Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
It is the NFL offseason in Philadelphia after the Eagles got slammed by the Cowboys on Saturday, which can only mean one thing: Eagles fans calling for Donovan McNabb's head. You can hear it on Philadelphia talk radio (note: I have not listened to it today, but that's what's happening, trust me) and you can read about it on any number of Eagles' blogs, including our own, excellent Bleeding Green Nation, where reaction is more evenly split than most places, but still skewed away from McNabb.
The arguments being made against McNabb more or less boil down to the following:
He can't win the big one, because he is a choker and does not have leadership skills. He's had his chance to win the big one and blown it every time. He can't complete short passes and holds the ball too long. He cannot lead and chokes in big games. Remember that time he threw up in the Super Bowl? He is a choker and will never win the big one.
Ok, so some opinions are more well reasoned than that (he does, in fact throw the ball into the ground often and does tend to hold on to the ball), but you get the idea: most of the negative reaction centers on the intangible things that you cannot measure because they are not real (H/T SBNation.com Senior Editor Chris Mottram). In the things you can measure, McNabb has been a franchise player, one of the greatest players in Eagles history (a franchise that hasn't won a Super Bowl with any quarterback) and one of the top 5 or 10 quarterbacks of his generation.
Apparently, Andy Reid is sensible enough (at this point at least) to see that, as he announced today that McNabb would return as the starter for the Eagles next year. Will Donovan McNabb win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia? Maybe not. In fact, as he only has one year left on his contract and only one team wins the Super Bowl every year, the odds probably aren't in his favor at this point. But, he did just turn in one of his best statistical seasons ever and certainly gives the Eagles the best chance to win next year. That counts for something, right?
4 comments
Comments
They're really just going to trade him for draft picks
because he will leave as a free agent next year anyways
by Jcrew1179 on Jan 11, 2010 9:04 PM EST reply actions
With recent draft history
how is that better than one more season of McNabb?
"It was almost like if Harry didn't call it, it wasn't real." - Jayson Stark
SB Nation
by Chris Haines on Jan 12, 2010 7:22 AM EST up reply actions
Man, Eagles fans. SMH.
by Ryan Hudson on Jan 11, 2010 11:22 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Donovan McNabb
Who else is available? McNabb went to the conference finals five times. How many times have the Eagles been to the Super Bowl since the game began? Like him or not D. McNabb might be the best QB in eagles history. That might not say much considering most of us probably only remember Jaworski, Cunningham and McNabb. Westbrook was hurt all season, the recieving corps are very young. Drew Brees has emerged as one of the best in the league, Tony Romo and Eli Manning are in the same division and Brett Favre to this point has found the fountain of youth, so where is your QB coming from. Free agency? The draft? Lets not forget the eagle D did not show up against the Cowboys for two weeks and it is tough to play from behind. Total team meltdown over the past two weeks. Oh yeah lets not forget the NFC Title game when the eagles were right there and the D gave it up!
by bostonsonlyjetfan on Jan 12, 2010 11:26 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
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