POSTED 3:57 p.m. EST, November 7, 2007
MCNABB: IT'S NOT ALL MY FAULT
by Michael David Smith
Seeming perhaps a little too defensive, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb today said at his weekly press conference that he shouldn't get all the blame for the Eagles' 3-5 record.
"It's easy to blame the quarterback when the team loses, but
I'm definitely not the whole reason why we lost these
games," McNabb said. "I can definitely help - yes I can - but I [shouldn't get the full] blame for everything that goes on around here."
Those comments could be perceived as a dig at his teammates -- the logical extension of saying he's not the whole reason the Eagles lost five games is that some of his teammates also deserve blame.
Obviously, everyone knows that
football is a team sport, and that it's never
all the quarterback's fault when a team falls short of expectations. And since everyone knows that, McNabb would be better off leaving it unsaid, as saying it makes him come across as desperate to deflect criticism.
Earlier this week, Eagles coach Andy Reid was questioned about whether McNabb could be benched in favor of rookie Kevin Kolb, and although Reid said he supported McNabb, he added that "nothing is guaranteed."
When asked about that today, McNabb said, "I'm prepared to be the guy who can go out there and help us win games."