PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Greg Lewis didn’t work on his dance moves. Reggie Brown hasn’t thought of any new routines. Billy McMullen isn’t the showboating type.

The trio of Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receivers are too busy trying to fill Terrell Owens’ shoes on the field to worry about imitating his touchdown celebrations.

“I’m not trying to be somebody I’m not,” said Lewis, a third-year pro who has two career TDs, including one in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to New England.

“That ain’t me. I’ll leave it to somebody else,” said McMullen, who hasn’t scored in three seasons.

While the Eagles don’t need someone to match T.O.’s innovative end zone theatrics, they must find a way to replace his skills.

The dismissed All-Pro wideout had 47 receptions for 763 yards and six TDs in seven games. Lewis, Brown and McMullen have combined for 50 catches, 663 yards and two TDs this season.

“It’s a difference but it’s not a difference where I need to change what I do,” Lewis said. “I can’t do what he did, and I’m not going to try to do what he did. I’m just going to go out and play my game and do what I’m capable of doing, and I think the other guys are going to do the same. We’re going to make it work.”

The Eagles have been through this before. When Owens went down with a severely sprained ankle and broken leg in Week 15 last season, Philadelphia won two playoff games and advanced to the Super Bowl without its top playmaker.

But Lewis and McMullen were the Nos. 3-4 receivers and Brown was still at Georgia. The Eagles had Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell last season, and quarterback Donovan McNabb was playing at such a high level he could’ve been throwing to Charles Johnson and Torrance Small and still had success.

Pinkston, who walked around the locker room wearing a Halloween mask Friday afternoon, went down with a season-ending injury in training camp. Mitchell is unemployed after being cut by the Eagles and Kansas City.

“We went to the playoffs earlier in my career with Charles Johnson and Torrance Small, then Todd Pinkston and James Thrash,” McNabb said. “We had Todd Pinkston, James Thrash and Freddie Mitchell, probably three names that everybody kind of used as jokes while analyzing our passing game or breaking down film on what we do, but we got the job done.

“Now we have Greg Lewis, Billy McMullen, Reggie Brown, (tight end) L.J. Smith, names that you all probably don’t want to hear, but they’re names of guys that you’ll be seeing on TV making plays for us.”

Lewis joined the Eagles as an undrafted free agent from Illinois in 2003. A speedy receiver, Lewis showed a knack for making tough catches early on. He had eight receptions for 182 yards in last year’s playoffs, including a 52-yard catch against Minnesota in a second-round game.

Lewis moved into the starting lineup when Pinkston tore his Achilles’ tendon the first week of practice. He has 31 catches for 341 yards and one score.

Brown, a second-round pick this year, replaced the suspended Owens in the lineup in Philadelphia’s 17-10 loss to Washington last Sunday. He showed promise, catching five passes for 94 yards, including a 56-yard TD reception.

“Playing well last week makes it a lot easier, building confidence and letting the team know that they can rely on me,” Brown said. “I’m just trying to go about my day, not trying to get any special attention. Just try to stay to myself and do what they expect me to do. I mean, I’m just going to take advantage of the opportunity. I’d be a fool to blow it.”

McMullen could be getting a final chance to prove himself. A third-round pick in 2003, he hasn’t lived up to expectations and barely got on the field. He caught three passes for 60 yards against the Redskins after getting just two receptions in the first seven games.

“Billy has gotten incrementally better. He’s done a good job in practice,” offensive coordinator Brad Childress said. “He’s gotten a couple of good opportunities around the ball. He was in the right place and the quarterback decided to get it to him. So, when you produce for your quarterback, a lot of times, you get that extra look.”

Owens was told not to return to the team on Monday after a series of incidents since training camp. His suspension followed a tumultuous week in which he criticized the organization for not publicly recognizing his 100th career TD catch in a game on Oct. 23, took another verbal shot at McNabb and fought with a former teammate.



AP-ES-11-11-05 1745EST


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