IRVING – Hey T.O., shut up. That's right, be quiet. Hush. Close your mouth. Don't say another word. And don't think I'm alone.
The fans want you to shut up, based on the boos you received in Monday's loss. So do your teammates, considering their comments Wednesday. Lord knows Bill Parcells has wanted you to shut up since training camp.
The whining. The excuse-making. We're all tired of it. Rarely has a player generated so many statistics and so little impact.
The good news is you're an irrelevant figure in the Cowboys' locker room. In Philadelphia, you divided a team; here, you wield no power. You should see your teammates roll their eyes when informed of your latest ploy for attention.
After all, only a Narcissist could drop a critical third-quarter pass – good for about 50 yards – in a game for the NFC East championship and then complain about your involvement in the offense.
Clearly, you don't understand how self-indulgent that makes you look. Then again, you probably don't care. You're all about numbers. If they happen to come in the midst of victories, then fine. Otherwise, you've got a problem.
So let's look at your numbers.
You've got 79 catches. So what. You've got 1,063 yards. So what. You've got 12 touchdowns. In franchise history, Frank Clarke (14) and Bob Hayes (13) are the only receivers with more. Again, so what.
You haven't made the Cowboys a better team, which is what adding a dynamic receiver with game-breaking potential was supposed to produce. If the Cowboys beat Detroit, as expected, they will finish one-game better than last year, but without the coveted NFC East crown or a home playoff game.
Jerry Jones deserved more, considering he's paying you $10 million this season.
He deserved a catch on fourth-and-2 against the Giants in October with the game still in doubt. He deserved that apparent 74-yard touchdown catch against the Redskins in November that would've never given Washington an opportunity to rally. And he deserved the 50-yard catch that might've given Dallas enough impetus to slip past the Eagles on Monday.
You dropped all three. After Monday's game, you had the audacity to say it's difficult to concentrate when you're not involved early in the game. You say every other team you've played for has made sure you got the ball in the first half.
Your memory is faulty. In the last five seasons, 2003 is the only time you've had considerably more passes directed your way in the first half (62.3 percent) than the second half. Every other year, the percentage of passes directed your way in the first half has been about 50 percent.
That's called making an excuse.
I'm not surprised. Like a lot of professional athletes, you're an All-Pro excuse-maker. That's because those with a monetary, professional or familial interest have been enablers much of your adult life.
People like Drew Rosenhaus and your immediate family. Even Jerry has been an enabler. Following the Atlanta win last week, Jerry told anyone with a microphone or a notepad how you postponed surgery on your right ring finger because you didn't want to miss the rest of the season. Jerry said you'll probably never bend that finger again.
Although that's admirable, the Cowboys' locker room is filled with players who will end their careers with mangled digits and arthritic joints. It's the price of professional football – one players willingly pay for the fame and wealth that accompanies the game.
See, you're really no different from any other player. Not anymore. You're no longer one of the game's elite receivers. Give me Steve Smith. Or Chad Johnson. Or Marvin Harrison. They'll produce more without nearly as much drama.
You're entitled to disagree. You still think you're one of the league's best. Clearly, you haven't spoken to any of the personnel people around the league who talk about your inability to consistently beat press coverage, your poor routes and your propensity for dropping passes.
You've had two 100-yard games this season, and two other times – against Houston and Atlanta – you were among the best players on the field. Seven of your 12 touchdowns have occurred when the Cowboys led or trailed by 10 points or more, yet another indication that you produce empty numbers.
At 33, you're on the decline. No longer can you walk the walk, but you still want to talk the talk, which is all the more reason you should shut up.
E-mail jjtaylor@dallasnews.com
"I'm going to put those things behind me. ... I'll be a better teammate, a better person, a better man in life."
March 18 at introductory news conference
"I won't be standing here again saying I lost the game for the team. I promise you that."
Nov. 8 after dropping potential TD pass vs. Redskins
"It's hard to get into a flow when you get a ball here and a ball there. And late in the game, they start throwing the ball to me. It's too late."
Dec. 25 after two catches in loss to Eagles
NFL receivers with the most dropped passes this season:
| Rk. | Player, team | Drops | Chances | | 1. | Terrell Owens, Dallas | 14 | 144 | | 2. | Darrell Jackson, Sea. | 11 | 112 | | 3. | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 11 | 157 | | 4. | Troy Williamson, Min. | 11 | 76 | | 5. | Steve Smith, Car. | 10 | 131 | |
Terrell Owens has complained that the number of passes sent his way is low, but it's comparable to the average from his last four seasons:
| Season | T.O.'s team | Passes per game | | 2002 | San Francisco | 11.3 | | 2003 | San Francisco | 9.7 | | 2004 | Philadelphia | 9.0 | | 2005 | Philadelphia | 13.1 | | 2006 | Dallas | 9.6 | |
T.O.'s production by quarter:
| Qtr. | Rec. | Thrown to | Yards | TDs | | 1 | 19 | 34 | 199 | 1 | | 2 | 21 | 38 | 363 | 2 | | 3 | 19 | 31 | 257 | 6 | | 4 | 20 | 41 | 244 | 3 | | Totals | 79 | 144 | 1,063 | 12 | |
