DMN: Watkins, Horn, MacMahon takes on Deion/T.O. interview

[WoodysGirl]

T.O. Sounds Off
9:54 PM Thu, Nov 20, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Calvin Watkins E-mail News tips


It was only a matter of time before Terrell Owens decided to say something about the Cowboys offense and his numbers.

Owens, speaking to former Cowboys player Deion Sanders in a taped interview on the NFL Network tonight, said he wants to win a championship with the Cowboys, but wants the ball.

"For me to have the numbers that I have and not really being involved it is discouraging," Owens said. "It is frustrating, but what can I do?"

Owens has 40 catches for 505 yards with six touchdowns this season. He has one touchdown in the last five weeks and hasn't reached over 40 receiving yards since an Oct. 5 victory over Cincinnati.

During the last five weeks, starting quarterback Tony Romo missed three games with a fractured right pinkie.

Owens has said if he complains about his role in the offense, he will be viewed as selfish, so he's tried to stay quiet.

Owens prefers a Super Bowl title over his numbers "but at the same time, you can't obtain that championship if I'm not involved in the offense," he said. "It's going to come [championship] and I think a lot of people they see that when I get my hands on the ball things happen. I can't throw it and catch it. I can do only one thing. It's not that I can't play, it's the system of which I'm in."

It was the same offensive system that saw Owens earn a sixth Pro Bowl berth, where he caught 81 passes for 1,355 yards last season with 15 touchdowns.

Owens is not happy with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's play calling and game plans. Owens does have a point and we've asked him numerous times has he spoken to Garrett about the offense, but says no.

Garrett had a good game plan last week against the Commanders and it should get better this week as Romo finds a groove with new wideout Roy Williams and finds a comfort level with that pinkie of his.

Deion Sanders should get an "A" from NFL Network and an "F" from his friend...
6:36 AM Fri, Nov 21, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Barry Horn E-mail News tips
Calvin "Speedy" Watkins posted the video last night over on the Cowboys blog. He also added some football analysis.

Here's another angle:

If Deion Sanders is as good a friend to Terrell Owens as claimed, he would not have lead him down this path in their NFL Network interview. I know what you're thinking. Sanders is a professional broadcaster and Owens is a professional athlete. Sanders was only doing his job. That's true. But in th end, he got that interview because he is Owens' friend. Friends don't leave friends hanging on the ledge outside penthouse apartments.


And how did Deion end last night's halftime interview:

"Oh it gets better than that but you can only catch that on GameDay morning...on Sunday...This interview is somewhat provacative but one thing about T.O., he tells it like it is."

Here are Owens' quotes from the interview as provided by NFL Network.

"If I get on this interview and say, 'I need the ball more, we need to do this and that,' then the heat is going to be on me."

"When I came here, I came with the idea and notion that we had a chance to win a championship. Coming to the city of Dallas, I want to bring a sixth Super Bowl championship to the city of Dallas. For me to have the numbers that I have and not being involved is discouraging and frustrating."


Sanders: "So which is more important - the numbers or the championship?"

Owens: "The championship, but at the same time, you can't obtain that championship if I'm not involved in the offense."

Sanders: "So what you're saying is that if you had the numbers, the championship is going to come?"

Owens: "It's going to come and I think a lot of people see that. When I get my hands on the ball, things happen. I can't throw it and catch it. I can only do one thing. It's not that I can't play, it's the system in which I'm in."

Well, as Owens correctly said up top: The heat will now be on him.

Bottom line: Solid job by Deion Sanders of the NFL Network. Not so much by Deion Sanders, friend of Owens.


Could T.O. have picked worse time to point finger at Jason Garrett? Next question
9:00 AM Fri, Nov 21, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Tim MacMahon E-mail News tips

You thought Pacman Jones' return might cause some problems at Valley Ranch? That's child's play compared T.O.'s premeditated attack on Jerry Jones' hand-picked coach-in-waiting.

Pacman is prone to spur-of-the-moment stupidity that leads to lengthy suspensions. At least he doesn't intentionally hurt his team. T.O., on the other hand, specializes in calm, calculated causing of chemistry explosions.

Jason Garrett is just the latest on the long list of T.O.'s targets over the course of his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

T.O. knew the ramifications of complaining about Garrett on national TV, even saying as much during the NFL Network interview with close friend Deion Sanders. The diva, desperately seeking attention that his performance no longer justifies, chose to pull the pin out of the grenade. Prime Time, who has been doing the dirty work for weeks by ripping Jerry's favorite redhead, served as the T.O. vs. Garrett campaign manager.

