It’s quite interesting to watch Donovan McNabb play quarterback in person as opposed to on television. In person when McNabb overthrows a receiver or short-arms one that darts to its target’s feet, it’s bad. At times when McNabb misses, he really misses. He leaves no doubt.
But on television it doesn’t look nearly as bad. Whether it’s the camera angle or some sort of magic makeup, the errant passes appear to be nothing more than bad timing. Unless one is sitting in the stadium and staring down at the action on the field, they really don’t get to see how wild some of the throws are. It’s a good thing the ball doesn’t create much in the way of sound effects because sometimes there could be outbreaks of stadium-wide tinnitus.
But when he connects… yeah, look out.
In throwing for 300 yards on 23-of-34 passing, McNabb continued his transformation since the unceremonious benching in the nasty 36-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens just six weeks ago. That game in Baltimore might have been the low point not just in the season for McNabb and the Eagles, but also the most humiliating moment of the quarterback’s career. Oh sure, a lot of Hall-of-Famers got the hook on occasion. Johnny Unitas was sent from Baltimore to the San Diego where he finished his career on the bench.
Even Joe Montana was traded away from San Francisco to make way for Steve Young. Heck, if a player is lucky enough to stick around they will eventually get replaced. That’s just how it works for everyone – Johnny Unitas, Joe Montana and Donovan McNabb included.*
But make no mistake, the biggest variable is that the Eagles seem to be a much better team when McNabb is on the field. After all, the Eagles are headed to the Divisional round of the playoffs for the fourth time in a season in which McNabb has played in every game.
Not so coincidentally, the Eagles have advanced to the divisional round in each of the seasons in which McNabb has played in all 16 regular-season games.
So just when we thought it was all over in Philadelphia and that Game 16 would be the very last for the lightning rod of a QB, it appears as if the Eagles, their fans and McNabb are stuck with each other for a little while longer. Based on the comments from owner Jeffrey Lurie to The Boston Globe last weekend it looks like we can debate his future all over again in 2009.
Is that so bad? With a contract that calls for $9.2 million in ’09 and $10 million in ’10, is McNabb a bargain?
Maybe. Hey, maybe McNabb has figured out a way to connect with everyone.
“Donovan has had a very good year, but it also has had its ups and downs,” Lurie told The Boston Globe. “You have to know, in this sport, especially at the quarterback position, you're going to have your ups and downs. Hopefully the ups are predominant, and he’s proven with him at quarterback, you have a very good chance of winning and winning big.”
Nope, that doesn’t sound like Lurie was talking about a guy on his way off to another team.
It still doesn’t explain what “clicked” after the benching in Baltimore. Nor does it reveal how McNabb could throw 10 picks in the first 11 games with seven over a stretch of four games, yet give it away just once in the final five regular-season games.
How could a guy nearly be run out of town with a big chunk of the season remaining yet quarterback the team to a franchise record for points in a season?
And now Lurie told The Boston Globe he has, “every intention of having him back.”
Wow!
“He looked so calm,” head coach Andy Reid said about McNabb’s demeanor on the field during Sunday’s victory over the Vikings. “He hung in there a few times and made some huge throws, particularly when we didn't have the field position and he was able to change it around on them.”
Maybe that’s it… maybe McNabb is simply playing like he has nothing else to lose? Maybe he figures he has just a few more shots left with the Eagles and he might as well use them?
Maybe he didn’t figure he was going to put himself in a spot to get another shot.
At least that’s the way it looked from in person and on TV.