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Eagles: McNabb having fun showing off new, buff body
By BOB GROTZ, bobgrotz@aol.com08/22/2005
BALTIMORE -- The locker room was as congested as a Center City parking lot. You know, too many cars, too few spots, leave the keys, not responsible for lost or stolen property. In the middle of this invasion of media types, many of whom haven’t seen their abs since graduation, the new, lean Donovan McNabb was grinning and blurting out whatever came to mind while wave after wave trampled his modest carry-on bag. Eventually the traffic stopped on the doorstep of the Eagles’ quarterback.
"Feel free to stay in here and get to know the guys a little bit," McNabb barked to no one in particular. "We’d love to get to know you in these tight quarters."
McNabb had every reason to be loose. For the second straight week he’d shown his ridiculously inexperienced receiving corps how to win. This time he’d basically done so without their help, as Greg Lewis, rookie Reggie Brown and Billy McMullen combined for one catch.
McNabb’s 27-yard run from his 15-yard line on first down kick-started the drive that produced the Eagles’ only offensive touchdown in a 20-14 preseason victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
"I’ve got to be honest with you, I don’t like to see him run in the preseason," Andy Reid said. "He had a few people converging on him."
McNabb ended the series with a 51-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Westbrook. McNabb kept the play live despite a Ravens blitz before firing the pass to Westbrook, who faked out many of the same Ravens.
With Terrell Owens three area codes away, his groin not up to a game, it was important the Eagles take home something positive.
It wasn’t a case of, when all else fails, but rather whatever works against an accomplished blitzing defense in relative midseason form the way they were mixing man-to-man and zone coverage to confuse their inexperienced counterparts.
"We did what we had to do to do in order to put points on the board," McNabb said. "That’s the most important thing."
Doing it against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and Deion Sanders added confidence. It was a building block for a group of receivers that is far from a finished product, McNabb explained.
"We’re still working with the guys that are out here," McNabb said. "Obviously when we get T.O. back we’ll have everybody in form and hopefully we’ll continue to have our chemistry going to be consistent every week."
Owens returns to practice today, and the Eagles would like to get him into the third preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals this Friday.
McNabb doesn’t think the Eagles’ bid to return to the Super Bowl will be in jeopardy if he and Owens don’t connect in the preseason. The quarterback says the team practices against the starting defense are "like game tempo.
"That’s not to say that we don’t need game time together, because I think that would definitely help," McNabb said. "I look forward to us getting out on the field, possibly next week, and us taking full advantage of it."
At the same time, McNabb is aware Owens is frustrated about the front office’s refusal to renegotiate his contract, and that his primary target might not be there when he needs him. McNabb knows he might have to do a little more to make the players around him better. Fortunately for his teammates, McNabb is in amazing shape, and that should help.
McNabb says he weighs in the 230-pound range, near the middle to high end of the scale, after reporting to minicamp at a svelte 240 pounds.
Even Reid, who doesn’t like his quarterback subjected to hits, conceded McNabb is faster than the guy who only a couple of years ago was nearly as big and bulked as 260-pound linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.
"Yes, he looks fast," Reid said. "He’s in great shape. He came back in great shape. He’s worked very hard at that. He’s a naturally big athlete. To keep the weight down, that’s not an easy thing. He’s lean."
McNabb shrugged off the notion that he was better equipped to lift off this year when the pocket breaks down, saying he felt fast the last couple of years.
"My inspiration was to get a six-pack -- or at least a 31/2 pack, and be able to take my shirt off at the pool and feel comfortable instead of wearing a T-shirt around the pool," McNabb said. "For me, I challenge myself each year. I’m a guy that works hard in the weight room and at times you begin to get bulky. This year I just focused in on being leaner and having more muscle stamina. And I feel pretty good."
Just don’t expect McNabb to work on his abs doing sit-ups in front of his house in front of the media and neighbors a la his go-to receiver.
"Won’t be seeing any of that," McNabb said. "Keep the helicopters away from my house. But, hey, come November or December when it gets a little chilly, you always put your fat pack on and gain about three or four pounds. I just want to be able to stay lean and be able to take my shirt off in the snow and make some snowmen."