Campaign slogan: "It's not that I can't play. It's the system."

The first shots were fired during the Thursday night halftime show. As Deion gleefully teased, some bombs will be dropped in Part 2 of the interview during Sunday's pregame show.

These carefully orchestrated interviews will create waves that last long beyond this season's playoff push. T.O. just took the first step into forcing Jerry to choose between two of his favorite employees: an aging receiver and inexperienced coach who both signed long-term, multi-million dollar deals during the off-season.

Forget whether T.O. makes good points about Garrett, whose stock has dropped drastically since Tony Sparano became the Dolphins' head coach. There is blame to be shared for T.O.'s age and yardage totals being roughly the same each week.

Could T.O. possibly have picked a worse time for public finger-pointing? Here the Cowboys are, coming off a huge win over the Commanders in which Tony Romo chipped off some rust, finally having reason to feel good after an awful midseason stretch.

Just when it appears that the Cowboys could right the ship, a captain decides to poison the water.

 

[Coy]

I really do like T.O. but I do have to agree with Tim MacMahon in this article, why now T.O. the last thing we need is another distraction.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

MacMahon's best blog post ever, even if he did go overboard in saying Jerry would have to choose between TO and Garrett.

 

[aikemirv]

Romo had to be sitting at home last night just shaking his head in amazement!

T.O. can just find another address next year as far as I am concerned. Jerry just save you 10 mill and let him go somewhere else.

 

[khiladi]

Ah yes...A guy has the worst performance of his career, with a dramatic drop-off in production and you people act like it's a surprise that he is defending his play? It obviously it is the system...

 

[zeromaster]

If Garrett is a true head coach in waiting, we're going to learn quite a bit about him in how he deals with this over the rest of the season. The luster is already off his play-calling, but it may return.

 

[jcollins28]

If Arizona lets Boldin become a free agant I'm going to be pissed that the Boys will more then likely not be able to get him because of the deal with Roy and T.O.

 

[TwentyOne]

TO has a too big ego and he does not see reality.

Of course things happen when he touches the ball. But not always. And the last few games he droppt more passes, had more fumbles then he really made things happen. His producitvity declined and that's not because he isn't involved.

And to say he isn't involved the right way is ridiculous. If you want the ball show some productivity and skills then you will get it. It's not the system if you arent able to hold on to a ball. Fight for some yds and catch the ball. In the last few games i watched TO taking plays off even when he had the chance to block somebody. Just take a look at Miles Austin boy. That's the way to block!

Right now i have no problem with throwing the ball to Roy Williams. He has shown alot more consitency then TO. And most of all every ball thrown his way is going to be a caught ball.

I just don'T belive that the way to a championship is only by throwing TO the ball more. Right now i think we are pressing way to much to involve TO and that jurts us very bad. Too many play for no yds when we go to TO. As long as he doesn't show consitent ability to catch the ball hold on to it and make the best out of a called play even if it is not set up to support him the most i say handle him like any other WR on the team.

 

[aikemirv]

Ah yes...A guy has the worst performance of his career, with a dramatic drop-off in production and you people act like it's a surprise that he is defending his play? It obviously it is the system...

Talk is cheap, if you want to defend your play - go out and make some plays!

 

[Seven]

If Arizona lets Boldin become a free agant I'm going to be pissed that the Boys will more then likely not be able to get him because of the deal with Roy and T.O.

R11 > Boldin. Across the board.

 

[chinch]

Sanders is a clown and another super enabler to self-absorbed imbeciles like TO and Ocho Suspended.

Motormouth (TO) is finally crumbling to the Roy W. signing, terrible season (thus far) as a team, and his personal non-productivity (mostly his fault/drops, coupled with gameplans & romos injury).

As we all know, TO's totally delusional. Sure getting TDs from him helps us win but he got 4TDs last year vs Wash and we squeeked out a victory along our death-spiral. He has drop after drop after drop in big spots. He doesn't get it and never will.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

How great would it be for Romo to come out and say, "Hey, we threw it to him more than anyone else. I can't throw it and catch it, too."

 

[Doomsday101]

How great would it be for Romo to come out and say, "Hey, we threw it to him more than anyone else. I can't throw it and catch it, too."

I'm sure McNabb would thankfully Romo is not McNabb and that type of comment would only cause un-needed friction. Someone has to be the adult in these situations and clearly Romo is the adult here. :laugh2:

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I'm sure McNabb would thankfully Romo is not McNabb and that type of comment would only cause un-needed friction. Someone has to be the adult in these situations and clearly Romo is the adult here. :laugh2:

Oh, I know... But it would be funny as hell.

