Receivers Moss, Owens take different routes to greatness
It's fitting that today's matchup between the Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys takes place at Texas Stadium, where a giant star adorns midfield. It represents the Cowboys logo, but it could stand as the symbol of the wide receiver subplot in the matchup of 5-0 teams, as two of the game's most dynamic and dissected pass-catchers, the Patriots' Randy Moss and the Cowboys' Terrell Owens, share the same stage.
It's like Al Pacino vs. Robert De Niro, Mick Jagger vs. Paul McCartney, Britney Spears vs. Lindsay Lohan. Like all of those pairings, Moss and Owens are similar but not exactly the same. They have their own styles, their own strengths, their own weaknesses, and as much as people want to lump the 81s together, they present different challenges to a defense.
"Everyone has a different style," said Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees. "I think once you see a little, quick receiver, you think they're all kind of the same, like a Wes Welker is like a [Wayne] Chrebet or something like that. Not necessarily. They all have different styles, different moves, and it's hard to say one thing makes them different. There's a lot of things that make them different. The way they use their body, the way they reach for the ball - they're all different. They're just all different."
Former Pro Bowl defensive back and current NFL Network analyst Rod Woodson, who played against both receivers and was a teammate of T.O.'s in San Francisco, agreed.
He said Moss, who leads the NFL in receiving yards (551) and is tied for the lead in touchdown receptions (seven) is more of a vertical threat, while Owens, who led the league in TD receptions last season with 13 and has three this season, is at his most dangerous on shorter, quicker routes, where he can break tackles and take it the distance.
"They are two different styles," said Woodson. "You have to go back and look at history. Look at Moss and think about if they made a highlight reel of Moss, you would see deep ball, deep ball, deep ball, jump ball, deep ball, jump ball. That's scary. That's what he brings to the table, is that explosion play. It's very rare - and I can't remember it - for him to take a quick hitch or a quick-strike route because there is off coverage and take it the distance.
"T.O. came from the West Coast system, where they didn't have a lot of deep routes. It was a lot of five-step drop, three-step drop and get the ball out of the quarterback's hands. He was running slants, bang-eights - which is a quick post - dig routes, curl routes, flat routes. He's a more well-rounded receiver in that he does more of those things. Even now you see him run digs and curls and post-corners. You see him take a quick-strike route and take it the distance. He did it last year against Champ Bailey, one of the best, if not the best cornerback, in the NFL."
Woodson said Moss has better hands and catching technique than Owens. He said Moss has always been able to pluck balls out of the air, like the jaw-dropping one-handed grab he made against the Buffalo Bills this season for a 45-yard touchdown. Owens has a tendency to catch with his body, which can lead to drops.
Owens is tied for third in the league in drops this season with four and leads the league in a category called "passes not caught" with 26. He has recorded receptions on just 21 of the 47 passes intended for him this season, while Moss has recorded receptions on 34 of the 42 tosses intended for him. However, Owens does hold the NFL record for receptions in a game with 20, against the Chicago Bears in 2000.
What Owens lacks in sure-handedness he makes up for in showmanship - the sprint to the Dallas star, the Sharpie celebration, and this past week's manifesto to the media in which he referred to Moss as "the other 81."
Neither receiver needs an invitation to the end zone. They're TD VIPs. T.O.'s 117 touchdowns are fourth all-time, nine better than the fifth-place Moss, who has played two fewer seasons and 20 fewer games.
So, whom would a defensive coordinator rather defend?
"That's a loaded question," said Pees. "Hey, they're both very difficult. They're both great receivers."
Woodson said that, if forced to choose, he'd rather cover T.O. than Moss.
"I really think Randy is harder because I think he has that other gear that even if he's running for a deep ball and you know he's covered and the ball is thrown, he has that gear to go get it," said Woodson. "When I see T.O. run, at times it seems like he's giving it all he has. Randy looks like he's holding back and when has to use his final gear he'll use it."
As Owens said in his note, "Getcha Popcorn Ready."
