Terrell Owens Comments

Source: NFL Internet Network

IRVING, Texas - It should come as no surprise wide receiver Terrell Owens said he didn't get the ball enough in the Cowboys 26-24 loss to Washington Sunday. In fact, T.O. told everyone it was coming.

The week before the game, when asked whether he minded only having two catches in the Week Three contest at Green Bay, Owens said he didn't mind so long as the team was winning. But if they were losing it would be a different story.

It's no matter Owens was targeted 18 times through the air, and handed the ball twice. Like any successful athlete, he's bound to want it more. His comments didn't surprise coach Wade Phillips in the least.

"I think all good players want the football," Phillips said. The coach downplayed any notion the Cowboys forced the ball to him in the second half to the detriment of the team. "We still had 24 points, 300 yards passing. It wasn't a great game for us because we've had better games. I would like for it to have been different, but it wasn't."

While Owens' history dictates his media attention will be greater than any of the Cowboys other players, the offense's weaponry means he isn't the only guy who wants the ball. Last week, Tony Romo said Jason Witten lobbied for the ball as well.

"We try to get the ball to our best players as much as we can," Phillips said. "We have quite a few good players, though. We didn't get the ball enough to Marion Barber, the week before we didn't get it enough to Terrell. It's a good problem to have, but we need to be able to rectify it by controlling the ball more."

If anyone on the offense has a legitimate gripe from Sunday, it's either Barber or rookie Felix Jones. Barber had just eight carries, and Jones had none after breaking a team record by scoring his first three games as a rookie.

Turnovers Suddenly A Problem
Of the first 47 games played in the NFL this season, the team with a negative turnover differential won only eight times. Of those eight, the Cowboys did it three times.

With Tony Romo on an interception-per-game pace, and a Cowboys defense that has not recorded an interception yet, the Cowboys were good enough to defy the odds for three weeks. Sunday, the negative turnover margin finally caught up to them.

Romo threw his fourth interception of the season in the third quarter Sunday on a lazy pass toward Miles Austin on the right sideline, with Redskins safety Chris Horton stepping up to snatch it. The Redskins would go on to kick a 33-yard field goal on their ensuing drive. Those final three Washington points were the eventual difference in the game.

"Of course, it wasn't a problem the first three games, but it was this game," coach Wade Phillips said. "You need turnovers. We've only turned it over six times offensively, which isn't bad, but when you have a minus-four, it isn't good."

The Cowboys have recovered two fumbles so far, but forced just one themselves, on Green Bay's first possession a week ago. Philadelphia handed the Cowboys the ball once on a botched handoff in Week Two. As a coach who prides himself on creating takeaways, Phillips would like to see the defense be more active. Does it bother him personally? Phillips said yes.

Of course, with some of the pressure the Cowboys have put on quarterbacks, it would seem an interception would be the natural result, at some point in time.

"Some of them are tips," Phillips said. "Some of them are the quarterback getting hit, getting interceptions, some of them are individual plays. We've hit the quarterback quite a bit and rushed him quite a few times. If they're in the right spot, they can make plays. We've got guys who've done it before."

When asked whether more man coverage could result in more interceptions, the coach said no. Typically, he said, man coverage can result in fewer passing yards, while interceptions are often the result of defensive backs reading the quarterback while in zone coverage.

The Cowboys will run some of both, depending on the situation.

Tough Game For Watkins
Sunday was just not Pat Watkins' day. As a fill-in starter for the injured Roy Williams (arm), Watkins had little impact in Week Three against Green Bay. When Washington came to town it was a different story.

The Cowboys played more base defense Sunday, with the Redskins using more two back, or two tight end packages than the Packers did. Since moving into the starting job, Watkins comes off the field in extra-receiver sets.

While some people wondered whether Williams' injury would be a good thing for the Cowboys, Watkins had them second-guessing that theory Sunday.

First, when the Redskins scored their first touchdown on a three-yard flare pass to James Thrash on the right side, cornerback Terence Newman said Watkins was supposed to make an adjustment to pick up Thrash. Newman had slipped while trying to stick with the Redskins receiver in motion.

Of course, Watkins was also involved in a crucial mistake later in the game, as the 12th man on the field, drawing a flag and extending what would eventually be the drive when Washington put the game out of reach. The Cowboys initially called their base defense, but changed to a single safety high look, where cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones replaces Watkins. For one reason or the other, Watkins never subbed out.

The third-year safety also suffered a stinger during the game, the fourth time he has suffered the same injury in as many games. Watkins said the pain is in a nerve between his neck and right shoulder. Monday, Wade Phillips said he was concerned about his safety and special teams ace's durability.

"We're going to keep checking on him," Phillips said. "I am concerned. We're going to look at that this week and see how he is."

Short Shots
Receiver Santana Moss has built some fame as a "Cowboys killer," but it's running back Clinton Portis who has really whipped the Cowboys lately. Only one running back has run for over 100 yards against the Cowboys in the last 20 games: Clinton Portis. He's now done it twice, Sunday and Dec. 30, 2007 . . . With some talk that a loss can be good for a team, Wade Phillips had the line of the day when he said, "It's not good for your record, I know that." . . . With an interception in each of this season's games, Tony Romo has now thrown a pick in eight straight games, going back to the Dec. 9, 2007 at Detroit. Before that, he threw an interception in five consecutive games.