pass.
There does, though, seem to be a glimmer of light in Sunday's tunnel. First, Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips seemed rather confident Terry Glenn would be ready for a healthy dose of plays. Maybe not like all of them, but I sure got the feeling he meant half to three-quarters. That certainly would scare away constant man coverage on the outside.
"The limit," Phillips said, referring to Glenn's "limited" status in the season finale "is going to go up a little bit."
Phillips, though, wasn't quite as forthcoming about Owens, who actually did go through a portion of Monday's walk-through workout after spending the early part rehabbing with assistant trainer Britt Brown. Depending on who you talk to, the first player in club history to catch 15 touchdowns passes in a single season either is ready to go or still is limping somewhat and no better than questionable at best for the game.
But that's certainly a better prognosis than after the Carolina game when initial projections had him possibly out for three weeks - although, I guess Sunday would be three weeks since he suffered the injury. Owens appeared to be walking just fine Monday when he entered the weight room, and several players said he appeared to be running some routes pretty well during his limited portion of practice.
Phillips, though, insists Owens will be a game-time decision, and that the earliest he might fully practice would be like Thursday. Plus, there is more to think about, too.
"There is a dilemma there certainly in that what percentage he's going to be healthy," Phillips cautioned. "I think he would play no matter what, he would play. It comes to the decision as to you're not guaranteed of winning this game but if you are to win and to not have him healthy for the next game.
"You have to think about those things. It looks like to me it's going to be a game-time decision."
In other words, Phillips doesn't want to cause further injury to Owens by playing him in this game and then losing him for the remainder of the playoffs. But he knows if he doesn't win this game there will be no more playoff games. What to do, what to do?
Anyone got any connections with divine intervention?
Or maybe Phillips, the sly Texan he is, is playing, as they say in the movie Ray, "country dumb." Nothing says he has to tell us (i.e. the Giants) everything he knows. I'm sure he learned that from his daddy.
But if Owens is ready to play, and at least 90 percent effective, what a one-eighty that would be for the Cowboys' offense, going from no Owens and very little of Glenn that second half against Carolina to Owens and a whole lot of Glenn three weeks later.
"That's going to be big if we have both of those guys back for the first time this year," Davis said. "That will be added confidence to us all."
Imagine that, adding confidence in Week 19.
Instead of concocting flimsy reasons to lose some.
