CHICAGO -- On the monitor above my seat in the Soldier Field press box on Sunday I could see Terrell Owens was at it again. He said Carolina cornerback Ricky Manning wasn't going to want to mess with him in Philly on Sunday, and there they were, running step for step downfield on the Fox replay. Owens had half a step on the Panthers speedster running down the right sideline, and the Donovan McNabb pass floated earthward, right into the hands of Owens. Gain of 53.

First half: four catches, 123 yards. McNabb lost his number in the second half, and Owens went catch-less, but it mattered little. The final: Eagles, 30-8.

We're only five games in, but the Eagles have won every one by double-digits. And the big reason is the reborn McNabb throwing to The Solution, Owens. He's meeting all the challenges so far, including the media ones. I've got to hand it to him. He knows when some sucker punches are coming, but he hangs in there, takes them and gives some back.

Last week, HBO dispatched me to Philadelphia to interview Owens for Inside the NFL. We were supposed to have 20 minutes. We had 55. We sat on stools so close that my left leg was touching his right leg the entire time. I haven't been a big Owens guy, as you know if you've read this column. It's basically this: I'm not a big fan of guys, no matter how enormous their talent, who ream out a coach on the sidelines, call out a head coach publicly, criticize a quarterback in the press and then don't take responsibility for their actions. HBO aired his sound bite when I asked him about whether he takes responsibility for any of his past blowups. "Not at all," he said. "I can justify in each situation why I said what I said, why I did what I did."

To each his own.

I assume this is the last one-on-one I'll get with Owens. When I mentioned how he must really love Inside the NFL, because of prior clashes with Cris Collinsworth and Cris Carter, he said, "I tune into it every now and then, but I don't really care for it. The only two guys I like on there are Dan Marino and Bob Costas. So when you come next year, I probably won't do the interview."

I'm never sure whether you readers get tired of the Owenses of the league or want to hear more, but I figured I'd lead the column today with snippets from our talk that didn't make air.

Q: How did you know you would succeed here?

Owens: I knew playing with Donovan and in this offense ... You know, George Stewart used to tell me ...

Q: Your old receivers coach with the 49ers ...

Owens: Yeah. Two or three years back, he normally tells me, like if I play a good game and have a hundred yards or whatever, sometimes he'll tell me that I left some yards on the table. And that's because I'm not getting up-field, or I'm trying to do too much with the ball once I get it. But I knew there were opportunities where I had guys beat, and Jeff [Garcia] didn't see me. He threw the ball behind me, out of bounds. I left a lot -- a lot -- of touchdowns on the field throughout the last two or three years. I knew if I could play with a guy like this, I could take my talents through the roof.

Q: Was there a moment the last couple of years at a Pro Bowl where you looked McNabb in the eye and said, 'I've just go to play with you?'

Owens: It's funny. I was at a party over there [in Honolulu] and saw [ex-49er mate] Jeff Ulbrich and I was joking with him. I was hugging on Donovan like: 'You're going to see us two. We're going to be playing against you. I was very confident of the possibility of that happening. A lot of other people didn't think so. I remember all the commentary like John Clayton, Sean Salisbury, all those guys, just saying I was an idiot, and I might as well just shut up because I'm a Baltimore Raven. And I'm going to be a Baltimore Raven. But I never wavered from my thought process of where I was really going to go.

Q: As you've watched the first month of the NFL season, McNabb has been one of the top three quarterbacks in football, and Kyle Boller has been awful in Baltimore. You've got to be happy with the fight you put up to get here.

Owens: Yeah, in a way. But it's silently done. I don't have to say much. I knew I was going to have success here. Even when I was in San Fran, I was really trying to get out of there. I mean not only from the standpoint of me justifying the fact that I'm not with Baltimore, but if you look at what Garcia's doing [in Cleveland] ... I mean, I know my ability. That's what I've been trying to get people to understand all along.

