A Cowboys assistant coach became ill on the team's flight home, forcing the chartered jet to make an unscheduled landing in Nashville, Tenn., early Monday. Strength and conditioning coach Tony Ollison was taken to Southern Hills Medical Center and was in stable condition, the team said.

Jerry Jones is optimistic that Tony Romo, a former Division I-AA player of the year, can hold the job as starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. "I think he's a top athlete," Jones said. "I like his approach to competing. He's got a natural leadership quality about him." If he falters over the remainder of the season, Jones might target a quarterback in the upcoming draft.

Giants receiver Plaxico Burress said he was slipping all over the Texas Stadium turf Monday night, but to Terrell Owens when he slipped in the fourth quarter and went feet-first on a pass thrown his way was something different. "No, he was being a coward," Burress said. "He was sliding into home plate like it was the World Series because he didn't want to take a shot."

An inside source told The Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Tony Romo wil get another chance at running the Dallas offense Sunday night against the Panthers. Dallas owner Jerry Jones said he favored keeping Bledsoe as the starting quarterback, but it seems as though Coach Parcells doesn't agree.

Houston Texans defensive tackle Seth Payne injured his knee in Sunday's 34-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and is likely out for the season. Coach Gary Kubiak said Payne tore a ligament in his right knee. "It looks like we lost Seth for the season," Kubiak said. Payne got hurt early in the fourth quarter. He was one of three Texans starters who left the game with injury. Safety Glenn Earl left with a strained neck. He got hurt a few plays after Payne on the same drive. Offensive tackle Zach Wiegert sprained his left knee. His replacement, Eric Winston, dislocated his finger but played through the injury.

Terrell Owens said on his radio show Friday that his relationship with Dallas Cowboys receivers coach Todd Haley was ruined by a blowup this week. It began when Owens missed the start of Wednesday's practice because of an upset stomach, and Haley berated him for being late. Owens held his tongue then, but they later argued during a meeting. The story getting out seems to bother Owens the most because Haley vowed since training camp that all internal matters would stay behind closed doors. Owens spoke with reporters for 45 minutes Wednesday without ever mentioning any problems with Haley. But the incident was reported by several media outlets Friday before Owens gave his side of the story later on his weekly show. From now on, T.O. said, "there will be nothing else, no other dialogue" between him and Haley. "There will be no more friendly nothing because I don't trust anybody like that," Owens said. "I will go out and practice hard. I will respect him as a coach, and he should respect me as a player. Anything outside of that I am not going to be able to deal with. "Right now, we are merely co-workers, and that's it," he added.

On Wednesday, Terrell Owens was late to practice and then got into a shouting match with passing game coordinator Todd Haley, several sources said. According to a source, Owens sent Haley a text message about the Cowboys not getting him the ball enough, which was a continuation of the his sideline rant Sunday when he caught three passes for 45 yards in a 38-24 loss at Philadelphia. On Sunday, Owens repeatedly asked Haley: ?Why did y?all bring me here??

Bill Parcells says starting Drew Bledsoe gives the team its best chance to win. Bledsoe's critics ? including NFL Network analyst and former Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders ? point to the seven interceptions he has thrown and his 63.6 passer rating. "The thing I'm concerned about is that coach Parcells holds everyone accountable except his quarterback," said Sanders, a friend of Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens. "Bledsoe turns in a performance like that, you've got to check him as soon as he gets to the sideline."

With Terrell Owens watching from the sideline, Donovan McNabb turned ordinary receivers into big-time playmakers. As for T.O., the most overhyped homecoming in recent memory was totally ordinary: three catches, 45 yards, 0 drama. McNabb threw touchdown passes of 40 yards to Reggie Brown and 87 yards to Hank Baskett, and Lito Sheppard returned an interception 102 yards in the final minute to seal the Eagles' 38-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Some fans will taunt him with prescription bottles. Others will wave derogatory signs. Many will chant: "O.D! O.D! O.D!" Most will scream expletives and boo. Terrell Owens is ready. "I'm probably the most hated guy coming into Philly this weekend, so I expect the worst," Owens said. "That's how passionate they are. When I was there, they were loving me. Now that I'm on the opposite side, they're going to be hating me. I expect that going in." Owens is returning to Philadelphia on Sunday to play against the Eagles for the first time since he got kicked off the team last November, was released in March and signed with the Cowboys.