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Athlete of the Decade #2 Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb was not a popular choice when he was selected in the 1999 draft with the #2 overall pick. He played in nearby Syracuse, but for some reason Eagles fans had their hearts set on Ricky Williams. It is somehow fitting that since that critical pick, the Eagles have ranked near the bottom of the league in average rush attempts per game, but have also been one of the most successful franchises in the league, largely in part to McNabb’s efforts from the quarterback position.
Andy Reid made no secret of the fact that he preferred a passing offense, as was evidenced when he introduced the West Coast Offense to this traditionally smash mouth, run it up the middle NFC East brawler of a franchise that had limited success under Rhodes, Kotite, Ryan, Campbell, Vermiel, and so forth, with the normal claim to fame being a dominant defense. This was a team that was in the top ten in scoring only 6 times over the thirty years prior to McNabb, but has been in the top ten in scoring 6 times in the 10 years WITH McNabb, including setting new records for point production in 2002, 2008 and 2009. Reid, with the help of defensive guru Jim Johnson did not abandon the teams defensive roots, and has ranked in the top 5 league wide in points allowed five of the past ten seasons as well while making this upgrade to the offense.
McNabb has become the franchise leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns, passing notables such as Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham in the process. Still, in this city, the toughest place on the planet to play professional sports, and being a starter at the toughest position, McNabb has never gotten the respect I feel he deserves. This year may be the year he gets his revenge as he has led the Eagles to a mid season 6 game winning streak and now holds the chance to win at Dallas this wekeend and clinch the 6th NFC East division title in his 10 years behind center.
Ricky Williams ? 11,000 yards and 69 touchdowns, in 114 games rushing and receiving, certainly not bad for a running back in this league.
But McNabb ?? 32,000+ yards passing with 240 touchdowns including passing and rushing, and the owner of the all time lowest interception ratio in league history. Even at 6′2″ and 240+ pounds, McNabb has been somewhat injury prone, only starting every game in 5 of his ten+ seasons, but this is not a conditioning issue, more his style of play. Simply put, McNabb leaves it all on the field.
Remember also, McNabb for the majority of his career has had little support. Until this year. Only Terrell Owens in 2004 and Kevin Curtis in 2007, have reached 1,000 yards in a season, and only Owens had more than 10 touchdowns in a single year. But McNabb still holds the yardage and touchdown records here. In his draft class, he is third best behind Manning and Brady who had top receivers like Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss to throw to for years.
He rushes less now but still has over 3,000 career rushing yards and 25 touchdowns which ranks him in the top ten of quarterbacks all time. More importantly, he led the team to 4 consecutive NFC East Championships and a Super Bowl.
He also created some of the most famous plays in Philadelphia sports history, including the now infamous 4th and 26 play against the Packers with 1:12 to play in the 2003 NFC championship game and no timeouts, when he scrambled for nearly 6 seconds before converting on a pass to Freddie Mitchell, and the nearly as famous 2002 game against the Cardinals that he finished with a broken leg and a 103.8 QB rating completing 20 of 25 for 255 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win.
McNabb has long been known to be as dangerous a passer when flushed from the pocket as anyone to play the game, and may actually be a better quarterback once he leaves the pocket, a fact that has frustrated and stymied many defenses since he arrived in the league. He also seems to possess a 6th sense that tells him at times when a defender is appproaching, allowing him to create plays outside of the regular playbook.
Even if he never wins a Super Bowl, he will leave the team as the leader in nearly every statistic possible.
This may be the year for McNabb to finally get his ring. He has 4 of the best recievers he has ever had playing at one time, DeSean Jackson has surpassed 1000 yards, has a league leading yards per catch average and could break the 10 touchdown barrier with one more long catch, Brent Celek is nearly as good with 875 yards and 8 touchdowns, and Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant and Reggie Brown round out a very strong recieving corps. McNabb also has the best support on the line of scrimmage he has seen in his career, with Westbrook, McCoy and Weaver combining for a powerful 1-2-3 punch the likes of which the team has never seen. All three backs are also available for screens, which constitutes a large part of the Eagles playbook.
If the Eagles beat the Cowboys next week, they may carry the two seed in the NFC into the playoffs, get a bye, and a home game, and have only one real contest that will challenge them before going to the Super Bowl. This may be McNabb’s best shot to get it done. He is sore and has some hamstring pain and tightness, but overall, he is in the best shape of his career at this stage of a season with the strongest supporting cast behind him I can remember.
One thing is certain, if McNabb acheives the ultimate, bringing a Super Bowl trophy to Philadephia, the fans will have to finally accept his greatness and give him that respect he has sought since he entered the league. And maybe then we can forget about Ricky Williams, and Michael Vick and the wildcat, and all the other distractions, and just enjoy a great champion quarterback for a change !