Q: A year ago, I came out and said I thought you were everything that was wrong with pro football. This year, you come in and you're doing the community service, and all the stuff PR wants you to do. Is this a honeymoon, or is it your feeling you were misunderstood before?

Owens: All I can tell everybody is, I'm the same guy, just on a different team.

Q: You say in your book, Catch This, that you're not thrilled with the NFL routine. You write, 'Just think how much happier and fresher we'd be if we didn't spend all that time indoors.' You think your time would be better spent doing other things during the week?

Owens: I think so. Sometimes, what we do can be redundant. We should be professionals to handle it. You should know how to do your job.

Q: Do you sometimes find yourself napping here?

Owens: Yeah, I do. (Laughing.) Quite a bit. I mean, I've had my share. My thing is, 'Why keep going over the same thing, over and over?'

Q: You broke your collarbone last season in two places, and not many people knew about it. What happened?

Owens: I broke it in two places. I broke it when we played here [in Philadelphia]. I knew when I hit the ground it was broken. I heard it break.

Q: Intense pain?

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Owens: Nah. ... We got back to San Fran, and the next day we had a consultation with the team doctor, and they explained to me it'll heal, just let it heal on its own. You'll be in a sling for a while and I just really wasn't comfortable with it.

Q: So you got a second opinion ... and then surgery. They put a plate in, and a couple of screws to stabilize that. Is that still in?

Owens: Still in ... I was told it would be no more than eight weeks and I'd be completely healed.

Q: Why did nobody ever find out about this surgery? You're an NFL star.

Owens: They can hide whatever they want to hide. I mean, it's tricky ... The 49ers just wanted me -- I guess they wanted me not to heal up and be damaged goods going to somebody else's ballclub.

Q: I don't want to put words in your mouth, but you think a lot of us in the media have made you out to be a monster, don't you?

Owens: In a way. I wrote the book not to prove people wrong but just to get the insight on who I am as a person. I took a different path. Growing up as a little kid, I wasn't always this size. I got picked on a lot. We never went on family vacations. We weren't fortunate enough to have the money or the transportation. I've only been on one vacation ever. I just went to Acapulco before training camp.

Q: You're not a big football fan, are you?

Owens: I'll watch the highlights every now and then but, as far as watching the game, I feel like I am the game. When I go out there and play I just play. I feel like I'm a basketball player in a football uniform.

Q: Have you ever told your friend Mike Vick to be careful out there, so his career lasts?

Owens: Nah. He's like Steve Young was. Later in his career, he'll probably take more caution, but right now he has the speed to outrun guys.

Q: What is it that America doesn't know about you?

Owens: Probably that I'm down to earth. A lot of people think I'm stuck up. Pretty much that I'm arrogant. I only do that when I'm on the field. Off the field I'm down to earth. I'm a very caring person. I'm a very giving person. That's what people don't understand. But they don't go home with me every day. As you get to know me, you kind of figure me out, that I'm not as probably as bad of a guy that I've been reported to be. I'm not that jerk.

FINE FIFTEEN

1. New England (5-0). I'm sure Jimmy Johnson made lots of friends in south Florida, including one D. Shula, in his Fox pregame show piece when he rated the 2004 Patriots the eighth-best team of all time and the '72 Dolphins number 10.

2. Philadelphia (5-0). Way to use your roster, Andy Reid. Really nice bulllish touchdown run by Dorsey Levens against Carolina.

3. Indianapolis (5-1). On his bye Sunday, I am guessing Peyton Manning watched the NFL from noon till 11 p.m.

4. Denver (5-1). Mike Shanahan is 15-4 against Al Davis.

5. New York Jets (5-0). Donnie Henderson is doing a heck of a job coordinating that defense.

6. Seattle (3-2). They flew cross-country and lost to the best team of this decade when the quarterback threw away two important balls. I'm not going to kill them for that.

7. Atlanta (5-1). They don't ask, "Did you have to really, really struggle against the Chargers at home to win?" They ask, "Did you win?"

