By Berry Tramel

The Oklahoman

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman made perhaps a game-saving interception, scrambled to his feet and sprinted to Texas Stadium's midfield star.

There, Newman went into the Terrell Owens pose. You know the look. Hands outstretched, face straight up, back arched.

Newman later called it a tribute to Owens, who on a forgettable September day in 2000 struck the same pose in the same spot, while a San Francisco infidel.

Here's the good news about Owens these days.

Owens no longer acts like the gooberhead of seven years ago.

But he still plays like the Owens of old.

The Cowboys beat Washington, 28-23, Sunday and scored four touchdowns. All by Owens, on catches of four, 31, 46 and 52 yards, tying Bob Hayes' 1970 franchise record of four TD receptions. Owens finished with eight catches for 173 yards and continues to defy the NFL aging gods, not to mention his own sordid past.

"Astounding," coach Wade Phillips called Owens' day.

Said quarterback Tony Romo, "He's a great, great player."

Owens is playing like he did in his San Francisco salad days. From 2000-02, as a 26- through 29-year-old flanker, Owens averaged 97 catches, 1,387 yards and 14 touchdowns a year.

Now, less than three weeks from his 33rd birthday and a charter member of the malcontent hall of fame, Owens is playing like he's young again, without the buffoonery. Owens has 58 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 TDs. That puts him on pace for 93 catches, 1,645 yards and 19 touchdowns.

"He's competing at a level that we haven't seen him compete at since he's been here," said Dallas owner Jerry Jones.

The reasons are obvious. Bill Parcells is gone, taking the gas mask off everyone at Valley Ranch, no one moreso than Owens. Romo is a gun-slinging quarterback who says "why not?" at the thought of throwing deep to Owens. And Owens has something to prove.

Many of us predicted that Owens would repeat his track record of poisoning a locker room in Year No. 2 at a locale. We were wrong.

"I get sick and tired of hearing people say I'm not a team player," Owens said Sunday without defiance, almost with an air of resignation. "I get tired of the critics, so I am playing with a chip on my shoulder. Let 'em know I haven't gone anywhere."

Nowhere except the end zone.

Washington's defensive plan Sunday, simply put, was either drop most defenders deep or blitz most everyone. Sunday, the 'Skins routinely assigned cornerback Shawn Springs to cover Owens, no matter where he lined up.

Bad move. Owens twice beat Springs for touchdowns.

"He and Romo hooked up for some big plays down the middle in our zone coverage," Springs said. "In my four years in Washington under (defensive coordinator) Gregg Williams, that never happened to us. When T.O. was at Philly, that never happened to us."

Said Romo, "Teams have gone away from doubling the heck out of him. They're saying 'This team has too many weapons."'

Owens called it one of his greatest games and called this season his most enjoyable ever.

"We're in attack mode," Owens said.

Owens seems to be having fun the old-fashioned way. Early in the fourth quarter, when he hauled in the 46-yard TD pass from Romo, Owens sprinted to the end zone and in stride dunked the ball over the goal post. That's a far better way to celebrate than posing on the star.

After the game, Owens clutched a game ball and just before he trotted up the players' tunnel, Owens stopped and fired a gorgeous spiral high into the Texas Stadium seats, where a lucky fan caught a most cool souvenir.

Owens had the ball because he had been playing defense. Assigned to guard the goal line on Washington's final play from scrimmage, Owens knocked down Jason Campbell's desperation pass, and then picked up the bouncing ball.

A year ago, during the miserable Parcells-Owens marriage, Owens led the NFL in dropped passes.

So, does his knockdown of Campbell's pass go as a drop?

"My assignment was to knock the ball down," Owens said. "That's what I did. If that's a drop, that's a drop."

He said it with a smile.