decided he'd rather make this small sacrifice for the team in order possibly get to another Super Bowl. Had Owens opted for surgery, he would have missed the remainder of the season.

"It's just something I've been fighting through and I haven't really made any excuses about dropping balls," he said, estimating he probably injured the finger around the Colts game. "I've tried to kind of direct the attention elsewhere. It's just something I've just been fighting through."

Owens on Thursday made his first appearance in the Cowboys locker room during the interview period since last Saturday's win over Atlanta, but he has remained in the news throughout the week for his on-field spat with Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Owens has appealed his $35,000 fine by the NFL for spitting on Hall, and the two apparently hashed out their differences on a three-way phone call with former Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders.

"I told him it wasn't a situation where it was intentional and for whatever reason I never got his explanation until I got back in Dallas after the game," Owens said. "Other than, that we talked about it and we cleared the air."

Owens went on to say the NFL never talked to him about the incident, meaning league officials evidently took his apology on the NFL Network's post-game show as an admission of guilt.

"A lot of people misread what I said to Deion," Owens said of his apology. "I knew we were jawing at each other, talking trash, and that's why I didn't get into the situation on the air. I apologized and (hoped) to move on."