8. Pittsburgh (5-1). Ben Roethlisberger's 4-0. More impressive: He's completing two-thirds of his throws -- and one of those games was in the muck of the hurricane aftermath in Miami.

9. Minnesota (4-1). Culpepper to Moss, on the turf, in a dome, against the Saints secondary. Then Moss got hurt and it was Culpepper throwing to the supporting actors and what did it matter. It was still almost an unfair fight if you ask me.

10. New York Giants (4-1). Speaking of New Jersey defensive coordinators (see 5), Tim Lewis earned his bye Sunday. He's been great.

11. St. Louis (3-2). Bet you're surprised to learn Marshall Faulk's on pace for a 1,165-yard rushing season.

12. Jacksonville (4-2). Don't ask me how.

13. Baltimore (3-2). Maybe the Ravens could hire another coach for Kyle Boller.

14. San Diego (3-3). They move into the Fine Fifteen after a loss.

15. Houston (3-3). Bud Adams can't like this.

THE AWARDS SECTION

Offensive Player of the Week

After slumping for several games, Clinton Portis broke out for 171 rushing yards against the Bears. AP

Washington RB Clinton Portis. I know. Culpepper threw for 425 last night, but you and I both know we could probably give Culpepper this nod every week. Portis was absolutely The Man at Soldier Field. In a game the Redskins had to have, or Joe Gibbs was going to walk back to Virginia, Portis took the whole thing on his shoulders, running a career-high 36 times for 171 yards.

Defensive Player of the Week

Chicago CB Jerry Azumah. Idle since early August after a training camp collision in which he sufffered a herniated disc and had to have neck surgery, Azumah pretty much was the toothless Bears' offense against Washington. Midway through the second quarter, with the Redskins up 10-0 and driving for more, Chicago DE Alex Brown tipped a Mark Brunell pass and Azumah picked it out of the air and sprinted 70 yards up the right sideline to make it a game. Not to win, mind you. But to make it a game.

Special Teams Player of the Week

San Diego K Nate Kaeding. There are signature plays in a young player's career, and maybe this was one: Chargers, struggling to score against the four-win Falcons in the Georgia Dome, hold a 14-7 lead, stall at the Atlanta 35, just on the verge of field-goal range for Kaeding (playing his sixth NFL game), decide to give the kid a chance, line up for the 53-yard attempt and Kaeding drills it. The Bolts lost, but now they know they've got a clutch kicker they can trust.

Coach of the Week

Houston coach Dom Capers. Texans have won three of four since starting 0-2, including yesterday's big win in Nashville. What a day for the Texans' defense -- four picks off Steve McNair, and Houston held him under 50 percent passing. Capers runs such a steady ship, his team never gets rattled.

Goat of the Week

Minnesota WR Kelly Campbell. I didn't even have to wait for the games Sunday to award this one. Campbell has gotten two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties for excessive celebrations this year, and he says he's not going to change his ways, prompting coach Mike Tice to say he hoped the league "fines the snot out of" Campbell. Who, by the way, is absurdly unrepentant. "Y'all know what I'm gonna do," he said of his actions after a touchdown. "I'm going to crank that thing on up out there. You can't control it. It's a Campbell virus."

STAT OF THE WEEK

Cleveland's offense scored its first first-half touchdown of the year yesterday.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Really, this is an off-off Broadway play. It's called "Self-Immolation in One Act."

There was an Allen Pinkett Shooting Himself in the Verbal Foot deal from last Monday night's Green Bay-Tennessee game. Pinkett, a sideline reporter (I doubt for very much longer) for Westwood One, was on the field and wanted to inject a comment about an instant-replay decision in the first quarter of the game. So Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason, upstairs, threw to him for this memorable car wreck of a sideline report.

Albert: Let's check in with Allen Pinkett. Allen?

Pinkett: Boom, going back to that instant replay, I think sometimes when they view it and break it down, it's similar to the way they broke down the Rodney King beating. You know, when you look at it in parts it doesn't look like they beat him up so bad. But when you see it real fast, he got his butt beat. So, uh, the totality, I guess, of the event, is what, uh, is what they look at.

