In Defense of Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Kevin Kolb

Despite playing in just three games so far in his three-year career, Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Kevin Kolb has taken more heat from fans then Kanye West did after he stole the microphone from Taylor Swift at this year’s VMA’s.

From a Philadelphia fan’s point of view, when looking at the four quarterbacks on the Eagles’ roster (McNabb, Kolb, Michael Vick, and Jeff Garcia), Kolb seems to be the last option anyone wants to see taking snaps for the Birds.

They wonder why A.J. Feeley was released when he seemed to be the better fit as a backup quarterback. They wonder why not start Garcia after what he did for the team at the end of the 2006 season. They wonder why not start Vick considering his blazing speed and ability to run the ball as a quarterback.

The fans from the City of Brotherly Love can say whatever they want about head coach Andy Reid’s decision to play Kolb at quarterback. They can be upset and say whatever they want about his performances n the three games he’s played in during his short career. However, the truth is Kolb deserves a break after all the heat he has taken.

As an Eagles fan, I will be the first to admit that I have taken my fair-share of shots at the way Kolb has performed with the Eagles. At times, I too would wonder how Reid could have so much faith in a player like Kolb. After last weekend’s game against the New Orleans Saints, it finally hit me that we need to give this kid a break and cut him some slack.

Kolb’s first real-game action came against the Baltimore Ravens last season when McNabb was benched after a horrendous first half. His first experience in a NFL game came against a defense that has built a reputation this decade for having some of the most ferocious defenders this game has ever seen.

After spending his first season-and-a-half as a backup, Kolb found himself facing a Ravens team that finished second in the NFL last season to the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to total defense. Not to mention Kolb was already at a disadvantage since the game was being played in Baltimore.

In his first real performance as an Eagle, Kolb struggled, finishing just 10-of-23 for 73 yards and two interceptions, including an interception by Ed Reed that was returned 107 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles ended up losing 36-7 in a game that was arguably one of the worst losses of the season considering how embarrassing the team’s performance was.

When Kolb replaced McNabb against the Carolina Panthers opening weekend this season, there was nothing for fans to be upset with him about other than low passing numbers and a lost fumble. He finished 7-of-11 for just 23 yards, but threw zero interceptions. Not to mention the scenario this time around was far different from the one with the Ravens since the Eagles had already established a 38-10 lead.

Last weekend, Kolb made his first career start against the Saints since McNabb was dealing with a cracked rib injury from the game against the Panthers. The matchup seemed to be decent for a quarterback making his first career starts considering the Saints were ranked 23rd last season when it came to defense and gave up 27 points to the Detroit Lions, who finished 0-16 last season, the week before.

Despite the Eagles horrendous 48-22 loss to the Saints, Kolb shouldn’t be blamed for his performance. Fans can say what they want about the way he played and the decisions he made, but the truth is he is inexperienced and until he gains enough experience in the NFL, he’s going to have to deal with the learning process.

Reid said it best after the game when he discussed how Kolb did some things that were good and did some things that were bad in his first career start against the Saints. He looked impressive during the first drive as he found DeSean Jackson for a 71-yard touchdown, but struggled in the second half as he tried to help lead a comeback for the Eagles.

In Kolb’s defense, he was not the problem or the reason why the Eagles lost the game against the Saints last Sunday; the defense and the special teams failed to give him the support he needed to take pressure off when he was on offense.

When Kolb helped kill over eight minutes off the clock to help David Akers kick a field goal to tie the game 10-10 with a little over two minutes left in the second half, the defense allowed the Saints to march 54 yards in just 37 seconds to score a touchdown.

On the first play of the second half, defensive back Ellis Hobbs fumbled the kickoff to allow Heath Evans to score three plays later. All of a sudden, the Eagles trailed 24-13 and there was more pressure on Kolb to throw the ball more to help try and lead a comeback.

From a quarterback’s point of view, a football game is much easier with a decent effort from the defense. In Sunday’s loss to the Saints, the Eagles defense was picked apart by Drew Brees, who finished 25-of-34 for 311 yards and three touchdowns.

Their lack of support left Kolb no other choice but to throw the ball more than he preferred to in the second half and even tried to force a few passes to his receivers in desperation.

Against the Saints, Kolb set the NFL record for most passing yards in a single game for a quarterback making their first career start with 391, which was also the 12th highest total yards in a single game in Eagles history.

The fans can say what they want about No. 4, but the truth is Kolb isn’t as bad as most people make him out to be. Sure, he had a disastrous game against the Ravens, but most players would in their second year, especially if they never really played their rookie season.

The Eagles may have come up on the wrong end of the blowout in the 48-22 loss against the Saints. However, the lack of defense and special teams had a major influence on the outcome of that game. It’s not fair to blame Kolb for his decisions at quarterback considering the position the defense and special teams put him in.

Look for Kolb to bounce back against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday as the Eagles get one more home game before they head into the bye week. If he gets enough support from his defense and special teams, kind of like McNabb did against the Panthers, Kolb may be looking at his first career win as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com