Vick redeems himself in return to Atlanta
The Eagles finally broke out of their fall doldrums and thoroughly dominated todays opponent. They only led 13-0 at halftime, largely in part to penalties that called back several scores, and their own inability to finish drives. Only a determined goal-line stand to close out the first half and keep it from being a one score game provided them with needed momentum as they came out in the second half with the first possession.
Michael Vick was welcomed back to Atlanta with a combination of applause and boos, then proceeded to silence his detractors by scoring his first touchdown of the year on a 5 yard plunge in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 20-0 lead. Early in the fourth quarter he followed that up with his first long completion of the year with a 43 yard pass to Reggie Brown.
After contributing a mere 55 yards of offense through the first 9 games, he had 71 yards by early in the fourth quarter and then was handed the ball as the Eagles led 27-0 and Reid decided to sit McNabb for the remainder of the contest. Shortly after that Vick completed his first touchdown pass of the season on a 5 yard pass to Brent Celek to stretch the lead to 34-0 as McNabb cheered him on from the bench.
McNabb looked fairly sharp, buoyed by the superlative running and catching of fullback Leonard Weaver including a 4 yard touchdown he retrieved off his shoelaces and a 59 yard catch and gallop on the ensuing drive. The Eagles still had a little trouble putting it away, with 1 touchdown and 2 field goals on their first four possessions inside the 20, with Akers both setting a record for most consecutive field goals, followed by missing a field goal to break the Eagles consecutive streak of red zone possessions with a score this year.
The Eagles defense, particularly Trent Cole, harrassed Chris Redman all day long rendering him virtually ineffective. The majority of his balls were tipped, batted down or nearly picked off. Sheldon Brown put questions about his sore hamstring to rest with a 83 yard interception return for a touchdown on a 4th and 2 the Falcons tried after converting 2 of their first 3 fourth down attempts. Jones followed shortly thereafter with his own interception and tip toe down the side line to put the Eagles in scoring position once again.
McNabb ended the day going 14-25 for 238 yards and a touchdown completing passes to 6 receivers in his 3 plus quarters of play and having 2 rushes for 17 yards, earning a QB rating of just over 100.
Vick lost the chance to play nearly a full quarter as he injured a thumb on a running play and was replaced by the equally capable Kerry Kolb. The Eagles did not seem to care who was at quarterback position, just as they seemed not to care they were playing without many key players, including running back Brian Westbrook, Kevin Curtis, and DeSean Jackson.
4 Eagles shared running duty with a 4.0 or better yard per carry average, 3 guys suited up at QB, and Jeremy Maclin and Reggie Brown subbed for DeSean and Kevin catching the long balls and converting on third downs to keep drives alive. Macho Harris showed great promise taking on one on one pass coverage assignments against Falcons tight end Gonzalez with good results. McCoy did not see significant action for the first time in a few weeks, but it seems that that is the norm with these Eagles; anytime a player is down and out, another previously unsung athlete steps in to fill his shoes. It makes the Birds a truly tough team to scout, especially as the various players all bring a decidedly different playing style to the field.
I believe this all starts with the coaching staff, evident when McDonough stepped in to replace Jim Johnson after his unexpected and tragic death earlier this year. The defense showed little if any disruption at the change and have gotten to be more and more asolid as a group as the season has developed. The Eagles showed they understand the value in this coaching staff as well, announcing shortly before the game that they were very close to signing a significant contract extension with head coach Andy Reid; sources say this deal could be conclued within the week.
The Eagles defense nearly earned their first shutout of the season, before a late meaningless drive capped by a fluke double deflected pass resulted in a touchdown for the Falcons as time expired and they settled for a 34-7 victory. This ran their record to 8-4 and put them in position to work their way into a tie with the Cowboys for the NFC East, if the Giants beat them later today. Meanwhile the Redskins were beating the undefeated Saints with 2 minutes to go as the resiliant NFC East conference reared it’s head and showed why most years two or three of the best teams in the conference come from their ranks. The Saints came back to tie it up, and the game was undecided at the time of this post.
It looks like the final four weeks are going to be a lot of fun to watch, and fiercely competative as well !
Eagles control their own destiny, notch 2nd win in a row.
The Eagles dominated every single offensive and defensive category in todays game and in the process managed to just barely win. They had more total plays of offense, more yards passing, more yards rushing, had better yards per pass and rush attempt, had more time of possession, better 4th down efficiency, allowed fewer turnovers, and barely escaped with a win !!
Yes they were not as good on third down, thanks to the Redskins being unnaturally good at that, but they did everything they could to give the Redskins the game until the 4th quarter, from the initial onsides kick they misplayed, allowing Washington to have a 24 yard field, quickly shortened to a 19 yard field with the 5 yard penalty, to repeatedly being called for offensive penalties that negated many of their better plays.
