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Owens can damage Atlanta's playoff hopes

Dec 16, 2006 - 11:31 AM Dallas (8-5) at Atlanta (7-6) Saturday 8:00 pm EST

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Terrell Owens may have been a perfect fit for the Atlanta Falcons. But coach Jim Mora Jr. did not want to deal with the drama that comes with the controversial wide receiver.

Owens comes to town with the first-place Dallas Cowboys in a pivotal Saturday night contest.

The Cowboys have a one-game lead over the New York Giants and Philadelphia in the NFC East. The Falcons are tied with the Giants and Philadelphia in the battle for two wild-card spots.

Owens, who resides in suburban Atlanta in the offseason, expressed interest in signing with the Falcons after being released by Philadelphia last March.

Atlanta's biggest need is for a reliable playmaker at wide receiver for quarterback Michael Vick, who remains heavily dependent on tight end Alge Crumpler. But Mora and Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp were assistants under Steve Mariucci in San Francisco when Owens criticized the coaches there.

So Mora and Knapp wanted no part of Owens again, especially after he was banished by the Eagles for conduct detrimental to the team. Instead, the Falcons acquired wide receiver Ashley Lelie to complement starters Roddy White and Michael Jenkins. Lelie has just 23 catches for 373 yards.

Owens leads the Cowboys with 72 catches for 971 yards and nine touchdowns.

Dallas is 5-2 since Tony Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe as the starting quarterback, but Romo was no match for Drew Brees last week in a 42-17 loss to New Orleans. Brees scorched the Cowboys' secondary for 384 yards and five touchdowns.

Romo was 16-of-33 for 249 yards and one touchdown - a 34-yarder to Owens - but was also intercepted twice. He ranks second in the NFC with a quarterback rating of 96.6.

Vick is 14th in the NFC in quarterback rating (73.6), but remains the biggest running threat at the position, rushing for 934 yards. No quarterback in NFL history has ever rushed for 1,000 yards.

Because of Vick, Atlanta leads the league in rushing for the third straight season. But the Falcons may not have running backs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood for Saturday's contest. Dunn suffered a left calf injury and Norwood injured his right knee in last week's 17-6 win at Tampa Bay. Both are listed as questionable.