T.O.'s scores are recipe for success

Philadelphia is merely average when Terrell Owens is held out of the end zone.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Every time Terrell Owens has caught a touchdown pass, the Philadelphia Eagles have won.
It's when Owens is kept out of the end zone and prevented from performing one of his innovative celebrations that the Eagles have trouble.
The Eagles are 17-4 in games Owens has played, including a 24-21 loss to New England in the Super Bowl. They are 13-0 when Owens scores a TD, 4-4 when he doesn't.
It took an improbable 65-yard return by Matt Ware after a blocked field goal by Quintin Mikell to defeat San Diego on Sunday and keep that streak intact. Owens had a 4-yard TD catch against the Chargers, the only time Philly's struggling offense has found the end zone in the last two games.
Owens, an All-Pro in his first season with the Eagles after eight years in San Francisco, has 130 receptions for 1,931 yards and 19 TDs in 21 games. In the 17 wins, he has 102 catches for 1,594 yards and all 19 TDs. In the four losses, he has 28 receptions for 337 yards.
Numbers dwindling
Though Owens is putting up big numbers again this season -- he's tied for the NFL lead with 44 receptions and has 609 yards receiving and five TDs -- defenses have been containing him more frequently than last year.
Owens caught seven passes for 53 yards against San Diego. It was the first time he didn't have a catch longer than 12 yards since he joined the Eagles.
In Philadelphia's 33-10 loss at Dallas before the bye, Owens had five catches for 50 yards, even though the Eagles threw the ball most of the game after falling behind 17-0.
Owens was outstanding in a comeback victory over Kansas City on Oct. 2, catching 11 passes for 171 yards and one TD. He made nine catches for 80 yards and one TD against Oakland a week earlier.
In Week 2, Owens tore up his former team, making all five catches for 143 yards and two TDs in the first 19 minutes in a rout over San Francisco. He had seven catches for 112 yards in a season-opening loss against Atlanta.
Owens invigorated the Eagles' passing attack upon his arrival from San Francisco. He helped quarterback Donovan McNabb have his best season and the Eagles won nine games by double-digit margins with Owens in the lineup.
However, Owens' production started slipping before he went down with a severe ankle injury and broken leg in Philadelphia's 14th game against Dallas.
Owens made an incredible recovery, returned to play against the Patriots just 61/2 weeks after ankle surgery and had nine catches for 122 yards, but didn't score in the Super Bowl.
One and often done
Since catching three TDs in a victory at Dallas last Nov. 15, Owens has just one multiple-TD game in the last 12.
Opposing defensive coordinators obviously focus their game plans on neutralizing Owens, but also must be wary of running back Brian Westbrook. The Eagles have abandoned their run game this season, allowing defenses to put more emphasis on stopping the pass. Conversely, Owens could be expected to have even better numbers because the Eagles are throwing nearly 80 percent of the time.
"If you just take Westbook out of the offense, you have to worry about T.O.," McNabb said. "I would think you would try to take a receiver out of the offense before you take a running back out."
Owens dominated the headlines in the offseason after his demand for a new contract became a contentious issue with the team. He also had a protracted feud with McNabb.
But he put aside the contract situation, mended his relationship with McNabb and is on pace to make 117 catches for 1,624 yards and 13 TDs, even if he sometimes disappears from the offense.
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