They had a touchdown called back that turned into a field goal, they brought Vick in every time the offense gained any momentum and he promptly disrupted the rhythm of the game, they had countless passes dropped including three in a row by Brett Celek, they lost DeSean Jackson after another touchdown catch due to injuries, yet they won the game to go to 7-4 and put their fate in their own hands for the first time all season. Jackson’s catch was his shortest of the year, a mere 35 yards. This guy is clutch and the best reciever we have had in years, and I hope he is recovered in time for next weeks contest !
Simply put, if the Eagles win out, and beat the Giants and Cowboys in their final meetings, they win the division.
If they beat the Giants and Cowboys and win 1 of their other three remaining games, they will win at least the wild card.
A couple positive observations, the one two punch of McCoy and Weaver was productive for the second week in a row. The halfback/fullback tandem rushed for 120 yards on 23 carries and Buckley came through with the first touchdown of his NFL career to pull the Eagles within 2. Then McCoy performed a balancing act to tie the game up with the 2 point conversion allowing Akers to win it with his field goal on the ensuing drive as the Eagles scored 11 unanswered in the fourth quarter for the win. Assante Samual overcame an average first half with 2 interceptions to keep the Eagles in the game. And the Eagles finally appeared able to convert a third and short with their running game, a quality they had been seriously lacking over the past 6 weeks.
Through the first three quarters fans had to be worrying about the Eagles repeatedly driving the length of the field and having to settle for field goals. A 90 yard 10 play drive for the tying touchdown followed by a 10 play drive for the go ahead field goal hopefully put some of these qualms to bed, at least until next week.
One can only hope Reid won’t overplay Vick in the reunion next week with his former team, the Atlanta Falcons. I think enough has been seen this year to confirm the “Vick experiment” is a dismal failure, it is time to let McNabb run this team for the final 5 games, and if not satisfied with his judgement and performance, you have Kolb chomping at the bit to have a go at it next year, I repeat for the millionth time this year……WE DON’T NEED VICK !!!
OK, got it out of my system, for now, on to next week. We dodged a serious bullet against the Redskins, hopefully we will fare better against the Falcons.
Hey Mike, nobody cares….still !
This week Michael Vick came out to state he is not happy with his role as the “wildcat” option with the Philadelphia Eagles. Wow, is this a news flash. Maybe Vick needs to understand he is not ANY option with the team, and were it not for the respect McNabb has from team ownership and Andy Reid he probably would be not involved with professional football at all. I mean, this is a team with a proven winner in McNabb and his heir apparant in Kolb who said hello to the NFL with record back to back 300 yard passing games for his first two starts in relief of an injured McNabb.
I have been a Vick non-supporter since the signing, have waged my own personal wars with friends and readers regarding his skill set, his status, and his moral fiber and past choices. I have heard the “Everyone deserves a second chance” arguments, and listened to people try to make this about race, about heritage, and about upbringing. The bottom line is, this is a pro athlete, who is remarkably immature, and not really as good as he perceives himself to be. What we heard when he stepped up and mildly complained about his playing status and team role was the sound of reality hitting the “ex superman” from the Atlanta Falcons, and hitting him hard.
McNabb on the other hand, is mature, hard working, dedicated, and obviously a much bigger man as he did what he could to give a fellow athlete the chance to return to glory. All McNabb has done in his career is pass for 30,000 yards, 200 touchdowns, lead the team to parts of 4 NFC East titles, and a superbowl. His statistics are better than any Philadelphia quarterback in history, a list that includes the likes of Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham. But HE gets NO respect, after an ugly loss to the Cowboys, a game they should have won, I hear most of the criticism getting heaped on Reid’s decision to go for three late in the game, and McNabbs statistical performance.
During preseason, I said the Eagles were a 10-6 team, maybe 11-5 if they focused and beat the teams they were supposed to beat. Here at the halfway mark of their season they have proven to be exactly that; at 5-3 they are average for the NFC East, a division that will most likely require 11 wins to lead that may also field a wildcard team. Were it not for the Giants near total collapse, the Eagles would be in third place and so far back as to have no shot at either of those playoff spots. As it is, they have gotten some help and can still salvage the season. In order to do so, they need to stop worrying about the wildcat and Vick’s future, and get back to playing some NFC East football.
They have several new weapons in Weaver and McCoy, good young recievers in Jackson and Maclin, and a proven quarterback that can get it done, with a young replacement wating in the wings. It is time to end the “Vick experiment” and get back to playing football. With a 2-1 record in their division, they need to win 5 more games and then focus on some new plays and formations that will shake up the competition in the playoffs.
Now that the Phillies are near the top every year, and the Flyers show serious promise, the Eagles need to do more than just be perennial also rans. Reid has been here long enough and McNabb is in the twilight of his career. I feel both these men deserve a championship, and I believe they can still bring it home to Philadelphia. I just don’t think Vick is a needed piece to the puzzle. I never did.
