Eagles Running Away From Owens

Terrell Owens may have the last laugh after all.

The Eagles have lost two straight without him, and it appears that his four-game suspension will be reduced and the team may be forced to release him.

After watching three Eagles receivers combine for 7 catches and 62 yards against the Cowboys on Monday night, Owens left a message for Donovan McNabb, according to ESPN reporter Sal Palantonio. There is no word yet on what he said.

Maybe he felt for his "former" teammate, and expressed some kind and comforting words. Or maybe he rubbed it in McNabb's face that this was the third game in a row McNabb had a thrown a game-changing interception.

Regardless, without Owens, the Eagles' offense has changed from the most pass-dependent offense in the history of the NFL to a much more conservative and run-oriented attack.

While this approach failed against the Redskins, the Eagles were able to dominate the Cowboys for 56 minutes on Monday night, an effort that should have been good enough to win.

The Eagles rushed 36 times for 181 yards, a truly impressive statistic considering they had been averaging only 59 yards rushing in the first eight games, good for last in the NFL.

Philadelphia ran early and often, taking the Cowboys by surprise, and built what seemed to be an insurmountable 20-7 lead late in the fourth quarter.

After being shut down for the most of the game, the Cowboys went 72 yards in only four plays, scoring a touchdown with 3:04 remaining. On the Eagles' ensuing possession, McNabb threw an interception right to Dallas safety Roy Williams, and to add injury to insult, McNabb was injured on the play, unsuccessfully trying to tackle Williams on his 46-yard return for a touchdown.

I applaud the Eagles for not just running the ball three times and punting, as most teams would do. It showed that the team has confidence in McNabb to make the right decision.

However, with three inexperienced wide receivers on the field, it was a questionable decision to throw the ball in the manner that they did. A quick screen would have been the right play in this instance, which would have the chance to pick up the first down, and at the least, would have kept the clock running.

Now despite undergoing a successful transformation on offense, the Eagles are 4-5, and the playoffs are a distant possibility. Owens can revel in the fact that the team most likely would have won both the Washington and Dallas games if they had merely allowed him to suit up.

Despite his immense talents and value on the field, I would argue that the Eagles are better off without Owens. They no longer need to focus the offense on throwing the ball to one player, and can strive for a more balanced offense that allows the defense time to rest. The defense certainly looked solid against Dallas, holding the Cowboys to only 58 yards rushing and 254 total yards. Only five weeks ago the Cowboys blew out the Eagles (with Owens) 30-10, as the Eagles did not even try to establish the run.

The Eagles proved on Monday night that the best defense is an offense that can hold the ball for long stretches by running the ball, something the offense has not been able to consistently do this season with Owens.

While Owens laughs at the Eagles' failures on the field, the Eagles are developing into a multi-dimensional team. With an injured McNabb, this team may not even make the playoffs, but if they continue to develop the balance they showed on Monday night, they won't even need Owens.

For more Stephen McFadden, visit his blog at nflhq.blogspot.com.