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Eagles Still Committed To McNabb Despite Skeptics
Jana Wallis - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
December 14, 2007 6:37 PM IRVING, Texas - He's been injured and now he's too cautious. Suddenly he doesn't produce enough points. He's not 100 percent and never will be again.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has been the recent subject of some harsh criticism in the town he once ruled heading into Sunday's 3:15 p.m. (CST) contest with the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.
But his head coach, Andy Reid, apparently doesn't agree with Philadelphia papers or the local radio talk shows, because he says there is no question McNabb will be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season and reassures everyone who bothers to ask McNabb is the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, period.
"I don't listen to [the critics] - I just don't go there," Reid said in a conference call earlier in the week. "You're talking about one of the greatest quarterbacks to play this game and the greatest one to play in Philadelphia. I don't get involved, I just let him play. People just ask me questions. I don't come out and make these statements.
"One of the questions was: 'Is Donovan going to be your quarterback the rest of the season?' And I said, 'Yes.'"
Barring another injury, of course, which Reid said would be the only scenario in which second-round draft pick Kevin Kolb of nearby Stephenville, Texas, might take snaps this season.
The vote of confidence from his coach is not lost on McNabb, but he said Wednesday he was never that concerned with his job security, even though the Eagles come to Texas Stadium with a 5-8 record to face the newly-crowned NFC East Division champion Cowboys (12-1) who can wrap up a first-round playoff bye with a victory Sunday.
"You always appreciate a confidence booster," said the 31-year-old McNabb, "but I think that was more for the fans and the critics who constantly have written or talked about me going elsewhere. Do I think it was good timing? I thought it could've been said earlier, but I haven't truly focused on that.
"My concern is to do whatever it takes right now for us to win games. It's good always to hear that you are the quarterback they have the confidence in to be here next year as well. I never doubted that that would be the situation. But hearing that, I guess it helps."
His coaches and teammates may be supportive of the quarterback through his trials but former teammate Terrell Owens, who is no stranger to harsh criticism, didn't have any words of wisdom to pass on to McNabb, having produced an 87.3 QB rating in 11 games, along with throwing three touchdown passes and six interceptions.
"Not my problem," T.O. said simply, putting the issue to rest with a self-approving grin.
After going down in Week 11 of last season with a torn ACL, McNabb returned in 2007 only to lose back-to-back season-opening games to Green Bay and Washington. He seemed to regain his spark against Detroit in Week 3, throwing for a season-high 381 yards and completing a season-high 80.8 percent of his passes (21-of-26) in the 52-21 victory, one of just two losses the Lions suffered in the first eight games.
But the ninth-year veteran ran into more bad injury luck in Week 11 at Miami. McNabb suffered a sprained ankle and swollen thumb that sidelined him for the New England and Seattle games after pushing the slow-starting Eagles to a 5-5 record. These two missed starts increased his total to 16 since the 2004 season and only compounded the skepticism floating around Philadelphia.
Plus, there the Eagles were with Kolb, from the University of Houston, whose selection immediately began raising some eyebrows over McNabb's continued future in Philadelphia. That the Eagles are 5-8, eliminated from the NFC East Division race with three games to go, losers of their last three and would likely need a three-game winning streak to have any chance of a possible wild-card berth, only fueled the swirling quarterback controversy.
But McNabb's injuries and all these quarterback issues do not guarantee a Cowboys victory at Texas Stadium on Sunday. Cowboys linebacker Bradie James knows all too well the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry often heats up in December and how McNabb has produced big games against the Cowboys over the years.
"He was moving around a lot (last week against the Giants)," said James of the narrow 16-13 loss. "Everyone knows that (knee) injury took a little bit out of him so he's not as spectacular as far as running, but he can run and he will put the team on his back to make plays and that's what he's been doing. That's what he's going to do.
"They haven't won the NFC East the past five or six years without doing what they do. So they're going to go out and do what they usually do which is make plays, run the ball. Donovan's going to run the ball, do some things with short passes and that's what makes them successful."
But while he doesn't doubt McNabb's abilities, James concedes the Eagles veteran quarterback may not be quite the center of attention on the Eagles' offense as maybe Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is on his.
"McNabb is back, but (Eagles running back Brian Westbrook) is really the guy that organizes the offense," James said of the Eagles' eighth-ranked offense.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips sees McNabb, and the entire Eagles team, as a legitimate threat to his squad's 12-1 record, knowing that four of the Eagles' eight losses have been by no more than four points.
"(McNabb) is moving around better than he was the first time we played them," said Phillips, realizing McNabb had returned from his ACL surgery but that he still appeared somewhat less mobile in that Cowboys' 38-17 victory back on Nov. 4. "He came off a knee (injury) and of course he was out awhile too, but (the Eagles) don't turn the ball over, he doesn't throw interceptions, they don't fumble the ball, they do all the things a solid good football team does.
"They play sound defense, they've got a great all-purpose guy in Westbrook. They are a good football team that lost some close games, so their results aren't what they wanted to be, but I still think they are a good team."
So while reporters continue to speculate on whether McNabb will be in Philly next year or if he ever will recapture his spectacular 2004 season performance (3,875 yards and 31 touchdowns), no one around Valley Ranch is writing him off.