©The Daily Times 2005
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15075333&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6
By BOB GROTZ, bobgrotz@aol.com08/22/2005
BALTIMORE -- The locker room was as congested as a Center City parking lot. You know, too many cars, too few spots, leave the keys, not responsible for lost or stolen property. In the middle of this invasion of media types, many of whom haven’t seen their abs since graduation, the new, lean Donovan McNabb was grinning and blurting out whatever came to mind while wave after wave trampled his modest carry-on bag. Eventually the traffic stopped on the doorstep of the Eagles’ quarterback.
"Feel free to stay in here and get to know the guys a little bit," McNabb barked to no one in particular. "We’d love to get to know you in these tight quarters."
McNabb had every reason to be loose. For the second straight week he’d shown his ridiculously inexperienced receiving corps how to win. This time he’d basically done so without their help, as Greg Lewis, rookie Reggie Brown and Billy McMullen combined for one catch.
McNabb’s 27-yard run from his 15-yard line on first down kick-started the drive that produced the Eagles’ only offensive touchdown in a 20-14 preseason victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
"I’ve got to be honest with you, I don’t like to see him run in the preseason," Andy Reid said. "He had a few people converging on him."
McNabb ended the series with a 51-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Westbrook. McNabb kept the play live despite a Ravens blitz before firing the pass to Westbrook, who faked out many of the same Ravens.
With Terrell Owens three area codes away, his groin not up to a game, it was important the Eagles take home something positive.
It wasn’t a case of, when all else fails, but rather whatever works against an accomplished blitzing defense in relative midseason form the way they were mixing man-to-man and zone coverage to confuse their inexperienced counterparts.
"We did what we had to do to do in order to put points on the board," McNabb said. "That’s the most important thing."
Doing it against Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle and Deion Sanders added confidence. It was a building block for a group of receivers that is far from a finished product, McNabb explained.
"We’re still working with the guys that are out here," McNabb said. "Obviously when we get T.O. back we’ll have everybody in form and hopefully we’ll continue to have our chemistry going to be consistent every week."
Owens returns to practice today, and the Eagles would like to get him into the third preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals this Friday.
McNabb doesn’t think the Eagles’ bid to return to the Super Bowl will be in jeopardy if he and Owens don’t connect in the preseason. The quarterback says the team practices against the starting defense are "like game tempo.
"That’s not to say that we don’t need game time together, because I think that would definitely help," McNabb said. "I look forward to us getting out on the field, possibly next week, and us taking full advantage of it."
At the same time, McNabb is aware Owens is frustrated about the front office’s refusal to renegotiate his contract, and that his primary target might not be there when he needs him. McNabb knows he might have to do a little more to make the players around him better. Fortunately for his teammates, McNabb is in amazing shape, and that should help.
McNabb says he weighs in the 230-pound range, near the middle to high end of the scale, after reporting to minicamp at a svelte 240 pounds.
Even Reid, who doesn’t like his quarterback subjected to hits, conceded McNabb is faster than the guy who only a couple of years ago was nearly as big and bulked as 260-pound linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.
"Yes, he looks fast," Reid said. "He’s in great shape. He came back in great shape. He’s worked very hard at that. He’s a naturally big athlete. To keep the weight down, that’s not an easy thing. He’s lean."
McNabb shrugged off the notion that he was better equipped to lift off this year when the pocket breaks down, saying he felt fast the last couple of years.
"My inspiration was to get a six-pack -- or at least a 31/2 pack, and be able to take my shirt off at the pool and feel comfortable instead of wearing a T-shirt around the pool," McNabb said. "For me, I challenge myself each year. I’m a guy that works hard in the weight room and at times you begin to get bulky. This year I just focused in on being leaner and having more muscle stamina. And I feel pretty good."
Just don’t expect McNabb to work on his abs doing sit-ups in front of his house in front of the media and neighbors a la his go-to receiver.
"Won’t be seeing any of that," McNabb said. "Keep the helicopters away from my house. But, hey, come November or December when it gets a little chilly, you always put your fat pack on and gain about three or four pounds. I just want to be able to stay lean and be able to take my shirt off in the snow and make some snowmen."
©The Daily Times 2005
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15075333&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6