Albert: Boomer, you want to analyze that?

Esiason: Nope. (Faintly, like he's moving away from the mike. And then laughing.) Nope. I can't say anything to that one.

Albert: Wait a moment here! A minute two to go in this first quarter. And it looks like Tennessee has called a timeout ... I think that we're going to get some emails from Howard [Deneroff, the Westwood One producer] and the rest of the staff on that one.

Esiason: (Laughing)

Albert: You OK, Boomer? A reminder that for every touchdown scored ...

Esiason: (Loud snort)

Albert: ... inside the red zone tonight and all season long on Monday night football Milwaukee Electric Tool will make a donation to Habitat for Humanity. Heavy duty helping for families in need. Second and 10 from the 20 when we resume with Tennessee in front of Green Bay by the score of 17 to 3. Boomer, you gonna be okay? You all right?

Esiason: (Feeble from laughing.) Yeah, I'll be all right.

Albert: Was that a Saturday Night Live satirical sideline moment?

Esiason: (Dreamily) Ohhhhhh.

Postscript: Pinkett was a fill-in for John Dockery last week. I hear Dockery will be back tonight for Rams-Bucs.

ENJOYABLE/AGGRAVATING TRAVEL NOTE OF THE WEEK

On the Acela again last week -- yes, I snuck up to Fenway for Game 3 -- I heard once again why cell phones and their never-ending reach have gone beyond the annoyance stage. Oh, I like my cell. We all do. But is a public train, with a packed car listening (or able to), the place to conduct business meetings?

Imagine you're in an enclosed, quiet space, with the Connecticut shoreline rolling by somewhere near New London, and there is a man (I've changed his name and company name) in the seat across the aisle speaking in a normal, non-hushed voice, like there's nobody within 100 yards.

"Hi Michael, it's Jim from the DSA. We're having a little problem with one of our suppliers in understanding with our contract exigencies the way they are that they come up with several efficiencies to help us reach our target. So we're, uh, trying to find someone on the business side, who manages portfolios, to reiterate with them how important it is that they come up with those efficiencies.

"Yes, that would highly relevant.

"Yes, we could use electronic vendors, or services, or products.

"That's good.

"Losing you ... Losing you ... Michael? Michael?"

(You know, they don't hear you any better when you yell, unless you yell so that you could be heard 116 miles away.)

"Back. Sorry. Umm, well, we have a pretty state-of-the-art-room, so the power point thing would work well. You could test it with me, use it as a sounding board, play it with me first if you want. You've done a great job for us before. I hope we see more of the same. I want you to open up our heads, top to bottom.

"Right, right. When you do come over, the day of, bring the disc, and you'll be good to go. We have techies on our staff who will make sure it works well.

"Right. This is an exciting part of the business these days, and we look forward to growing our product with you. Take care."

Maybe it's just me. For three hours, the woman sitting next to this man just read her Dan Brown novel and never flinched.

FACTOID THAT MAY INTEREST ONLY ME

If you haven't lived in Boston, or near Boston, it's tough to explain the looniness that happens when the Red Sox are in the playoffs, especially against the New York Darth Vaders. But last week, the mayor of Boston, Thomas Menino, told the assembled press: "Lord, it's been 86 years. Hear our prayer. Make us World Champions."

The mayor of one of America's largest city also said: "Much like a cookie, I believe the Yankee Dynasty will crumble. The results will be delicious for us all."

I the expected him to ask: "How many Yankees does it take to screw in a lightbulb?" But no.

TEN THINGS I THINK I THINK

1. I think these are my quick-hit thoughts of the NFL weekend:

a. When the Redskins were forced to burn a timeout in the first quarter, referee Bill Vinovich turned on his belt mike and announced: "First time turnout, Washington!"

b. Let's not mince words: Jonathan Quinn is awful.

c. Craig Krenzel. Bear savior. What is wrong with this picture?

d. Great, great play by Sean Taylor, catching a bootlegging Quinn for a sack from behind to kill a second-half drive. What speed on the kid.

e. What a gorgeous throw Mike Vick made to Dez White, a clutch, fourth-quarter, big-time spiral right in his paws to win it.

f. Donte' Stallworth is having a bad hands year.