Vick should take his 16 million he doesn’t deserve, and the 1.6 million or so he didn’t earn this year, and quietly retire.
Eagles, Vick take ride in spin cycle
At this rate, Yahoo is positioning itself to be the Next Fox News.
Yahoo is out spinning the truth again and this time Michael Vick and the Eagles are on center stage.
Anyone familiar with Yahoo, knows they put “catchy” but often false headlines on stories to drive audiences to click on them. It just happens to be the Eagles turn.
On the main page of the Yahoo web site there is a photo of Vick with the title “Vick not happy as an Eagle player.”
Of coarse this is another example of a media outlet taking a quote out of context and running with it.
In an interview with Bob Costas on NBC, Vick talked about the fact that he doesn’t want to be just a wildcat guy. Why would he? He is a former Pro Bowl quarterback who clearly still believes he has the skills to be a starter in this league.
Put just about any NFL player in Vick’s shoes and you could expect the same response. Are people really surprised that Vick isn’t thrilled about getting two touches a game?
Vick didn’t put his foot in his mouth like Cole Hamels did last week talking about looking forward to next season. He simply said that he wants to be a full-time player, not a guy used for a cameo. The bottom line is Vick would be happy to stay an Eagle, but only if he gets used.
Makes sense to me.
Unfortunately that doesn’t make for good chatter, so we will be hearing about Vick’s “displeasure” with the Eagles for the next few days and maybe weeks.
About the only saving grace is that it keeps fans from talking about losing to the Cowboys.
I am ready for some football, enough with the soap opera already !
All right. UNCLE. NFL Gameday, 13 minutes coverage on Michael Vick, 2 minutes coverage on the upcoming Eagles game. I have been anti Vick since his signing, in part because of what his personal choices were, and in part because I don’t feel he is that good of a QB. He is a great runner, a below average passer, and an average team mate.
This team was highly touted BEFORE the Vick signing, why have they been relegated to road kill on the side of the road, hardly worth a mention? I know they are a disappointing 1-1, but all you “sports know it alls on useless TV shows” How about showing our team some respect?
We have guys besides Westbrook, McNabb, Jackson, and yes Vick, how could I forget Vick?!!! If you came here from another planet you would think the three injured Eagles and the one ex-felon were the entire team. What is happening to our world, when a regular, hard working football player can’t rate a mention unless he is on Inside Edition or a team medical report?
I was going to boycott the Eagles because of their poor choice of off season pick ups, but even I realized this would be unfair to all the other hard working anonymous Eagles that give it their all week after week. I came around. Now can we finally talk about some football?? I honestly hope Vick comes in, has his first NFL regular season appearance since going to jail, and STINKS! Then we can forget about Reid’s school girl crush on the wildcat and get back to playing some shove it down your throat and defend the goal-line like the “pack of wild jackals Eagles old school football” that all the fans are accustomed to.
I pick the Eagles to win today, only because the Chiefs suck so badly. Then the bye week and I pray McNabb recovers in time to come back and start so we can put Vick where he belongs, on the sideline, to be trotted out occasionally, a curiosity at the freak show he has made of his life.
If everyone would STOP talking about him to the detriment of the team, maybe I could get over his signing and enjoy watching him play. Now the talking heads are all commenting on how he won’t be a starter here. Wow! News flash. They are unsure why Reid signed Garcia but is starting Kolb. Maybe it is because Reid came to his senses when McNabb got hurt (on an illegal hit that got NO coverage by the way) Reid knows Vick is not a starter or a mentor for Kolb, hence Garcia. I have said this since Vick was signed and had several internet skirmishes in defense of this position. Now all the pros are jumping on MY bandwagon? I don’t think so.
GO EAGLES! And leave Vick behind like the road-kill he should be, and win this without him and maybe you will get back some of the respect you so richly deserve.
Eagles ready to let Vick loose
Marty Mornhinweg made it official Thursday, stating that Michael Vick will see action on Sunday when the Eagles take on the Chiefs.
Not that it was ever in doubt.
Sunday will be the first time Vick plays in a meaningful game since 2006, before he was sentenced to a 20-month jail sentence for a dogfighting conviction.
Eagles fans a got a glimpse of Vick in the preseason, though Andy Reid was careful not to tip his hat much in terms of the Wildcat. Mornhinweg said Vick is in top physical condition and that he is not concerned about the time he has missed.
There has yet to be an announcement on whether it will be Donovan McNabb or Kevin Kolb starting this week. If McNabb is healthy, he will start and Jeff Garcia will slide into the No. 3 quarterback slot. If Kolb gets the start, Garcia will be the No. 2. Either way Vick will dress at a position other than quarterback.
