T.O. gripes after Cowboys lose to Eagles

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


STEPHEN HAWKINS

Associated Press

IRVING, Texas - While Terrell Owens is griping again, his former team is enjoying life without him. T.O. is complaining about his lack of involvement in the Dallas offense, even after his NFL-best 12th receiving touchdown for the Cowboys' only score in a 23-7 loss to Philadelphia on Christmas Day that gave the Eagles control of the NFC East race with one game left.
"It's not necessarily embarrassing that we lost to them," Owens said, insisting he has no personal grudge against the Eagles. "I was embarrassed by the way we played offensively."
With a chance to clinch its first division title since 1998, Dallas instead had its lowest-scoring game and worst offensive showing of the season with 201 yards, 119 fewer than the previous low. That even includes the six games Drew Bledsoe started before Tony Romo took over and quickly became a Pro Bowl quarterback.
"I told the team that they can either be judged by this game or they come back ready to go next week and try to compete," coach Bill Parcells said.
Except now a win over Detroit in the regular season finale might not be enough to win the division. Philadelphia would also have to lose to Atlanta. And if both lose, the Eagles have the tiebreaker, having also beaten the Cowboys in T.O.'s much-hyped return to Philly in October.
Both 9-6, the Eagles and Cowboys are already guaranteed playoff spots. The NFC East winner will host the lower-seeded wild-card team, while the division runner-up will start the postseason at Seattle.
With Jeff Garcia instead of the injured Donovan McNabb at quarterback, Philly has won four straight December games, the last three being road games against division foes. From 5-6 after McNabb got hurt and Garcia lost his first start, the Eagles can win the NFC East for the fifth time in six years.
"We took a situation where things weren't looking good, with some major hurdles to overcome, and we found a way to win," said Garcia, who was 15-of-23 for 238 yards and led the Eagles to four scores in their first five drives. "It's this playoff mentality we've had over the past month that's carried us."
Brian Westbrook ran for 122 yards and Correll Buckhalter had 38 yards and a touchdown against the Cowboys. A pair of 89-yard scoring drives put the Eagles up 10-0, and they later went 77 and 80 yards for scores.
Coach Andy Reid laughed about how easy the last month has been for the Eagles.
"We thought it would be a cakewalk," he said with a wry smile. "Every one of those games has been huge. The guys have buckled down against some good teams."
Owens barely had an impact, even with his 14-yard TD with 36 seconds left in the first half that got Dallas within 10-7. His only other catch in the game also came on that drive.
T.O. wore a Cowboys-branded Santa hat after the game, but his mood didn't match his joyful attire. He complained several times that not enough passes are coming his way.
"I just feel like I'm not involved early in the game," Owens said. "Everybody knows that's what I do. Every team that I've played on, I've been involved early and often. It's hard to get in the flow when you're getting a ball here, a ball there."
After the Eagles stretched their lead to 16-7 in the third quarter, Owens let an almost perfectly thrown deep ball by Romo go through his hands. Owens said there should have been a penalty on defender Brian Dawkins.
"He bumped me way down the field and I started to regroup. By the time I looked up and located the ball, it was right on me," Owens said.
"All receivers are going to drop the ball," Romo said, downplaying it.
Romo, 14-of-29 for a season-worst 142 yards, threw toward a double-covered Owens early in the fourth quarter. Dawkins was there again, with an over-the-shoulder grab for an interception in the end zone.
Owens helped lead Philadelphia to the Super Bowl in 2004 before being suspended midway through last season. That included his bitter and public feud with McNabb.
But Owens doesn't have a problem with all the Eagles. He spent part of Christmas Eve visiting with some of his former Philadelphia teammates at their hotel.
"What about it?" Owens said. "That shouldn't have any bearing on the game. That's my time and you know those guys are my friends. I'm not going to shy away from my friends for anybody."
Then there's Garcia, the quarterback whose sexuality T.O. made insinuations about when they were teammates in San Francisco.
Garcia set the tone with four third-down conversions on the opening series, then a 25-yard touchdown pass to Matt Schobel. After the defense made three straight goal-line stands against Marion Barber, the NFC touchdowns rushing leader, Garcia moved Philadelphia from its 4-yard line to the Dallas 2, setting up the first of three straight field goals by David Akers.
Notes: It was the second straight high-profile home game the Cowboys lost. It came two weeks after their 42-17 loss to New Orleans, which clinched the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed because of Dallas' loss to Philly. ... The Eagles' 205 yards rushing were the most by an opponent at Texas Stadium since 2000.
 
What???? TO is complaining???? OMG!!!! Well I for one am just shocked into speechlessness!!!!!! :roll:
 
I just can't even think of anything to say....And he seemed like such a nice, quiet man....
 
I know, huh!?! I am just so shocked. He's always been such a team player and everything...Whatever has come over him?
 
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