The conflict between the Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver Terrell Owens finally reached its end yesterday when head coach Andy Reid announced that the team had suspended Owens for four games and would then deactivate him for the rest of the season.

So ends an ugly, protracted saga that began this summer with Owens criticizing quarterback Donovan McNabb’s performance in last year’s Super Bowl.Then in the preseason, Owens demanded a new contract, refused to practice, and was suspended for a week of training camp. Last week, Owens said in an interview that his team would “probably be in a better situation” if Green Bay veteran Brett Favre was the Eagles’ quarterback instead of McNabb.

This type of breakup between team and wide receiver is not unprecedented. In fact, it has become a regular occurrence.After constantly fighting with the front office about his contract and being referred to as “she” by coach Bill Parcells, Terry Glenn played just one game for the New England Patriots during the 2001 season.Two years later, Tampa Bay sent Keyshawn Johnson home with six weeks left in the season after he publicly criticized coach Jon Gruden.

What makes the Owens situation unique is that the receiver wasn’t just disgruntled with the front office, or his head coach. There are plenty of NFL players who fit that bill. Owens crossed the line with his constant attacks on his teammates, leaving him with no supporters in the front office, the locker room, or the entire city, for that matter.

Owens will end up somewhere next year, probably for far less money than he would have eventually made in Philadelphia if he had just kept quiet and posted big numbers on the field. But the bigger question is: Where do the Eagles go from here?

The Eagles traded for Owens prior to last season because he filled a glaring hole. In their three consecutive NFC championship game losses from 2001-03, Philadelphia featured a strong defense, great special teams, a balanced running committee, and a talented quarterback. But everyone agreed the Eagles were not going to make the Big Game with James Thrash or Todd Pinkston as their no. 1 receiver.

A receiver of Owens’s considerable abilities, it was believed, would put the Eagles over the hump and into the Super Bowl – and that he did. Without him, the Eagles return to square one. Their pass-heavy offense once again lacks a playmaking wide receiver who can change the defensive game plan by spreading the field and out-muscling cornerbacks.

Some observers may believe that this move will spark a second-half rebound as the Eagles rally around each other to prove that they can win without Owens. Don’t count on it. The 2001 Patriots still had veteran Troy Brown to lead their receiving corps, and the 2003 Buccaneers still had veteran Keenan McCardell. Without Owens, Philadelphia’s starting receivers are third-year veteran Greg Lewis, who already has more catches this year than in his first two combined, and rookie Reggie Brown.

More important, while the Owens soap opera may get the biggest headlines, it is not the biggest reason why the Eagles are a disappointing 4-4 and bringing up the rear in the NFC East. It mostly has to do with a hobbled McNabb, poor special teams, and a nonexistent ground attack.

McNabb has opted to play through bruised ribs and a sports hernia so that he won’t have to miss time for surgery. But the injuries have robbed him of his scrambling ability and forced many of his throws off target. Just check the numbers: McNabb is on pace to throw for more yards than he did last season because there is no running threat, but his yards per pass are down from 8.3 to 7.2, and he’s already thrown as many interceptions (eight) as he did all last season.

The Eagles have never been a run-first team,but this year they seem to have given up on the run entirely due to issues of quantity and quality. The Eagles averaged just 22 carries per game in 2004, but the 4.7 yards they gained on each of those carries ranked fifth in the NFL. This year, the Eagles average just 16 carries a game, while no other team averages less than 20, and they get very little on those rare running plays, ranking 27th with 3.6 yards a carry. In past years, the Eagles could pair an effective inside runner like Duce Staley or Dorsey Levens with their shifty outside man Brian Westbrook. This year’s alleged inside man, Miami castoff Lamar Gordon, has just 24 carries and 87 yards.

The offensive line also seems to have regressed, unable to get the same push forward as in past years. Defenses now get to Westbrook before he has a chance to go wide and turn the corner, so the Eagles hardly bother running at all. Passing wins games, but running keeps defenses honest, and opposing coaches only have to build half a game plan against the Eagles, who rank dead last in the NFL in rushing yards per game by a wide margin.

The Eagles also find themselves in a much more competitive NFC East. Their three division rivals have combined for just two winning seasons over the past four years, but all three teams have winning records in 2005. Dallas and Washington have already beaten the Eagles, and Philadelphia’s secondhalf schedule includes rematches with each team along with two games against the 6-2 Giants.

What about the future? If the Eagles fail to make the playoffs, can they return to championship form next year?

McNabb, whose injuries are not career or even long-term threatening, can finally have surgery and regain his health, and it is possible for the team to improve the defense and fix the special teams. But the Eagles are not going to find a replacement for Owens in free agency, where the wide receiver class of 2006 is extremely weak. And without that no. 1 receiver, Philadelphia will be back in the same position they were in before Owens arrived: unable to get over the hump and make the Super Bowl.

Mr. Schatz is the editor in chief of FootballOutsiders.com.