As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I am approaching my breaking point with this team.
One more heartbreaking loss, and I think I am going to go crazy.
Now, someone needs to be blamed for all of these losses.
I recently wrote an article ripping our head coach, Andy Reid, to shreds. While I still believe that many of the losses are the fault of Reid, the bottom line is that the head coach is not one of the 11 men on the field executing plays.
Someone needs to take the blame for these losses.
Is it the whole team or is it the one man that everyone points the finger to after every single loss? Is it quarterback Donovan McNabb?
The decline of the Philadelphia Eagles began in the 2005 season. Since 2005, the Eagles are 4-12 in games decided by six points or fewer. This only includes games with Donovan McNabb at quarterback. It doesn't count the two losses with A.J. Feeley in 2007 or the four close games with Jeff Garcia in 2006 (three wins, one loss.)
I have personally gone over the play-by-play of every single Eagles game since 2005 to determine whether or not Donovan McNabb is truly at fault for the Eagles' inability to win close games.
In my list, I am including every game in which the Eagles were tied or trailing by one score with under five minutes to play.
So if the Eagles win 38-24, but the game is tied with five minutes remaining, Donovan's passing statistics will be counted until the Eagles have taken the lead. (I did not count spikes to stop the clock.) But if the Eagles lose 20-10, Donovan's statistics will not count, because they were not within one score.
2008
New York Giants 36, Eagles 31, McNabb: 1-2, 17 yards
Washington Redskins 23, Eagles 17, McNabb: 0-0 (Offense didn't get the ball back)
Chicago Bears 24, Eagles 20, McNabb: 1-1, 14 yards (last play of the game)
Dallas Cowboys 41, Eagles 37, McNabb: 2-6, 17 yards
2007
Giants 16, Eagles 13, McNabb: 4-5, 63 yards (failed on 4th-and-6 pass attempt)
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about 1 month ago
On the other hand, purely from an objective perspective ...
In the three season before McNabb became they're starting QB, the Eagles went 6-9-1, 3-13 and 5-11, and were an NFL afterthought.
Since then, they've gone 11-5, 11-5, 12-4, 12-4, 13-3, 6-10, 10-6 and 8-8, made the playoffs six times, won an NFC title, played in four conference title game, won the NFCE five times and put gray hair on a lot of Redskins fans heads.
Is he a Hall of Famer? Probably not--his tendency to McHurl or McChoke in the biggest games will probably keep him out. They have new carpet in Canton, and who needs that? But I think it would be fair to say the man put the Philadelphia Eagles back on the NFL map and has had, by any measure other than the HOF, a pretty damn good career.
Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I'll go take a shower.
about 1 month ago
You're missing my point. I'm well aware that he is a great quarterback. I'm saying he deserves the blame placed on him for the Eagles inability to win close games.
about 1 month ago
Oh, I didn't miss it ... I was just riffing on it. Hey, it's Friday.
Bottom line I agree. Donovan will likely be remembered as the guy who took the homecoming queen to the prom in his shiny new Beemer he bought with his summer intern money, but saw her go home with the kid with the Harley.
from about 1 month ago
There ya go. Yup.
about 1 month ago
Yes. He does.
about 1 month ago
6-14, 56 yards after 5 min left in 4th quarter of Cincinnati game.
about 1 month ago
You go through all that trouble looking up the stats, and when they fail to prove your argument, you resort to anecdotal evidence. That's what happens when you reach a conclusion before bothering with the facts.
from about 1 month ago
I have absolutely no clue what you are talking about. Are you trying to somehow support the idea the McNabb doesn't regularly fail in the clutch?
I think my stats do prove my argument. We don't win close games. That's the quarterback's job.
about 1 month ago
McNabb sucks he got to go home he is the worst, always failing in the clutch, Andy Reed got to go home too
about 1 month ago
If McNabb has any sense at all, he will walk out of the City of Philadelphia with his head held high, hook up with another team that has a star receiver and a decent defense and running game and he will be wearing a Super Bowl ring. And I hope when he does it, he will say "KISS MY AAArmpit...." to the ingrates from Philly. Can you say Randall Cunningham, MVP, Minnesota Vikings?? (okay, they didn't win the big one either, but I suppose that Gary Anderson's NOT a perfect season Choke was also Cunningham's fault!!!) I say, to McNabb, keep that smile on your face and get you revenge the old-fashioned way - on the football field...
about 1 month ago
I was appalled at the negative media blitz over the entire McNabb saga - over something so inconsequential, no less. Most of it comes out of Philly of course. Ben Rothlesberger came to his defense in an interview on Pittsburgh TV as did many other sports analysts that do not distort their perspective by one factor which is winning the SuperBowl. The bottom line is, guys and I don't care if its a cliche or not, but he can not do it all. I agree SOMETHING isn't right, this team seems like it should have been at least to a couple of Superbowls, but someone from Philly needs to read your stats regarding McNabb's win-loss record and take pause to think about what life was like in Philly PRE-McNabb. But he hasn't won the BIG ONE and that's all that matters to these selfish fans (can you say Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton etc...!) If McNabb has any sense at all, he will walk out of the City of Philadelphia with his head held high, hook up with another team that has a star receiver and a decent defense and running game and he will be wearing a Super Bowl ring. And I hope when he does it, he will say "KISS MY AAArmpit...." to the ingrates from Philly. Can you say Randall Cunningham, MVP, Minnesota Vikings?? (okay, they didn't win the big one either, but I suppose that Gary Anderson's NOT a perfect season Choke was also Cunningham's fault!!!) I say, to McNabb, keep that smile on your face and get you revenge the old-fashioned way - on the football field...
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