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T.O. Scares Everybody
In the early days of training camp, I mentioned that the workouts could be summarized with the phrase, “T.O. Beats Everybody.” No player had a better, more productive camp than the man whose middle name is Eldorado.
The Caddy made Philadelphia’s ballyhooed corners look like refurbished Hyundais in the first half Monday night. He not only beat Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, he humiliated them. Owens didn’t catch a pass in the second half, but his early level of dominance changed Philly’s second half game plan, and aided Dallas’ comeback.
Jim Johnson’s initial strategy was to blitz Tony Romo with some frequency. On Romo’s 14 first half attempts, the Eagles blitzed five or more men on 6 plays, or 43% of the time. The Eagles rushed four men on the remaining 8 plays.
The Eagles initially tried playing Owens with a single corner, but neither Brown nor Sheppard could stay wtih him. He ran Brown off on a 14 yard curl route, then left both Sheppard and safety Sean Considine more than five yards in his wake on a 72 yard bomb.
Johnson showed some brass putting FS Brian Dawkins one-on-one against Owens in the second quarter. T.O. looked insulted after he easily beat Dawkins on a 4 yard slant for a touchdown.
The play that probably changed Johnson’s thinking came on Dallas’ next series. The Cowboys had run the ball on every one of its first seven 1st-down plays and the Eagles had stuffed Marion Barber, walking eight and sometimes nine men into the box. Romo’s 4 yarder to T.O. had caught them off guard, and probably explains why Dawkins was left alone against Owens — the Eagles were expecting another run.
Now, facing 1st and ten on his 20, Jason Garrett called his second 1st-down pass, sending Owens on a stop and go at Brown. T.O. was again more than five yards behind the corner when he caught the ball, which he took 55 yards to the Eagles’ 25. The play was called back by a holding penalty, but it affected the remainder of the game.
Johnson had to give the corners covering Owens deep help. When the second half started the Eagles began playing a lot of cover two, with a safety always rotating to Owens’ side. This meant the Eagles now were playing with seven in the box, and Marion Barber began to find running room. He had only 14 first half yards on six carries, and he topped that on his first 2nd-half carry, a bend play around right end for 18 yards. He gained 49 second half yards on 12 carries, a far more respectable 4.1 average.
Cover two also compromised Philly’s rush. Thirteen of the Eagles first fourteen second-half pass calls rushed four men, a meager 7% average. The Cowboys’ line handled these rushes with relative ease, giving Romo time to work his backs and tight ends in the middle of the field against Philly linebackers. When the Eagles went to man coverage, they still tracked T.O. with two players. Owens cleared out the right side of the Eagles defense on a third quarter play from the Philly 17, giving Barber the space to catch a touchdown against the overmatched MLB Stewart Bradley.
That’s Why They Pay Him the Big Money
Amazingly, Garrett had the perfect play for the one time in that 14-pass sequence where Johnson blitzed. He called a screen to Barber on a 1st down play where Johnson rushed six men. Barber followed three blockers along the far sideline for 25 yards. Johnson again backed off; he would blitz just twice more in the game.
In a fitting end to his evening, Owens beat the new Eagle Asante Samuel, drawing an interference call in the end zone that set up Barber’s game winning run. T.O. left the field knowing he had gotten the better of all three Philly corners.
Owens appears to have found a 6th gear at age 34, one that makes good cornerbacks look stupid. He not only beats everybody, he flat-out scares everybody, top-tier coordinators included.
In the early days of training camp, I mentioned that the workouts could be summarized with the phrase, “T.O. Beats Everybody.” No player had a better, more productive camp than the man whose middle name is Eldorado.
The Caddy made Philadelphia’s ballyhooed corners look like refurbished Hyundais in the first half Monday night. He not only beat Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard, he humiliated them. Owens didn’t catch a pass in the second half, but his early level of dominance changed Philly’s second half game plan, and aided Dallas’ comeback.
Jim Johnson’s initial strategy was to blitz Tony Romo with some frequency. On Romo’s 14 first half attempts, the Eagles blitzed five or more men on 6 plays, or 43% of the time. The Eagles rushed four men on the remaining 8 plays.
The Eagles initially tried playing Owens with a single corner, but neither Brown nor Sheppard could stay wtih him. He ran Brown off on a 14 yard curl route, then left both Sheppard and safety Sean Considine more than five yards in his wake on a 72 yard bomb.
Johnson showed some brass putting FS Brian Dawkins one-on-one against Owens in the second quarter. T.O. looked insulted after he easily beat Dawkins on a 4 yard slant for a touchdown.
The play that probably changed Johnson’s thinking came on Dallas’ next series. The Cowboys had run the ball on every one of its first seven 1st-down plays and the Eagles had stuffed Marion Barber, walking eight and sometimes nine men into the box. Romo’s 4 yarder to T.O. had caught them off guard, and probably explains why Dawkins was left alone against Owens — the Eagles were expecting another run.
Now, facing 1st and ten on his 20, Jason Garrett called his second 1st-down pass, sending Owens on a stop and go at Brown. T.O. was again more than five yards behind the corner when he caught the ball, which he took 55 yards to the Eagles’ 25. The play was called back by a holding penalty, but it affected the remainder of the game.
Johnson had to give the corners covering Owens deep help. When the second half started the Eagles began playing a lot of cover two, with a safety always rotating to Owens’ side. This meant the Eagles now were playing with seven in the box, and Marion Barber began to find running room. He had only 14 first half yards on six carries, and he topped that on his first 2nd-half carry, a bend play around right end for 18 yards. He gained 49 second half yards on 12 carries, a far more respectable 4.1 average.
Cover two also compromised Philly’s rush. Thirteen of the Eagles first fourteen second-half pass calls rushed four men, a meager 7% average. The Cowboys’ line handled these rushes with relative ease, giving Romo time to work his backs and tight ends in the middle of the field against Philly linebackers. When the Eagles went to man coverage, they still tracked T.O. with two players. Owens cleared out the right side of the Eagles defense on a third quarter play from the Philly 17, giving Barber the space to catch a touchdown against the overmatched MLB Stewart Bradley.
That’s Why They Pay Him the Big Money
Amazingly, Garrett had the perfect play for the one time in that 14-pass sequence where Johnson blitzed. He called a screen to Barber on a 1st down play where Johnson rushed six men. Barber followed three blockers along the far sideline for 25 yards. Johnson again backed off; he would blitz just twice more in the game.
In a fitting end to his evening, Owens beat the new Eagle Asante Samuel, drawing an interference call in the end zone that set up Barber’s game winning run. T.O. left the field knowing he had gotten the better of all three Philly corners.
Owens appears to have found a 6th gear at age 34, one that makes good cornerbacks look stupid. He not only beats everybody, he flat-out scares everybody, top-tier coordinators included.