The Eagles used the wildcat formation sparingly in Week 1 and then a bit more in Week 2, with mixed results. Of course, the wildcat with Vick is another thing entirely. Though he has never been considered a great passing quarterback, Vick is more than a cut above the Eagles other options out of the formation. With Vick in the wildcat teams will have to respect the pass, meaning the safeties can not just cheat up to stuff the run.
The Eagles drew a break in getting the Chiefs this week, a team that has little going right for it at the moment. The Eagles can work out any wrinkles that will come with Vick’s return without worrying about the opponent as much. If Vick’s first game came against the Giants or Cowboys, the story would be different.
I expect to see Kolb under center Sunday with Vick making an appearance every other series. How much that changes when McNabb comes back is unknown.
The story going in to the game is Vick and regardless of the result he will be the story coming out of the game.
Let’s hope he makes the type of impact the Eagles expected when they acquired him. If so, defensive coordinators better load up on aspirin.
Eagles cut Hank Baskett
No longer will Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb or whoever else handles the Eagles quarterbacking position be able to “put the biscuit in the Baskett.”
In a move that is a bit of a head-scratcher, the Eagles cut wide receiver Hank Baskett to make room for Michael Vick on the active roster. The move comes on the heals of the Eagles signing Jeff Garcia and placing Shaw Andrews on IR.
Someone had to go, but Baskett?
The Eagles had carried seven receivers on their 53-man roster through Week 1. Apparently Baskett became expendable after Philadelphia selected Jeremy Maclin in the first round of April’s draft and added Brandon Gibson in the sixth round.
For his career as an Eagle, Baskett finished with 72 catches for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns in 48 games. Nothing spectacular, but Baskett was never given much of an opportunity to shine.
I don’t have a problem with the Eagles cutting a receiver, but I question the decision to cut Baskett and keep a career underachiever Reggie Brown. A first round pick, Brown had fallen far enough down the depth chart to be inactive in Week 1. I guess the Eagles still hold him in higher regard than Baskett.
In the end, this move may be a trivial one. With Jackson, Maclin, Jason Avant and Kevin Curtis on the field, it was unlikely Baskett or Brown would have much of an impact.
Still, I am not sure the Eagles cut the right receiver.
No second chance as starter for now
Donovan McNabb is a trooper. He has played ten years in Philadelphia since being drafted in the first round, and he has yet to get any real respect. In the preseason, his team signed Michael Vick and Donovan did the right thing, he claimed to have lobbied to get him here. Any normal person would realize that to do so simply wouldn’t make sense for you and me. Do YOU want someone younger than you standing behind you but getting all the spotlight, waiting for you to mess up or get hurt so he can take over YOUR job ? I think McNabb said what he did to make sure there would be no quarterback controversy. Just another sign of him being a class act.
With his latest move, Andy Reid shows he has his star quarterback’s back. In the day after McNabb’s injury, the blogging world has been full of McNabb leaving, retiring, optioning out his contract, demanding to be traded or being replaced by the “better younger” Vick when he comes off his suspension. The types that relish controversy and drama have been drooling at the news that McNabb will probably miss some time
Reid however, maintains Kolb is the backup, and Vick will never be the starter here. I believe Eagles management reinforced that assertion by signing Jeff Garcia.
The pundits now proclaim, “Vick simply isn’t ready, so Reid is getting an insurance QB.” Why is it that prior to the season you were trying to convince us of how well Vick could play, when you knew he would not start, and now you are proclaiming the Garcia pickup is to protect Vick because he is not ready to start ? These fans, like Michael Vick, seem to want to have it both ways. I am tired of hearing this felon’s name. Do a Google search on the Philadelphia Eagles and you get more “Vick” hits, then sports news. Do we still HAVE a football team ?
Jimmy Johnson posted on Fox Sports that McNabb had a so-so day before getting hurt. How about, McNabb threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for another, and was injured on the play by an illegal tackle after he was down in the end zone? He is now one of only 6 QB’s in history to accomplish this feat in over a dozen games. How come every other QB in the league gets protected, and McNabb is left hanging out there exposed ? How come the Panther who hit McNabb and stirred this pot didn’t get flagged or sanctioned ? Do you think our defensive tackles or ends could hit an opposing team’s QB when he was down on the ground stretched out with the ball and the TD call had already been made ? NOT !! In tonight’s Monday Night Football a legal hit on Brady by the Buffalo defense drew an immediate flag. Why ? They were protecting the QB. That is what they do in this league, unless the QB happens to be McNabb. So is he really injury prone ? Or prone to getting unfairly hit? Am I the only one who feels this is nuts ?
McNabb has the best career stats of any Philadelphia QB, ever. I had a “fan” rebuke me by saying McNabb played longer than the other Philly QB’s against lesser teams. Actually both Jaworski and Cunningham had more starts for the Eagles, but they had fewer yards passing, a lower QB rating, fewer touchdowns, fewer wins, fewer quality wins, appeared in fewer championship games, and had better players surrounding them during their tenure and the Cardinals were in their division giving them 2 games a year of easier division play than Donovan ever had.
