| Randolph Charlotin. 14th October, 2007 - 2:15 pm
 Dear Reporters,
Due to the magnitude of this week's game and high volume of questions for the Original 81 about the other 81. I will be taking all questions immediately following Sunday's game.
Sincerely, Terrell Owens
I love it.
As if the game wasn’t big enough. ESPN calls it the Duel in Dallas. A battle of undefeated teams. The top two offenses in the league. Cowboys vs. Patriots. America’s Team vs. America’s Blue-collar Team.
That’s now the undercard. With Terrell Owens’ opening salvo, this game has become T.O. vs. Randy Moss. It will be a game of who finishes with better numbers. The game is in Dallas, where country music is king. But the only way there will be dueling banjos will be if they’re swung like clubs.
Owens wants to show he is the best receiver in the game. The best way to prove it is on the biggest stage with your main adversary playing at his best as well. If showing Moss a little disrespect to get Randy’s ire up to play harder, then T.O. is all for it.
That’s why he threw down the gauntlet in his letter, referring to Moss as “the other 81” and himself as “the Original 81.” And no, lack of a capital/the capital “O” wasn’t a typo. In Owens’ mind, he is the one and only. Moss is trying to be him.
It would be easy to dismiss Owens’ opinion by comparing his 2007 statistics to Moss’ numbers. T.O. doesn’t even lead his Cowboys in receptions, yards, and touchdowns while Moss leads the league in yards and is tied for the lead in TDs.
A fair comparison would be Moss in ’07 against Owens in his first five games with Philadelphia. In 2004 Owens had a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback, Donovan McNabb, who was ecstatic to have a weapon of Owens caliber for the first time. With his new toy, McNabb could hardly resist playing catch with Owens and it showed:
Rec/Yds/TD
8/68/3
4/79/1
6/107/1
8/110/1
4/123/0
Totals: 30/487/6
It is a similar scenario for Moss in New England this season. Tom Brady is one of the league’s best QBs. He’s had competent receivers before, but never a stable of thoroughbreds like this. And Moss is the Secretariat of the group. Brady has thrown to Moss short, long, wide open, and even when covered. It hasn’t mattered as the duo has been virtually unstoppable:
Rec/Yds/TD
9/183/2
8/105/2
5/115/2
9/102/2
3/46/0
Totals: 34/551/8
Moss has better numbers, but Owens was as much of a difference-maker with the Eagles as Moss is with the Patriots. Philly won all five games, as had the Pats.
But who will win this game, and who will have the better game between Owens and Moss. Randy loves playing in Dallas or against the Cowboys in general. In two games in Texas Stadium Moss collected 10 receptions for a total of 307 yards and five touches. Expand the sample to include all games against Dallas and Moss is a man among the ‘Boys: 29-675-10. Owens only played twice against New England, but one of those games was Super Bowl XXXIX where he posted 9-122-0 numbers against a Patriots defense that was one of the best in the league.
There’s the potential for both players to have big games. Everyone was raving about the Patriots defense until Cleveland successfully moved the ball up and down the field. Wide out Braylon Edwards finished with 110 yards on six receptions. And based on the letter he left the press, Owens is focused. Dallas’ D, under the direction of head coach Wade Phillips, will blitz, possibly leaving his corner backs one-on-one. Expect Moss to be opposite of Terrence Newman, the ‘Boys best cover corner. But Moss has a five-inch height advantage.
Below Owens’ signature on the letter, T.O. gave a suggestion:
"P.S. Getcha Popcorn Ready."
We will. And I hope Owens and Moss put on a jaw-dropping show that makes me forget to eat it. |
