Hit the brakes folks, McNabb isn't going anywhere.
This is the last time I'll address the Donovan McNabb situation. That is, until next offseason when all the questions and calls for his head begin again.
Let me lay it out for everyone: Donovan McNabb is the franchise quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. The man who drafted him just signed a three-year extension because of the work that his franchise quarterback has put in over his 11 years in Philly. Andy Reid has always stuck by McNabb, and that will not change any time soon.
I will be the first one to say what an idiot I was if McNabb is playing elsewhere next year, but I'm more than confident that is not going to happen.
Some articles are coming out now about how McNabb is apparently not yelled at and scolded the way other players are when they mess up. The talk is that Reid will let McNabb get away with anything and never yell at him, no matter how badly he screws up.
First off, I don't buy that. I would love to talk to some of his offensive teammates, maybe the other quarterbacks, and ask what goes on in their meetings behind closed doors.
But let's assume for a second that it's true. Let's assume that McNabb escapes Reid's wrath more often that the other guys. Is it really that unheard of for a coach to be more relaxed and lenient with his quarterback?
He's the leader of the team, so Reid can't exactly tear him apart in front of the other players. If he would, we'd have people complaining that he's undermining McNabb's role as the leader of the team -- which would be true.
You can't ask a man to be a leader and then tear him down in front of the men he's supposed to lead. It simply does not work that way.
Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi once went at it because Lombardi barked at Starr on the field in front of every. Starr made the same argument to Lombardi that I am making now, and Lombardi never again yelled at Starr in public.
And then to say that McNabb is not being held accountable is ridiculous and simply untrue. Was I the only one who saw him get benched at halftime of the Ravens game last year? Maybe I was watching a different Philadelphia Eagles with a different Donovan McNabb and a different Andy Reid. It's my fault, really.
It's these types of baseless statements that result in all the talk of getting rid of a future Hall of Fame quarterback. People in the media, in bars, or in their own living room with their friends, just say whatever they want because it supports their own nonsencial and baseless opinions.
For another example, it's being tossed around that McNabb's skills are declining, and have been for a few years now. Really? Well, Pro-Football-Reference.com (one of the best sites ever compiled) begs to differ.
2007: 14 games played, 19 TDs, 7 INTs, 3,324 yards, 61.5 completion percentage
2008: 16 games played, 23 TDs, 11 INTs, 3,916 yards, 60.4 completion percentage
2009: 14 games played, 22 TDs, 10 INTs, 3,553 yards, 60.3 completion percentage
Three years of over 60 percent of his passes completed, and this past season, were it not for an obvious late hit that broke one of his ribs, it's safe to assume he would have at least matched his numbers from '08. One touchdown and 363 yards in two games is definitely something McNabb could have done, especially with one of those games coming against the Chiefs.
But that's really not all that important.
The bottom line is that McNabb has steadily gotten better as the years have gone by, not worse, like many are blindly saying.
If you want to criticize McNabb because he's not always the most accurate guy, or because he sometimes tries to force a pass rather than taking off and running like we know he can, then fine.
I'm behind that line of thinking, but every quarterback has his weaknesses. The difference is that only in Philly can a quarterback run for his life all day, avoid about a dozen sacks, and still get all the blame.
The offensive line was awful. The receivers could not get open. The running backs could not hit the small holes when they were there on occasion. The only logical conclusion? It's Donovan McNabb's fault.
Okay, where do I hop off this crazy train?