I for one am glad Reid picked up Garcia, he is a class act and I don’t believe Kolb is ready to start even for two or three games if that is necessary. More importantly than that, I don’t think Reid or Lurie or anyone who knows anything about football every seriously considered Vick a starter. He is a publicity stunt, nothing more. He is a player who has made bad judgment calls his entire career and never been reprimanded until now and now that he has paid his price, he wants it all back just because he is remorseful. The question is is he remorseful because he feels bad about what he did, or is he remorseful because he got caught ?
And it is obvious with the Eagles playing two relatively easy games and then having a bye, that McNabb can heal in that time, and if anyone had any faith in Vick, they would not have gone out and gotten Garcia. Garcia is 39 years old, played one season with the Eagles and has not taken a meaningful snap with the team in over two years. Yes he played in Tampa Bay while Vick was in jail, but didn’t all you Vick supporters exclaim he was in football shape upon his release ? So if it is a matter of conditioning, timing, and knowledge of the play book, shouldn’t Vick have the edge over, 39 year old, hasn’t practiced with the team in two years, Garcia?
For Garcia to be picked up at his age to run this offense in McNabb’s absence is a lot more difficult than it would be for Vick to do the same thing, if these QBs were equal. Obviously they are not. Garcia is head and shoulders above Vick, and that is why he is here, and Vick will continue to sit the bench until they want to trot him out to spark the crowd, or the team.
I for one don’t rule out Donovan returning to the field before Vick’s suspension is over. He already stated he intends to practice Wednesday and see how he feels. I hope he comes back and shows all you Vick lovers what a real QB is capable of and finally gets some of the respect he deserves.
If he doesn’t or can’t, we have Garcia, a class veteran QB and Kolb, who will one day be a class younger QB and WE DONT NEED VICK. And Donovan deserves and has earned our respect. I have been saying this for a month, maybe now somebody will listen.
Eagles will go as far as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook take them (Part 5)
Five Keys to the Eagles season ending with a title
Key 5: Westbrook and McNabb staying healthy.
You can talk all you want about the impact rookie running back LeSean McCoy will have this season. You can talk all you want about the excitement Michael Vick will bring to the Eagles offense.
At the end of the day, the Eagles will go as far as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook takes them.
Just like it has been.
When McNabb and Westbrook are healthy and on the field together, the Eagles have a chance to win – no matter whom they are playing. The due is that good.
Sure the Eagles have had moments of success with each of its stars down. AJ Feeley had his moment in the sun a few years ago, as did Correll Buckhalter, but at the end of the day the Eagles are certainly not better when one or both is off the field – not by a long shot.
Though Westbrook is coming off of an injury and has hit the dreaded “30” an age where running backs tend to decline, he is still the most dangerous weapon in the Eagles arsenal. When he is on the field safeties have to pay attention to him, thus creating more opportunities for the likes of DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis to get open down field.
Head coach Andy Reid’s use of Westbrook has frustrated Eagles fans over the years. Though a featured back, Westbrook rarely carries the ball 20 times a game and with the emergence of McCoy, he almost certainly won’t increase his carries this season. Yet even when he doesn’t touch the ball No. 36 has the full attention of the defense. It s something he has commanded over the years and something that will not easily be replaced is Westbrook goes down for an extended period of time.
That brings us to McNabb, who remarkably made it through a full season without an injury in 2008. Though he had his struggles in the first half of the season, McNabb caught fire down the stretch leading the Birds to the NCF Championship game.
If McNabb were to go down it could cause a flurry of problems. Who comes in, Vick or Kevin Kolb? What if one of them helps the Eagles go on a run?
Those are just two of the many controversies that would inevitably come out if McNabb is off the field.
In the big picture this team is still all about McNabb and Westbrook. The time is coming where that will change, but for now, it hasn’t. The Eagles will go as far as this duo takes them.
That could be to Miami.
Five Keys to the Eagles season ending with a title (Part 2)
Key No. 2: Donovan McNabb overcoming pressure.
This is nothing new for Donovan McNabb. Since the day he was drafted, the quarterback from Syracuse has been under the microscope in Philadelphia. At times it has been a little overwhelming.
Just consider this excerpt from Phil Sheridan in Monday’s edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“It was September 2003, just eight months after the Eagles’ gut-punch loss to Tampa Bay in the NFC championship game at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles opened their inaugural season at brand-new Lincoln Financial Field with home games against the two most recent Super Bowl champions.
They lost to the Bucs, 17-0, on a Monday night. Six days later, they got destroyed by New England. By the third quarter of the Patriots game, Donovan McNabb was being booed every time he took the field. A chant went up from the crowd.