Corey Dillon has 522 yards and three TDs this season. AP

g. Terrell Owens at Jeff Garcia next week. High noon at 1 p.m.

h. Corey Dillon is really growing on the Patriots. Tough, tough guy.

i. Never heard of Cortez Hankton. Don't tell me you did before the highlights last night.

j. Buffalo has five more wins in the tank this year.

2. I think one of the things I like about Chicago coach Lovie Smith is the appreciation for his job and the world he works in. The other day, someone asked him about coaching against Joe Gibbs, and he said, "How can you not like a guy like Joe Gibbs? It's an honor for me to coach against a guy like that."

3. I think the best game next weekend obviously is the 5-0 Pats hosting the 5-0 Jets. But the one that intrigues me is 3-2 Detroit at the 5-1 Giants. When's the last time Leos-Jints met this late in a season, both with winning slates?

4. I think I continue to wonder how possibly the Dolphins could have come to the conclusion that Jay Fiedler should have earned the nod as the starting quarterback this year. It's moot now because of the injury to A.J. Feeley, but did you see that pick he threw to Takeo Spikes? It's like Spikes was his intended receiver.

5. I think Gregg Williams has to be the major candidate for coach of the year. I don't care if he's only a coordinator. You only have to see the Redskins to know how great a job he's done choreographing a defense so punishing he's turned two semi-softies, Shawn Springs and Fred Smoot, into not only cover corners but excellent and hard-hitting (as hard as they can, anyway) corners.

6. I think I'd be watching that injury pretty closely this week, Mike Tice. It's not that you can't win without Randy Moss. It's that you don't want to try.

7. I think Tim Rattay throws one of the nicest balls in the NFL. But I wonder how long it'll take him to get over one of the worst interceptions he's ever thrown, the piece of cake to Jonathan Vilma that was crucial in San Francisco's 22-14 loss.

8. I think the reason New England won't go undefeated is itsschedule over the next six Sundays: Jets, at Steelers, at Rams, Bills, at Chiefs, Ravens.

9. I think the oddest thing about the Redskins' six games are the scores. The Redskins have scored between 10 and 18 points in every game. They've allowed between 10 and 21 in every game. So all 12 scores -- six games times each team -- are between a touchdown and a field goal and three touchdowns. Just odd.

10. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:

a. The Red Sox live to fight another day. Can Pedro Martinez give them seven competitive innings against Mike Mussina, in what will likely be his last start ever in a Sox uniform?

b. Stolen from Dan Shaughnessy in a week of Red Sox gloom: Boston is 6-18 in Martinez's starts versus the Yankees since June 2000.

c. Coffeenerdness: Saw a 22ish man with tattooed legs and garish tats on each elbow walk into the Starbucks in Woburn, Mass., Saturday morning, order a venti coffee, splash it with skim milk, then add two sugars, sip it, two sugars, sip it, two sugars, sip it, and then, finally, two sugars. He sipped it. Happy now, he sat in a stuffed chair and read a book. Imagine walking into a coffee place and saying, "Large coffee, eight sugars." Look at me (pot), the guy who two weeks ago had four grande hazelnut lattes in one day, calling a guy (kettle) out (black) for his style of coffee consumption.

d. No network shamelessly and endlessly promotes its programming like Fox.

e. Sorry. I forgot. ESPN's in Fox's league.

WHO I LIKE TONIGHT, AND I DON'T MEAN AL MICHAELS

I'm intrigued for a minute by the chances of the Bucs' defense tonight. But only for a minute. Too much Greatest (Rebuilt) Show on Turf. Rams, 29-10.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King covers the NFL beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Monday Morning Quarterback appears in this space every week.