McNabb's Last Chance

Call me a hater, it's alright I can take it.

The Vikings lost Monday night to Jay Cutler and the Bears. I've actually always liked Cutler even though he is prone to turnovers; it may be because he is officially the only starting QB in the NFL with a double chin.

It seems as if the honeymoon period is over in Minnesota, and their failure means the Eagles can earn a coveted first round bye with a win this Sunday in Dallas.

I am ecstatic over this new development; the Eagles will need all the help they can get to finally win a Super Bowl. Sure, the Eagles have rifled off six in a row now, but their latest win over Denver was not convincing. In fact, it exposed the weakest part of the Eagles' offense, Donovan McNabb.

Run DMC is the limiting factor to this offense for the first time in his career. The Eagles offense is most talented and entertaining unit Andy Reid has ever put together. Donovan McNabb is good, but the rest of this offense is simply better.

The o-line has been patched up with duck tape and cardboard, yet they still form a solid pocket. Brent Celek is the most underrated tight end in the league. Leonard Weaver and Shady McCoy have added depth and a short yardage run game. Maclin keeps getting better while Avant is no slouch, and of course, Desean Jackson is one of the premier playmakers in the league.

If Desean Jackson ran any faster, he would solve the time/space continuum. No one can cover him on a crossing route, no one, yet Donovan made Champ Bailey look fantastic in coverage Sunday. Donovan consistently threw behind DJax, giving Champ time to recover and make diving deflections.

I have always been tired of Donovan's inconsistent accuracy; there are passes that he overthrows and there are also sinkers that would be more appropriate in baseball rather than football. But throwing behind Desean and Maclin is the most egregious, they're running crosses and slants yet they constantly have to slow down to catch McNabb's passes.

I'm worried that these errant passes will hurt us in the playoffs. I'm worried that I can name six quarterbacks in the league that I'd take in a heartbeat over McNabb, and that all these quarterbacks are in the playoffs. I'm worried that McNabb can still make plays on the ground, but for every run he makes, there are three wasted passes. I'm worried that McNabb is good, but he's not good enough to win a Super Bowl. I'm worried that the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight might not happen. (Did you know that Pacquiao has considered taking legal action against Mayweather for slandering and defamation, and he may still go through with lawsuit? Am I missing something? Why would Pacquiao, whose profession is knocking people out with his fists, want to settle this feud in anything other than a boxing ring?)

I'm convinced that McNabb lost the respect of his team after the Terrell Owens debacle. Andy Reid loves Donovan like a son, and instead of letting Donovan go, he let all the other veterans leave. Andy put together a young nucleus that don't even remember when TO was culturally relevant, and these young guys naturally look up to Donovan as he has been an icon in this league for a decade.

Andy has given Donovan his best oppurtunity to win a Super Bowl in an Eagles uniform. If Donovan can't handle it this year, then perhaps it's time we start the new decade with Kevin Kolb.