John Elway finished with back-to-back Super Bowl wins, how about McNabb?


We're all aware of the brilliant fashion in which John Elway was able to end his career.

After having to deal with the questions of whether or not he could win the big games, Elway finally silenced his critics by winning back-to-back Super Bowls to cap off his Hall of Fame career.

Elway had a stigma surrounding him since day one that perhaps he was just your typical soft quarterback. He refused to play for the Baltimore Colts, who had the first overall selection in the 1983 draft and needed a quarterback. Elway was the obvious choice, and everyone knew it.

He was so adamant that he would never play for the Baltimore Colts, and even went so far as to look into pursuing a professional baseball career with the New York Yankees by meeting with George Steinbrenner.

Well, the Colts called Elway on what they thought was a bluff and drafted him with their first overall selection. After it was made clear that Elway was not bluffing and would not play for them, they decided to give up on Elway and traded him to the Denver Broncos.

While Elway was forced to deal with the questions and was criticized for his childish act, it was nothing compared to what Donovan McNabb endures in Philadelphia.

The anti-Donovan McNabb speech has certainly slowed as of late, but it still roars whenever being discussed by the ignorant minority. Unfortunately for the well-educated and knowledgeable fans of Philadephia, the ignorant minority just happens to be the ones holding the microphones.

Yes, McNabb has never won a Super Bowl for Philadelphia, but neither has anyone else. However for some reason Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham are not hated in Philadelphia, but rather they are revered.

What can McNabb do to earn that same kind of respect ten years after his time in the City of Brotherly Love is over?

Well that's simple. He must do exactly what John Elway did to forever earn the respect of the people in Denver, and that's win some, or at least one, Super Bowl.



Why McNabb Might Finish His Career in the Same Fashion

McNabb and Elway are fairly similar in the way they play(ed) the game.

Like Elway, McNabb is a very mobile quarterback who has a knack for making a play outside of the pocket. He also has a way of making everyone around him play on a much higher level.

It is that kind of pure leadership that could have McNabb hoisting a Lombardi trophy sometime in the near future.

With a slew of new talent coming in during this offseason, the Eagles, on paper, are the best they've been since their Super Bowl season in 2004.

The rookies in Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, and Cornelius Ingram are all busting at the seams with potential and playmaking ability, and the newcomers add youth and arguably more talent to the team than they've ever seen.

The key to McNabb being able to copy what Elway did in his final two years will rest on the running game.

In the Super Bowls that Elway lost, he lost mainly because all the pressure was put on him. He didn't have much of a running attack to lean on, and as a result felt as though he had to do a whole lot more than he should have, which always leads to mistakes.

McNabb suffers from the same thing, but unlike Elway it's not a lack of talent as much as it is an unwillingness on the part of the play-caller to use the talent, and actually run the ball.

If Reid will commit to the run, and the rookies perform at even half the level that they're expected to, McNabb should be able to get the elusive Lombardi trophy that the entire city craves.



Why McNabb Might Not Finish His Career in the Same Fashion

Again, it all goes back to the running game.

If Reid will run the ball and take the pressure off of McNabb, the chances of Philadelphia finally getting a Super Bowl victory go up exponentially. If he doesn't, there is still a chance that McNabb could do it, but it becomes much less likely.

Also, Elway became much more willing to run at the end of his career, while McNabb seems to be holding back because he's afraid of earning the title "running quarterback."

If McNabb wants to win a Super Bowl, he'll have to use his legs to his advantage. Instead of looking at his ability to run as a negative, he needs to look at it as just another weapon at his disposal.

There are of course always questions with the rookies. They could be great, or they could all be flops, in which case McNabb's Super Bowl hopes are in trouble.

Then there's the line. Most people are taking the line for granted because of all the talent, but the fact is that for a line to be successful, it needs a lot more than talent.

Linemen need a chance to get together and jell as a unit. If that doesn't happen, you could have the five best linemen to ever play the game, but not have a great line.

Stacy Andrews being injured is going to hurt this process a great deal, and if he misses camp the line will be far behind schedule by the time Week 1 rolls around.

Linemen are creatures of habit, and if they don't get used to each other the Eagles will be looking at a tough couple of weeks to start the season.



What Will Happen in the Next Two Years for McNabb and the Eagles

With McNabb having the final two years of his contract re-worked, it appears as though he's guaranteed at least that long, if not longer.

If he wins a Super Bowl in that time span, I believe he will get a new deal to keep him here for maybe an extra three years through 2013.

While there's always a chance that the rookies won't work out it seems very unlikely given the incredible talent with this group. I see a few of these guys eventually turning into starters, and perhaps even Pro Bowl guys.

Most of the league expects that the Eagles will be contenders over these next two years, and could possibly go all the way. They certainly have the talent, that's not the issue, it's just a question of whether or not they can put it all together.

If I was a betting man I'd put my money on a Super Bowl victory and perhaps an MVP nod for McNabb. He's a dangerous man when he feels he has something to prove, as was shown in the last six weeks of the 2008 season after his benching.

And if McNabb can win at least one Lombardi before his time is out, he'll be a lock to wear that gold jacket and have a bust next to Elway in Canton.