IRVING, TEXAS ? Terrell Owens played in a Super Bowl for Philadelphia seven weeks after getting a plate and several screws put in his ankle. Now he’s hoping another plate and three more screws in his right hand will enable him to play against the Eagles on Oct. 8.

Owens had a plate screwed into his broken right ring finger during an operation Monday evening. His recovery time is estimated at two to four weeks, but he’s likely to do all he can to rejoin the Dallas Cowboys in 20 days for his much-anticipated return to Philadelphia.

“Most of those injuries, when they put a plate in there, which I think they might do, that pretty much fixes it,” coach Bill Parcells said Monday, before the surgery. “Once they put that in there, it’s not going anywhere, you’re not going to displace it again. It’s a matter of if you can get it functional.”

The Cowboys are off this Sunday, then play at Tennessee before the game against the Eagles.

If things go well, perhaps Owens plays against the Titans. If there are any setbacks, it’s possible he doesn’t return until the game after Philadelphia, Oct. 15 at home against Houston.

“I feel like I’m a quick healer,” Owens said Sunday night. “I’m going to try to get back as fast as I can.”

You have to figure Owens will do all he can to be on the field against the Eagles, hoping to get revenge against the team that banished him midway through last season only months after he helped them reach the Super Bowl.

And he does have a history of overcoming injuries faster than doctors expected, especially when motivated by a comeback game – as evidenced by that Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Owens caught nine passes for 122 yards in a loss.

“I’ll bounce back,” said Owens, adding he’ll use his healing-inducing oxygen chamber to speed his recovery. “I’ll pretty much be in there throughout the clock.”

Owens was slow to heal from a preseason hamstring injury, but the stakes were certainly different. As it turns out, his long layoff benefits the Cowboys because raw backups Jamaica Rector and Sam Hurd got extra work that could now pay off.

Parcells said that because of the off week he wouldn’t decide who takes Owens’ place, if needed, until next week. He added that he’s not interested in signing a veteran fill-in, opting to go with his youngsters.

“I’ll be more hopeful that these guys come along,” Parcells said. “We put them on the team for a reason and, here you go, it’s your opportunity.”