Does Donovan McNabb Really Fail in the Clutch?

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)

Eagles 33, Redskins 25, McNabb: 1-1, 57 yards, TD

Bears 19, Eagles 16, McNabb: 0-1, (last play of the game)

Redskins 20, Eagles 12, McNabb: 6-10, 69 yards (1-2 on fourth downs)

Green Bay Packers 16, Eagles 13, McNabb: 0-1 (last play of game)

2006

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Eagles 21, McNabb: 5-7, 84 yards, TD

New Orleans Saints 27, Eagles 24, McNabb: 0-0 (Offense didn't get the ball back)

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