 

[Doomsday101]

Oh, I know... But it would be funny as hell.

For 5 min and then all hell would break loose. :laugh2:

 

[Idgit]

MacMahon's best blog post ever, even if he did go overboard in saying Jerry would have to choose between TO and Garrett.

That's like winning the award for the Turd with the Most Peanuts. Cool? Hell yeah, but it's still a turd.

 

[jcollins28]

How great would it be for Romo to come out and say, "Hey, we threw it to him more than anyone else. I can't throw it and catch it, too."

Not that great at all. Romo is smarter then Garcia and McNabb and has not taken T.O's bait. Romo has given T.O all the rope he needs to hang himself.

 

[ddh33]

Not that great at all. Romo is smarter then Garcia and McNabb and has not taken T.O's bait. Romo has given T.O all the rope he needs to hang himself.

Never underestimate how awesome Romo has been with all of this. I think that post is on the money. Romo is practically above reproach with the way he has handled himself.

 

[Xy_Oldone]

I am most likely crazy but I think after the season we should part ways with Owens.

He is a great reciever. But do we really need the drama. I mean we just won a game. Getting onto the right track and now this. I mean just be happy with the win.

We have Williams. We should trade Owens. Someone will give us a draft pick for him. And lets draft a WR. Or just go with Roy Williams and what we have.

 

[DallasEast]

"If I get on this interview and say, 'I need the ball more, we need to do this and that,' then the heat is going to be on me."

"When I came here, I came with the idea and notion that we had a chance to win a championship. Coming to the city of Dallas, I want to bring a sixth Super Bowl championship to the city of Dallas. For me to have the numbers that I have and not being involved is discouraging and frustrating."

Sanders: "So which is more important - the numbers or the championship?"

Owens: "The championship, but at the same time, you can't obtain that championship if I'm not involved in the offense."

Sanders: "So what you're saying is that if you had the numbers, the championship is going to come?"

Owens: "It's going to come and I think a lot of people see that. When I get my hands on the ball, things happen. I can't throw it and catch it. I can only do one thing. It's not that I can't play, it's the system in which I'm in."

Back to the Future. Let's return to 2004. Let's even dismiss the final two regular season games since Philadelphia had already locked up homefield advantage before Roy Williams injured Owens, which caused him to miss those two games.

The Eagles won both the NFC Divisional and Championship games without Owens. He was not involved in the offense during those two crucial games.

Let's jump ahead to Super Bowl XXXIX. Owens, with a surgically repaired ankle literally weeks before doctors would even consider clearing him medically fit to play, morphed into SUPERMAN and grabbed nine catches for 122 yards.

Let's finally stop at the end of that game and ask, "Who won?"

Well, it's wasn't Philadelphia despite him being involved in the Eagles' offense.

That's where I disagree with Owens' philosophy. With him being highly involved and productive within the offense, Dallas has an invaluable weapon for winning a sixth Super Bowl. But for ANY team to win a Super Bowl, that team cannot depend on just one player's expectations. It takes a team effort.

McNabb threw three interceptions in that Super Bowl. Did Owens' Herculean efforts offset his quarterback's poor performance? Nope.

For any player, winning Super Bowls shouldn't have anything to do with numbers and everything to do with being a cog in an unstoppable machine. Owens doesn't have to be superhuman and post huge numbers for this offense to be deadly. He simply has to be highly productive with whatever his opportunities are--regardless of whether those receiving or trick play attempts per game are numerous, average or far below his own personal expectations.

Still, the interview was abbreviated. Perhaps he elaborated more upon his statement, "You can't obtain that championship if I'm not involved in the offense". All that I know from his comments now is that Owens believes that Dallas doesn't have a chance in hell for winning a Super Bowl this season UNLESS he is utilized exactly as he expects.

As a football fan, I do not share that view. We have a very capable quarterback.

Our running back is a Barbarian amongst his peers.

Our tight end is always mentioned within an elite circle of three (and sometimes only two).

We traded for another very good wide receiver (contrary to unquoted Lions fans and Lions fans sympathizers).

We have a very good number three receiver, who thinks he's a solid number two with a mouth to match...

We have an offensive line which, when it plays as a unit, is as good as any of the best in the league.

And we have a fullback that loves crickets.

Needless to say, we have a great offense that's sputtering right now. Coaching and improved run and pass blocking can fit that problem. That should be the goal of this offense to become elite again. The goal shouldn't be, "Give me the ball X number of times and you will get your Super Bowl".

It's not a necessity for this team to reach the promised land.