Jana Wallis - Email
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
December 14, 2007 6:37 PM IRVING, Texas - He's been injured and now he's too cautious. Suddenly he doesn't produce enough points. He's not 100 percent and never will be again.
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has been the recent subject of some harsh criticism in the town he once ruled heading into Sunday's 3:15 p.m. (CST) contest with the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium.
But his head coach, Andy Reid, apparently doesn't agree with Philadelphia papers or the local radio talk shows, because he says there is no question McNabb will be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season and reassures everyone who bothers to ask McNabb is the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, period.
"I don't listen to [the critics] - I just don't go there," Reid said in a conference call earlier in the week. "You're talking about one of the greatest quarterbacks to play this game and the greatest one to play in Philadelphia. I don't get involved, I just let him play. People just ask me questions. I don't come out and make these statements.
"One of the questions was: 'Is Donovan going to be your quarterback the rest of the season?' And I said, 'Yes.'"
Barring another injury, of course, which Reid said would be the only scenario in which second-round draft pick Kevin Kolb of nearby Stephenville, Texas, might take snaps this season.
The vote of confidence from his coach is not lost on McNabb, but he said Wednesday he was never that concerned with his job security, even though the Eagles come to Texas Stadium with a 5-8 record to face the newly-crowned NFC East Division champion Cowboys (12-1) who can wrap up a first-round playoff bye with a victory Sunday.
"You always appreciate a confidence booster," said the 31-year-old McNabb, "but I think that was more for the fans and the critics who constantly have written or talked about me going elsewhere. Do I think it was good timing? I thought it could've been said earlier, but I haven't truly focused on that.
"My concern is to do whatever it takes right now for us to win games. It's good always to hear that you are the quarterback they have the confidence in to be here next year as well. I never doubted that that would be the situation. But hearing that, I guess it helps."
His coaches and teammates may be supportive of the quarterback through his trials but former teammate Terrell Owens, who is no stranger to harsh criticism, didn't have any words of wisdom to pass on to McNabb, having produced an 87.3 QB rating in 11 games, along with throwing three touchdown passes and six interceptions.
"Not my problem," T.O. said simply, putting the issue to rest with a self-approving grin.
After going down in Week 11 of last season with a torn ACL, McNabb returned in 2007 only to lose back-to-back season-opening games to Green Bay and Washington. He seemed to regain his spark against Detroit in Week 3, throwing for a season-high 381 yards and completing a season-high 80.8 percent of his passes (21-of-26) in the 52-21 victory, one of just two losses the Lions suffered in the first eight games.
But the ninth-year veteran ran into more bad injury luck in Week 11 at Miami. McNabb suffered a sprained ankle and swollen thumb that sidelined him for the New England and Seattle games after pushing the slow-starting Eagles to a 5-5 record. These two missed starts increased his total to 16 since the 2004 season and only compounded the skepticism floating around Philadelphia.
Plus, there the Eagles were with Kolb, from the University of Houston, whose selection immediately began raising some eyebrows over McNabb's continued future in Philadelphia. That the Eagles are 5-8, eliminated from the NFC East Division race with three games to go, losers of their last three and would likely need a three-game winning streak to have any chance of a possible wild-card berth, only fueled the swirling quarterback controversy.
But McNabb's injuries and all these quarterback issues do not guarantee a Cowboys victory at Texas Stadium on Sunday. Cowboys linebacker Bradie James knows all too well the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry often heats up in December and how McNabb has produced big games against the Cowboys over the years.
"He was moving around a lot (last week against the Giants)," said James of the narrow 16-13 loss. "Everyone knows that (knee) injury took a little bit out of him so he's not as spectacular as far as running, but he can run and he will put the team on his back to make plays and that's what he's been doing. That's what he's going to do.
"They haven't won the NFC East the past five or six years without doing what they do. So they're going to go out and do what they usually do which is make plays, run the ball. Donovan's going to run the ball, do some things with short passes and that's what makes them successful."
But while he doesn't doubt McNabb's abilities, James concedes the Eagles veteran quarterback may not be quite the center of attention on the Eagles' offense as maybe Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is on his.
"McNabb is back, but (Eagles running back Brian Westbrook) is really the guy that organizes the offense," James said of the Eagles' eighth-ranked offense.
Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips sees McNabb, and the entire Eagles team, as a legitimate threat to his squad's 12-1 record, knowing that four of the Eagles' eight losses have been by no more than four points.
"(McNabb) is moving around better than he was the first time we played them," said Phillips, realizing McNabb had returned from his ACL surgery but that he still appeared somewhat less mobile in that Cowboys' 38-17 victory back on Nov. 4. "He came off a knee (injury) and of course he was out awhile too, but (the Eagles) don't turn the ball over, he doesn't throw interceptions, they don't fumble the ball, they do all the things a solid good football team does.
"They play sound defense, they've got a great all-purpose guy in Westbrook. They are a good football team that lost some close games, so their results aren't what they wanted to be, but I still think they are a good team."
So while reporters continue to speculate on whether McNabb will be in Philly next year or if he ever will recapture his spectacular 2004 season performance (3,875 yards and 31 touchdowns), no one around Valley Ranch is writing him off.
