From PhiladelphiaEagles.com
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Loss Of Owens Makes It Tough, Not Impossible
December 20, 2004
The news hit with a sudden thump, a punch to the gut, a wallop of disappointment: Terrell Owens will likely miss the remainder of the NFC playoffs and, should the Eagles be so fortunate to get beyond that, has an "outside" chance to play in the Super Bowl on February 6.
The dream season, 13-1, just took a severe left turn, no doubt about it. It makes you want to cry. But if you're going to give up, don't come around here, please.
The Eagles lost their main receiving threat, no question about it. What Owens has brought to this team, to this town, to this organization, is invaluable. He's got a confidence and a talent about him that you just can't measure. The sheer numbers -- 77 catches, 1,200 yards, 14 touchdowns -- tell only part of the story.
How he affected defenses is another part. Owens impacts everything. Defenses tried matching up with him early in the season and he destroyed them. Since mid season, defenses rolled coverages his way and that opened opportunities for other players.
Now the immediate future does not include Owens. He said in a conference call late Monday afternoon that he is "overwhelmingly confident" that the Eagles will advance to the Super Bowl. And after that, well, have you ever heard of Willis Reed?
"They would probably have to put me in a strait jacket," said Owens when asked what would keep him out of the Super Bowl should the Eagles win their first two playoff games. "Depending upon how my rehab process goes, if I'm able to go, God willing, then I'm going to give it a shot.
"If not, I'll be the biggest cheerleader on that sideline at the Super Bowl."
How do the Eagles compensate on the field? They have to figure out something. Coverages will change. Defenses now will roll coverage to Brian Westbrook and try to limit his effectiveness in the passing game. What happens if defenses use a cornerback on Westbrook? How do the Eagles create matchups across the board then?
Look, it's not going to be easy. The Eagles are going to have to get Freddie Mitchell and Greg Lewis and Todd Pinkston and Billy McMullen up to speed. There are two games to get McMullen, for example, used to the tempo of the NFL. He's got a big body to defeat press coverage, which is surely coming with more regularity.
So it's going to be a challenge. No doubt about that. You don't simply erase No. 81 and replace it with another number and just move on. The coaching staff is going to have to be creative with its scheming.
And guys like Pinkston are going to need to step up in a big way. Mitchell, who has been largely ignored this season, now has the chance to become a huge part of the offense. Lewis, the shifty receiver who always seems to get open, must have a more involved role in the attack.
And the Eagles are going to have to get favorable matchups for Westbrook and Smith and, yes, Donovan McNabb is going to have to be a superstar quarterback even without Owens.
There are reasons to be optimistic about the Eagles winning that first playoff game and then the one after that and the one after that. Lincoln Financial Field is, indeed, a home-field advantage. The Eagles are a better team than they were last year and the NFC is worse than it was last year. The defense, this defense, is worlds better than in 2003.
And yet ...
There is also the frustration and depression of losing such a major member of the team at this point in the season. Owens deserves more. He has had his reputation restored this season. He has taken a city by the heart and clutched it. He has given Eagles fans everywhere a reason to believe.
Now he's not part of the picture on the field.
Who steps up? Who stands out? How do the Eagles make it without the player who defined the essence of this season?
Stay tuned. The drama is here.
