GET YOUR POPCORN READY: Lions on Terrell Owens: 'He's a beast'
By CARLOS MONARREZ
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Beast.
Freak.
The words are but two of the ways the Lions described Terrell Owens as they prepared to face the Dallas Cowboys’ talented but often turbulent receiver today at Ford Field.
But here’s another way to describe Owens this season: the NFL’s leading receiver in yardage.
And maybe even one more: understated excellence.
As the Cowboys have rolled to an 11-1 record and Owens has steadily marched toward a career year at age 34, the season has lacked the usual T.O. tabloid-style drama. No fighting with teammates, no spitting at cornerbacks, no accidental overdoses.
Just T.O. showcasing his skill, torching defenses and making good on the $25-million promise he made last year to Dallas fans when he told them to “get your popcorn ready, because it's going to be a show."
It certainly has been that this year. Owens has hooked up with quarterback Tony Romo for 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns and he has even supplied the popcorn.
He supplied the season with an indelible image last week when he threw a cup of the stuff in his own face in celebration of a touchdown against Green Bay. The Packers’ Al Harris is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, but he couldn’t stop Owens from catching seven passes for 156 yards and scoring a TD in his seventh straight game in the Cowboys’ 37-27 win.
Owens has only been ineffective in two games this year and seems to think he’s the only person who can stop himself.
“When you say that certain defenses can take a guy out, it just depends on that individual himself,” Owens said. “I feel like I have a lot of abilities and special abilities to overcome all of that. I've played in some complicated offenses at this stage in my career. I know how to read zones; I know how to read man-to-man. I know how to read coverages on the run.”
Lions defensive coordinator Joe Barry knows Owens’ capabilities better than most since he was an assistant coach with San Francisco in 2000 when Owens played for the 49ers.
“He’s a go-to guy,” Barry said. “There’s no doubt about it. He has been his whole career. You definitely have to keep him under control, there is no doubt. What makes him special is that I was with T.O. in San Francisco and I think you really can’t truly appreciate him until you see him in person. This guy is literally a freak. Just his body structure and the way he works.”
Dallas coach Wade Phillips said Owens may even work too hard, to point where he’s had to hold him out of some mundane training camp drills. But Phillips takes no credit for Owens’ exemplary season, claiming only to foster cooperation.
"I don't manage any of my players,” Phillips said. “I work with them, and he has been great to work with. He works hard. Any player that works hard or as hard as anybody on the team has a lot of redeeming value to me. He does that.”
Owens also has a strong relationship with Romo and said it’s the best partnership he’s had with a quarterback.
“I think so,” Owens said. “I think Tony realizes the importance of my role in this offense. In a sense, I feel like for us to get started the offense has to go through me and I just know I'm an integral part of what we have going on.”
Lions rookie safety Gerald Alexander admits he’s been a fan of Owens’. He has read one of his autobiographies and has marveled at the 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver’s ability for the past 12 years.
“He’s a beast,” Alexander said. “Everybody knows about T.O. T.O.’s good. Obviously he brings a different threat to the game. Him being as big and he’s a physical receiver, big guy, fast guy.
“And he’s been making plays. He’s been making plays for years. But you could just kind of see the chemistry him and Romo now have and they’re clicking with the offense.”
The symbiotic relationship Owens and Romo have is a common theme in the Cowboys’ success. The two players seem to have found each other at the right time in a metaphorical and literal sense.
“You know what they seem to do a great job of is when Romo gets in trouble he’s got a great way to get out of trouble and he seems to find that guy,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “He seems to always find him, down the field, deep, digs, all those things. And they stay alive. They just seem to work together really well. They’re using him well and he’s playing extremely hard.”
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Beast.
Freak.
The words are but two of the ways the Lions described Terrell Owens as they prepared to face the Dallas Cowboys’ talented but often turbulent receiver today at Ford Field.
But here’s another way to describe Owens this season: the NFL’s leading receiver in yardage.
And maybe even one more: understated excellence.
As the Cowboys have rolled to an 11-1 record and Owens has steadily marched toward a career year at age 34, the season has lacked the usual T.O. tabloid-style drama. No fighting with teammates, no spitting at cornerbacks, no accidental overdoses.
Just T.O. showcasing his skill, torching defenses and making good on the $25-million promise he made last year to Dallas fans when he told them to “get your popcorn ready, because it's going to be a show."
It certainly has been that this year. Owens has hooked up with quarterback Tony Romo for 1,249 yards and 14 touchdowns and he has even supplied the popcorn.
He supplied the season with an indelible image last week when he threw a cup of the stuff in his own face in celebration of a touchdown against Green Bay. The Packers’ Al Harris is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, but he couldn’t stop Owens from catching seven passes for 156 yards and scoring a TD in his seventh straight game in the Cowboys’ 37-27 win.
Owens has only been ineffective in two games this year and seems to think he’s the only person who can stop himself.
“When you say that certain defenses can take a guy out, it just depends on that individual himself,” Owens said. “I feel like I have a lot of abilities and special abilities to overcome all of that. I've played in some complicated offenses at this stage in my career. I know how to read zones; I know how to read man-to-man. I know how to read coverages on the run.”
Lions defensive coordinator Joe Barry knows Owens’ capabilities better than most since he was an assistant coach with San Francisco in 2000 when Owens played for the 49ers.
“He’s a go-to guy,” Barry said. “There’s no doubt about it. He has been his whole career. You definitely have to keep him under control, there is no doubt. What makes him special is that I was with T.O. in San Francisco and I think you really can’t truly appreciate him until you see him in person. This guy is literally a freak. Just his body structure and the way he works.”
Dallas coach Wade Phillips said Owens may even work too hard, to point where he’s had to hold him out of some mundane training camp drills. But Phillips takes no credit for Owens’ exemplary season, claiming only to foster cooperation.
"I don't manage any of my players,” Phillips said. “I work with them, and he has been great to work with. He works hard. Any player that works hard or as hard as anybody on the team has a lot of redeeming value to me. He does that.”
Owens also has a strong relationship with Romo and said it’s the best partnership he’s had with a quarterback.
“I think so,” Owens said. “I think Tony realizes the importance of my role in this offense. In a sense, I feel like for us to get started the offense has to go through me and I just know I'm an integral part of what we have going on.”
Lions rookie safety Gerald Alexander admits he’s been a fan of Owens’. He has read one of his autobiographies and has marveled at the 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver’s ability for the past 12 years.
“He’s a beast,” Alexander said. “Everybody knows about T.O. T.O.’s good. Obviously he brings a different threat to the game. Him being as big and he’s a physical receiver, big guy, fast guy.
“And he’s been making plays. He’s been making plays for years. But you could just kind of see the chemistry him and Romo now have and they’re clicking with the offense.”
The symbiotic relationship Owens and Romo have is a common theme in the Cowboys’ success. The two players seem to have found each other at the right time in a metaphorical and literal sense.
“You know what they seem to do a great job of is when Romo gets in trouble he’s got a great way to get out of trouble and he seems to find that guy,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “He seems to always find him, down the field, deep, digs, all those things. And they stay alive. They just seem to work together really well. They’re using him well and he’s playing extremely hard.”
posted by The Gryphon at 3:10 PM
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