We want A.J., we want A.J. . . .”
Think about how loud those chants will be this year if the Eagles get off to a slow start. This time it won’t be for the recently-cut Felley, but rather for Michael Vick.
Having Vick as his backup is just one of the pressures McNabb will need to overcome for the Eagles to finish as the top team in football.
Here are a few more:
• Andy Reid has called this the most talented team he has had. That means it has to live up to a higher expectation than ever. With Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin at his disposal, the Eagles are expected to be a top-five offense. For that to happen, McNabb can not be off his game for extended periods of time — as has happened in the past. The offense is only as good as it’s general.
• In past years, the Eagles have won games on the strength of their defense. This year, that may not be the case. While the Birds defensive unit could still be top-10, no one is expecting it to be as good as in the past with the passing of Jim Johnson and the losses of Brian Dawkins and Stewart Bradley. That means it may be the offense that has to save the defense from time to time. More pressure on the veteran QB.
• McNabb got what he wanted, now he must deliver. In the offseason McNabb said he wanted to see the Eagles make a conscientious effort to improve his weapons. So the Eagles went out and drafter Maclin and McCoy in the first two rounds. Then they brought McNabb protection (at least they hope) in offensive linemen Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews. McNabb liked what he saw and signed an extension. He basically admitted that he could win with this team. Now he has to do it.
• The Phillies have shown the way. Now that the Phillies have brought a championship to the city, hardcore Eagles fans are wondering when they get to enjoy a title. The city got a taste of a winner and it wants another one. Five conference championships in eight years is a great feat, but it won’t cut it anymore. Philly wants another champion.
McNabb has had a great career in Philly — some would even say a Hall of Fame career. He has a chance to truly define himself with this team. In a way, his career may be remembered for what he does with this group of players.
Now that’s pressure.
Part 1 Sean McDermott and Eagles Defense Check back on Thursday for Part 3 of five-part series.
Roger does not play fair
In the last year, there have been six suspensions in the NFL on Roger Goodell’s watch. The reason why I remain anti Vick lies in the list of players that have been disciplined, and the disproportionate levels of offenses that do not match the punishment meted down by the commissioner.
Here is the list, please disregard PacMan Jones, because he is as big a thug as Michael Vick is.
The others include, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson, Fred Evans, and Robert Reynolds. Now, Vick, Tank and Pacman have gotten the most press, that is a certainty. But I believe it is because of the high profile of their contract, talent and team, rather than the severity of their crimes.
Figure this, Tank Johnson, public enemy number one, right ? Actual charges include misdemeanor gun possession, violation of probation and speeding. All misdemeanors, all poor judgment, none criminally reprehensible. Many other citizens have similar things on their rap sheet.
How about Chris Henry ? Speeding ticket, possession of marijuana and no drivers license or insurance, concealed gun and assault charges that remain unsubstantiated and three other accusations that were dropped. Were they real ? Innocent until proven guilty or not ?
Now take Fred Evans. Marijuana possession, misdemeanor, and misdemeanor scuffle with police when arrested. That’s all.
Robert Reynolds ? Misdemeanor domestic violence, charges withdrawn, That’s all.
OK. Now forget about the jail terms served by these 6 young athletes, if any, that is a matter of review for the criminal justice department, What concerns me is the behavior of the NFL commissioners office. Let’s look at the punishments, surely they fit the crimes, right ??
Again, discount Pacman, Tank got suspended 8 games. Henry 8 games. Vick ?? Just announced: 2 games, 2 big ones. Slap that wrist !! This is the same punishment as Fred Evans and Robert Reynolds.
Hmmmmm. What’s wrong here ? I am not dismissing or trivializing the charges involving Evans and Reynolds, but I find it interesting that the NFL finds a drug or domestic misdemeanor charge or conviction to be equally punishable by a suspension of playing time to an admission and CLASS 1 FELONY CONVICTION of racketeering, conspiracy and participation in the massacre of animals. That is why I boycott, the Eagles, Michael Vick, and if something doesn’t change at the top, I may boycott the entire NFL.
I am so sick of hearing Michael Vick’s name mentioned more often than our ten year star quarterback, a model citizen by the way, our coaching staff, other players, fans, or city. What about Jim Johnson ?? Since the Vick signing, he is all but forgotten. Why are we worshiping this felon and ignoring good, honest hardworking people, that don’t require a second chance, because they continued to have and make good judgment calls in their lives ? Why, people, why ? You are the one’s rooting for him, and perpetuating this false idolatry.
That is my opinion, and I am entitled to it. What do you think ?
Donovan McNabb strong … with Michael Vick on the sideline
A Philadelphia Eagles quarterback heard a smattering of boo’s Thursday night.
It wasn’t Michael Vick, however it was Donovan McNabb that heard some jeers from the Philly faithful after his inconsistent first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in what became a 33-32 Eagles win.
