Eagles Lose: Paul Domowitch | Relying too much on T.O.?

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by Paul Domowitch

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/12630596.htm

ATLANTA - Considering the tenuous state of the relationship between Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and wide receiver Terrell Owens, the last thing you would've expected last night was for McNabb to pay too much attention to Owens.

Too little, maybe, but too much?

On a night when spreading the ball around would've been a good idea, McNabb only had eyes for T.O.

With the Falcons electing to cover Owens all night with just one man - talented second-year cornerback DeAngelo Hall - McNabb kept going and going and going to the man who called him a hypocrite just a few weeks ago.

Owens did manage to catch seven passes for 112 yards in the 14-10 loss. But just two of them came in the second half when the Eagles managed a meager three points. With the exception of running back Brian Westbrook, who also caught seven passes, McNabb too often ignored the rest of his receiving corps and focused in on Owens.

In the first three quarters, McNabb completed just seven passes to receivers not named Owens or Westbrook - three (for just 44 yards) to wide receiver Greg Lewis, three (for 29 yards) to tight end L.J. Smith, one (for 1 yard) to fullback Josh Parry.

The pregame assumption was that Falcons coach Jim Mora and his defensive coordinator, Ed Donatell, likely would roll their coverage toward Owens, always giving whoever was on him help from one of the safeties, most likely Keion Carpenter.

Instead, they assigned Hall, the club's talented 2004 first-round draft pick to Owens and took their chances.

"DeAngelo competed well against one of the premier receivers in the NFL," Mora said. "T.O. had seven catches. You're not going to shut a guy like that down. But Hall was up for the challenge. He kept him out of the endzone. He stopped him when we had to stop him."

Hall made two excellent plays on Owens, one late in the third quarter and another early in the fourth. Both times, he cut off the much bigger Owens on slant routes.

The first was particularly damaging. On a second-down play from the Philadelphia 28, Owens was the only wideout in the formation. McNabb took a three-step drop and intended to quickly throw the ball to Owens. But when Hall cut him off, McNabb had nowhere else to go with the ball. He pumped and hesitated and then got hit by Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney, who knocked the ball out of McNabb's hands.

It was one of three turnovers by McNabb, who also had a pass for Owens intercepted by Hall and threw an awful pass for Westbrook that turned out to be a lateral, which was recovered by the Falcons.

"We try to preach being physical," said Hall, who gave up five inches and nearly 30 pounds to Owens. "That's our thing.

McNabb, who had a 114.1 passer rating in the preseason, was off all night. He completed just 24 of 45 passes and averaged just 5.7 yards per attempt.

GUTSIEST COACHING DECISION

The Falcons' Jim Mora going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Philadelphia 20 with a seven-point lead late in the third quarter.

SMARTEST COACHING DECISION

Andy Reid challenging the spot of the ball late in the fourth quarter after Falcons quarterback Mike Vick appeared to have picked up a first down. Replays showed his knee hit the ground a yard short of a first down. The Falcons had to punt.

BEST COMEBACK

After leaving the game early in the third quarter with cramps, free safety Brian Dawkins returned early in the fourth just in time to knock away a near-touchdown pass to Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler and then, on the very next play, force a Vick fumble on a blitz.

WASTED OPPORTUNITY

The Eagles had the ball on the Atlanta 38 following Vick's second-quarter fumble. Instead of taking advantage of the turnover, they lost 5 yards on the next three plays and had to punt.

DUMB

Michael Lewis' late hit on Vick after a 9-yard run in the second quarter. Falcons ended up with a first down at the Eagle 41.

DUMBER

Middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter getting into a pregame altercation with Falcons defensive back Kevin Mathis and getting thrown out of the game.

BY THE NUMBERS

-- The last time David Akers missed two field goals in a game before last night was Oct. 3 of last year when he was 4-for-6 in a win over the Chicago Bears. It's only the fourth time in his career that he's missed two field goals in a game.

-- In his last two games, Donovan McNabb has been responsible for six turnovers.

-- Last night was only the third time in the last 10 games that the Eagles have allowed 100 or more rushing yards. The Falcons gained 200 yards on 40 carries.

DID YOU NOTICE?

-- The Eagles deactivated five of their 10 rookies last night, including linebacker Matt McCoy. Both of their backup rookie tackles, Todd Herremans and Calvin Armstrong, were inactive. If either of their starting tackles, Tra Thomas or Jon Runyan, had gotten hurt, the Eagles would have moved left guard Artis Hicks outside.

-- Falcons defensive tackle Chad Lavalais' shot to Donovan McNabb's sternum in the first quarter. Lavalais probably should have been penalized on the play. He left his feet to make the hit, which is illegal, and led with his helmet, which also is illegal.

-- Jim Johnson didn't move Jevon Kearse over to the right side as he did in the NFC Championship Game.

-- On a first-down play early in the second quarter in which the Eagles had two tight ends and a fullback in the game, the Falcons stopped Brian Westbrook for a 2-yard loss.

-- The Eagles' first-half difficulties keeping Mike Vick from getting outside. Got around the right end on his 6-yard touchdown run. Got outside right end Trent Cole on a 9-yard run in the second quarter.

-- Kearse's poor decision to try to pick up Vick's second-quarter fumble and run with it. He got hit and fumbled himself. Linemate Darwin Walker, who forced the fumble, recovered.

-- The Falcons went no-huddle after Vick's 24-yard completion to tight end Alge Crumpler in the second quarter. Warrick Dunn gained 5 yards on the play.

-- The two excellent back-to-back tackles by defensive backs Sheldon Brown and Michael Lewis on the Falcons' first possession of the second half. With the ball near midfield, Brown made a nice one-on-one stop on running back Justin Griffith with a blitz on. On the next play, Lewis held wide receiver Michael Jenkins to a 3-yard gain on a slant route that forced the Falcons to punt.

-- The excellent job Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney did of chipping Brian Westbrook and delaying his ability to get outside on McNabb's attempted swing pass/lateral that the Falcons recovered.

-- The Eagles' newest running back, Lamar Gordon, got his first and only carry early in the fourth quarter. Gained 4 yards on the play.