Questions for T.O.
By Os Davis on August 23, 2007 12:08 AM
Forget the difference a year makes in the NFL: Consider instead the difference the mainstream media makes.
Last year at this time, the large outlets were obsessed - obsessed the way a kid who mixes red ants and black ants is obsessed - with Terrell Owens' potential success with Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys . Everyone took a stand on T.O.'s outlandish behavior (mostly in opposition to the outlandish dude), while the ESPNs of the world baited the camera-loving WR into one outlandish deed after another.
This season? Well, while all may not be quiet on the Texas front, Owens certainly seems more willing to play ball (so to speak) with the more easygoing Wade Phillips. Remember, that's "seems." There was a little item appearing in the Dallas media about one week ago that had T.O. missing a practice session because of "traffic" (giggle), even though the Cowboys covered their boy's butt with the excuse that Owens needed to "rest his legs." Bosom buddy Jerry Jones said the incident was "no big deal."
(Incidentally, has there ever been an owner so directly involved with a star acquisition's life and career? Besides the fictional buddy-buddy schmoozing between George Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson in the "Bronx is Burning," that is...)
Nevertheless, the traffic incident was a relatively minor one for the likes of Owens and utterly forgettable against the disturbing pastiche of some other troublemakers in the league this preseason. And there's a lot of football to get through before we start assessing T.O., 2007 version.
Some questions to ponder in Cowboys quarters vis-à-vis one of the most dynamic receivers in the game, then.
What about the dropped passes? Beyond the exercise bike thing and the contentious relationship with the Tuna, clearly the most discussed item in '06 regarding T.O. was the case of the dropsies. Never has the statistic "dropped passes" been so widely discussed, and with good reason. Owens' overwhelming strength as a receiver is his ability to break tackles; if he can't keep his hands on the ball, however, all the tackle-breaking in the world won't help.
As it happens, T.O. later claimed he played with a broken finger for most of the year, an injury treated by offseason surgery. He hasn't been given much of a workout in two preseason contests so far, but the stats say he's got two catches and no muffs. Good enough for now.
Will T.O. stand for playing the decoy again? One of the reasons for the Cowboys' success - such as it was - last season was the outstanding play from the receiving corps. While Owens was hauling in 85 catches (to think he might have gotten 100) for nearly 1,200 yards, at the opposite end Terry Glenn added 70 for just about 1,100. Together, the two amassed 19 TDs. Both Glenn and Patrick Crayton actually averaged more yards than T.O. per reception, a category in which long-ball threat Owens typically excels. And who was watching tight end Jason Witten, one of the best receiving TEs in the NFL, garnering 64 receptions for 754 yards? With no "quarterback controversy" this season, the numbers may actually improve for these guys -- a scary thought for the opposition.
Again, though, T.O.'s attitude has something to do with this. Toward the end of the season, Owens began telegraphing to the defense exactly plays in which he wouldn't be the target. Many a play was run with T.O. sporting slumped shoulders and half-heartedly running a short out route while Crayton was the designated target. That's the sort of thing that Owens detractors point to when claiming he's a cancer.
If so, how long will the other teams continue to fall for it? Like it or not, both Owens and Glenn would appear to be on the downside of their auspicious careers; while the future belongs to guys like Crayton and Sam Hurd, the present is the hands of the old hands. Phillips is hardly known for his offensive masterminding, so Owens figures to get keyed on frequently. Much of the Cowboy offense will be about spreading the defense. Once the opposition comes up with ways of stifling Glenn and stuffing Witten at the line, it'll be up to Owens' sheer athletic ability to create yardage on the pass.
This means that even when not getting the ball, Owens will be heavily depended on and always watched.
Of course, that's the way the man likes it.
Forget the difference a year makes in the NFL: Consider instead the difference the mainstream media makes.
Last year at this time, the large outlets were obsessed - obsessed the way a kid who mixes red ants and black ants is obsessed - with Terrell Owens' potential success with Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys . Everyone took a stand on T.O.'s outlandish behavior (mostly in opposition to the outlandish dude), while the ESPNs of the world baited the camera-loving WR into one outlandish deed after another.
This season? Well, while all may not be quiet on the Texas front, Owens certainly seems more willing to play ball (so to speak) with the more easygoing Wade Phillips. Remember, that's "seems." There was a little item appearing in the Dallas media about one week ago that had T.O. missing a practice session because of "traffic" (giggle), even though the Cowboys covered their boy's butt with the excuse that Owens needed to "rest his legs." Bosom buddy Jerry Jones said the incident was "no big deal."
(Incidentally, has there ever been an owner so directly involved with a star acquisition's life and career? Besides the fictional buddy-buddy schmoozing between George Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson in the "Bronx is Burning," that is...)
Nevertheless, the traffic incident was a relatively minor one for the likes of Owens and utterly forgettable against the disturbing pastiche of some other troublemakers in the league this preseason. And there's a lot of football to get through before we start assessing T.O., 2007 version.
Some questions to ponder in Cowboys quarters vis-à-vis one of the most dynamic receivers in the game, then.
What about the dropped passes? Beyond the exercise bike thing and the contentious relationship with the Tuna, clearly the most discussed item in '06 regarding T.O. was the case of the dropsies. Never has the statistic "dropped passes" been so widely discussed, and with good reason. Owens' overwhelming strength as a receiver is his ability to break tackles; if he can't keep his hands on the ball, however, all the tackle-breaking in the world won't help.
As it happens, T.O. later claimed he played with a broken finger for most of the year, an injury treated by offseason surgery. He hasn't been given much of a workout in two preseason contests so far, but the stats say he's got two catches and no muffs. Good enough for now.
Will T.O. stand for playing the decoy again? One of the reasons for the Cowboys' success - such as it was - last season was the outstanding play from the receiving corps. While Owens was hauling in 85 catches (to think he might have gotten 100) for nearly 1,200 yards, at the opposite end Terry Glenn added 70 for just about 1,100. Together, the two amassed 19 TDs. Both Glenn and Patrick Crayton actually averaged more yards than T.O. per reception, a category in which long-ball threat Owens typically excels. And who was watching tight end Jason Witten, one of the best receiving TEs in the NFL, garnering 64 receptions for 754 yards? With no "quarterback controversy" this season, the numbers may actually improve for these guys -- a scary thought for the opposition.
Again, though, T.O.'s attitude has something to do with this. Toward the end of the season, Owens began telegraphing to the defense exactly plays in which he wouldn't be the target. Many a play was run with T.O. sporting slumped shoulders and half-heartedly running a short out route while Crayton was the designated target. That's the sort of thing that Owens detractors point to when claiming he's a cancer.
If so, how long will the other teams continue to fall for it? Like it or not, both Owens and Glenn would appear to be on the downside of their auspicious careers; while the future belongs to guys like Crayton and Sam Hurd, the present is the hands of the old hands. Phillips is hardly known for his offensive masterminding, so Owens figures to get keyed on frequently. Much of the Cowboy offense will be about spreading the defense. Once the opposition comes up with ways of stifling Glenn and stuffing Witten at the line, it'll be up to Owens' sheer athletic ability to create yardage on the pass.
This means that even when not getting the ball, Owens will be heavily depended on and always watched.
Of course, that's the way the man likes it.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:43 AM
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