Pro football: Cowboys hope happier Owens can play better
John Whisler
San Antonio Express-News
He has a head coach who actually refers to him by his name, a position coach who seems to genuinely respect him, and an owner who didn't hesitate to pay him a $3 million roster bonus in June.
Then there's the offense that has been designed to find new ways to get him the ball.
It's little wonder that Terrell Owens has seemed relatively calm and content through training camp and the preseason for the Dallas Cowboys.
So far, at least, the typically high-maintenance wide receiver has kept a shockingly low profile.
The question, of course, is will it last? No one knows for sure. Not even Owens.
"I hope so," he said. "I'm feeling good, looking good — so I've got to play good."
The Cowboys are hoping that a happier T.O. is a more productive T.O.
They're banking on it, too. In June, owner Jerry Jones didn't hesitate to pay Owens the roster bonus, guaranteeing his $5 million salary.
Head coach Wade Phillips, receivers coach Ray Sherman and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett all have taken the high road in dealing with him.
Phillips said little when Owens was 20 minutes late for practice before the Denver preseason game, preferring to handle the matter in-house rather than through the media.
Phillips generally has had a long leash when it comes to Owens. He hasn't stressed when Owens has had to miss a workout because of a nagging muscle pull. He even calls Owens by his name, instead of "the player," which was Bill Parcells' preference.
Still, it's going to be difficult for Owens to top last season — his first with the Cowboys.
Even while he was constantly making headlines for all the wrong reasons — his accidental overdose on pain killers, his running feud with receivers coach Todd Haley, his frosty relationship with Parcells — Owens wound up catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards (both team highs) and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But even Owens admits he could have done better. His 18 drops also were a league high.
"The numbers might have looked good," he said. "But I don't feel like I dominated last season."
If the Cowboys hope to end their embarrassing 10-year drought without a playoff victory, Owens will need to look a little more like the old Owens.
There were times when he played for San Francisco and Philadelphia that he was unstoppable.
Perhaps that was the T.O. they had in mind when the Cowboys designed the passing game to get him the ball more on short crossing routes that take advantage of his run-after-the-catch skills.
Fans in San Antonio at the team's Alamodome training camp were delighted to see Owens lining up at both receiver positions and in the slot to create mismatches — something he never did in 2006.
Then, Owens lined up mostly on the left side, making it easier for defenses to eliminate him in their game plans.
"He hasn't played much in the slot, which surprises me," Phillips said.
For now, it's all about football with Owens and everyone around him. The Cowboys hope it stays that way.
"If you hare having fun playing football, you are going to be happy," Owens said. "This is our year. I think we have more than a good opportunity to get this team to the Super Bowl."
San Antonio Express-News
He has a head coach who actually refers to him by his name, a position coach who seems to genuinely respect him, and an owner who didn't hesitate to pay him a $3 million roster bonus in June.
Then there's the offense that has been designed to find new ways to get him the ball.
It's little wonder that Terrell Owens has seemed relatively calm and content through training camp and the preseason for the Dallas Cowboys.
So far, at least, the typically high-maintenance wide receiver has kept a shockingly low profile.
The question, of course, is will it last? No one knows for sure. Not even Owens.
"I hope so," he said. "I'm feeling good, looking good — so I've got to play good."
The Cowboys are hoping that a happier T.O. is a more productive T.O.
They're banking on it, too. In June, owner Jerry Jones didn't hesitate to pay Owens the roster bonus, guaranteeing his $5 million salary.
Head coach Wade Phillips, receivers coach Ray Sherman and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett all have taken the high road in dealing with him.
Phillips said little when Owens was 20 minutes late for practice before the Denver preseason game, preferring to handle the matter in-house rather than through the media.
Phillips generally has had a long leash when it comes to Owens. He hasn't stressed when Owens has had to miss a workout because of a nagging muscle pull. He even calls Owens by his name, instead of "the player," which was Bill Parcells' preference.
Still, it's going to be difficult for Owens to top last season — his first with the Cowboys.
Even while he was constantly making headlines for all the wrong reasons — his accidental overdose on pain killers, his running feud with receivers coach Todd Haley, his frosty relationship with Parcells — Owens wound up catching 85 passes for 1,180 yards (both team highs) and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
But even Owens admits he could have done better. His 18 drops also were a league high.
"The numbers might have looked good," he said. "But I don't feel like I dominated last season."
If the Cowboys hope to end their embarrassing 10-year drought without a playoff victory, Owens will need to look a little more like the old Owens.
There were times when he played for San Francisco and Philadelphia that he was unstoppable.
Perhaps that was the T.O. they had in mind when the Cowboys designed the passing game to get him the ball more on short crossing routes that take advantage of his run-after-the-catch skills.
Fans in San Antonio at the team's Alamodome training camp were delighted to see Owens lining up at both receiver positions and in the slot to create mismatches — something he never did in 2006.
Then, Owens lined up mostly on the left side, making it easier for defenses to eliminate him in their game plans.
"He hasn't played much in the slot, which surprises me," Phillips said.
For now, it's all about football with Owens and everyone around him. The Cowboys hope it stays that way.
"If you hare having fun playing football, you are going to be happy," Owens said. "This is our year. I think we have more than a good opportunity to get this team to the Super Bowl."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:03 PM
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