McNabb and his receivers seemed on a different page for much of the first two quarters. The biggest blunder came inside the Jaguars 10-yard line when McNabb threw a high screen pass to LeSean McCoy that bounced off the rookies’ helmet and to the grass. The Jaguars’ Brian Iwuh wisely pounced on the lose ball and returned it 92 yards for a score.
Vick, meanwhile, came out to a standing ovation (though some boos were mixed in). He finished the day 4-for-4 for a modest 19 yards. He showed that he still has a rocket arm and did a bit of running, if to no avail.
Though Vick had a bit of success, the question remains if he will be a help or hinder to the Birds offense. The former Falcon came in for six plays, none consecutive. There is no way to say for sure how much Vick’s cameo appearances bothered McNabb’s rhythm. McNabb was more successful in the second half when Vick remained on the sideline, leading the team to a pair of scores and tossing a touchdown to Marcus Mailiei.
As expected there has already been plenty of overreaction, despite it being the preseason.
Clarke Judge of cbssport.com has already seen enough to determine Vick will hurt the Eagles more than he helps them in his column here http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12121850. Others are excited about the rocket Vick completed to Hank Baskett and point to it as evidence that Vick is ready to have a big impact.
While some may look to Vick’s statistics to judge the success of his signing, I believe the ultimate stat will be wins and losses.
With all of the talent on the Eagles roster a deep layoff run is expected. If Vick helps make that happen then his signing will have been a major success. If the Eagles fall short of the goals, the move will be second-guessed in the offseason.
After one experiment Vick showed he can make plays. McNabb showed he can make more plays with Vick on the sideline.
It will be interesting to see how much Reid would use Vick if the Eagles get off to a 5-1 start featuring an offense that is clicking. Would adding Vick be worth the gamble of breaking up the team’s rhythm?
It might be. Then again, it might not. It was a gamble to sign Vick. Now fans will have to wait and see how often Reid wants to role the dice.
Who let the Fans shout
Unlike ESPN’s Matt Mosely, I believe Vick has not yet weathered the storm of public opinion in Philadelphia. The truth is, if you have been a fan for any length of time around here, you need to achieve BEFORE you are forgiven. That is if you start from neutral. Vick is starting from a negative position. The first botched play, there will be hell to pay. And being a superstar in a previous life, I don’t see Vick responding very well to the pressure.
The fans WILL boo Vick, WILL be hard on him, WILL expect him to be near perfect from the first snap, and WILL be plenty vocal about it if he is not. This is a fan base that booed McNabb when he was acquired with the number one pick over Ricky Williams. We all know now he was the better performing of the two players, but when McNabb has a bad day after ten years of proving himself, the fans still boo. Philly fans LOVE to boo.
Vick seems to be in good shape, but being in shape does not give you football timing. And I don’t care how many practices you have with the team, you don’t get the timing down until you PLAY in a game, something Vick has not done in 32 months.
I don’t want to predict any bad outcome for the Eagles as I have been waiting to see them play for about 9 months. But my gut, and my knowledge of people and how they react, especially to the gauntlet that is the Philly popularity contest, tells me Vick will make a quick exit whenever he actually gets into a game. Fortunately the Eagles have plenty of quarterbacks to pick from when they have to pull Vick.
I hope all this attention on a “reformed felon” does not detract from the rest of the team and the effort they are sure to put into tonight’s performance. I won’t be attending any games in continued silent protest of the Vick signing, but I will keep half an eye or ear on the event and hold my breath that the Eagles can pull out a win before getting their season underway.
The Michael Vick show begins
Intrigue.
That is what many Eagles fans are feeling heading into tonight’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The words “intrigue” and “preseason” don’t usually go together, but tonight is an exception with Michael Vick set to make his return to football and debut with the Eagles.
There are plenty of questions surrounding Michael Vick. Has two years out of football diminished his skills? In what role will the Eagles use Vick? How will the fans react in Vicks first home appearance?
Making things more intriguing is Andy Reid, who has yet to disclose how much playing time Vick will see tonight. Consider what Reid said about playing time just a couple of days ago. He said that Donovan McNabb and the first team offense would play the first three quarters. Reid then said third-year quarterback Kevin Kolb, who missed the Eagles first two preseason games, will play the forth quarter.
That doesn’t leave a whole lot of playing time for Vick.
The best guess is that Vick will play a series or two with the first offense subbing in or playing alongside McNabb. It’s hard to imagine that Reid would show off the wildcat formation in the preseason, so we should see Vick dropping back for a couple of plays. Then again, this is new frond for the Eagles so anything is possible.
Local and national TV will be all over this game and there is bound to be plenty of overreaction one way or another when this one is finished. How much it will really mean is open for debate.
Tonight promises to be preseason football like you rarely get to see it. Thursday night “Must-See TV” is back.
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