The Terrell Owens era in Seattle got off to a dubious start this weekend as the veteran wide receiver struggled in his first NFL action in nearly two years.
Owens, who is trying to prove that he is fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined him for all of the 2011 season, failed to catch any of the five passes thrown his way in a 30-10 win at Denver on Saturday evening. His most egregious mistake was a drop of a perfectly thrown 46-yard ball by quarterback Matt Flynn just at the goal line that would have resulted in a touchdown. Two previous attempts to get him the ball fell short due to poor throws from Flynn, while two others were broken up by the Broncos defense.
Now playing his 16th NFL season, Owens, 38, had raced by Broncos cornerback Chris Harris on a deep post and appeared poised for the easy score, only to see the ball slip out of his fingers.
The contest marked his first game action since playing with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 of the 2010 season.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said following the game that he remained confident in Owens’ ability to stretch defenses and help his team win.
Owens ranks as among the most productive receivers in league history with his 1,078 receptions for 15,934 yards and 153 touchdowns, but has repeatedly worn out his welcome in previous stops in San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo and Cincinnati with his boorish antics.
So far, so good in the Pacific Northwest as Owens and continues to say and do the right things while off the field.
All that’s left now is his performance on the field.
Seattle resumes preseason play this Friday evening when it travels to Kansas City. The Seahawks will open the regular season at Arizona on Sept. 9.
