If Kolb Started Last Week, Would The Eagles Have Defeated The Raiders?

As we approach Week Seven of the 2009 season, the Philadelphia Eagles are still scratching their heads trying to figure out what exactly went wrong in their 13-9 loss to the Oakland Raiders last Sunday.

The Eagles failed to take advantage of a Raiders' rushing defense ranked 26th in the NFL, rushing the ball just 14 times. On top of the few amount of rushing attempts, quarterback Donovan McNabb felt pressure all day as he was sacked six times and unable to help the offense find the end zone.

With the recent loss, many have once again questioned McNabb's ability to lead the Eagles to a come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter. Throughout his career, he has been  criticized for his inability to lead a game-winning drive, including the famous attempt from Super Bowl XXXIX where the Eagles lost to the New England Patriots 24-21.

In last weekend's game, the Eagles found themselves in a 4th-and-4 situation in Raider's territory late in the game. Instead of completing a play for a first down to keep the team's hopes alive, McNabb under-threw a pass deep to wide receiver DeSean Jackson, which was considered by some as the final dagger for any hope of a comeback against JaMarcus Russell and company.

After watching McNabb's under-thrown pass to Jackson, it brought back many unpleasant memories of other failed attempts at a fourth quarter comeback. One memory that comes to mind was last year's NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals when he under-threw a pass to wide receiver Kevin Curtis that could have kept the team's comeback hopes alive.

The main question spinning through the minds of Eagles' fans this week is whether or not the Eagles could have defeated the Raiders had Kevin Kolb played. Even though the "what if" factor is tough to apply to the NFL, one can't help but wonder what would have happened.

While McNabb rested a broken rib during Week Two and Three, Kolb stepped in and became the first quarterback in NFL history to record over 300 yards passing in his first two starts. In the two starts against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, he finished 55-of-85 for 718 and four touchdowns.

It may have been just two games, but Kolb's performance against the Saints and Chiefs made the city of Philadelphia more comfort with their supposed future franchise quarterback. With McNabb's horrendous performance (22-of-46 for 269 yards), the argument can be made that the game may of had a different outcome had Kolb been the starter. There most likely would have been fewer passes over and under-thrown to the Eagles' wide receivers.

Unfortunately, the week has passed and there is nothing the Eagles or McNabb can do about the loss to the Raiders. All they can do from here is focus on their next opponent, the Washington Redskins.

However, it's still fun to think "what could have been" if Kolb had started considering this is one of those games the Eagles will be kicking themselves about for the rest of the season.