Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid: Shouldering Too Much Blame

The Philadelphia Eagles are a pretty good team, but have been knocking at the door of a Superbowl win, unsuccessfully, for many years now.

Instinctively, many Eagles fans have been blaming Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid for these loses, especially when they are not all that popular in Philly to begin with. The blame is heightened when you compare them to other Eagles franchise players or head coaches of the past.

McNabb's and Reid's personalities don't exactly fit the city of Philadelphia.

Instead of blue collared and emotional like the head coaches of the past, Reid is very quiet, calm, patient, and often takes the Eagles behind closed doors. He's a coach, not a player and it's his job to guide his players through the playbook. He asks his players, and doesn't demand.

McNabb will talk to the media and isn't exactly shy. But if you compare him to some former Eagles players like Terrell Owens, Randall Cunningham, and Chuck Benedarik, McNabb might as well be afraid of cameras.

Also, McNabb is a quarterback who doesn't like taking hits and has made poor decisions that led to interceptions. Two things which piss off the citizens of Philadelphia the most.

Even though McNabb and Reid aren't anything like Philly, they want to be there.

Eagles fans hear me out, YOU SHOULD WANT THEM TO BE THERE.

McNabb is the best quarterback over the last decade without a ring and Reid is arguably the best head coach ever without a ring. Reid has earned Coach of the Year honors twice!

They have won more than any Eagles coach or quarterback in the history of the franchise in both big games and accumulative effort ever since the 1940's!

They've gone to four NFC championship games, but of course things didn't go so well once they won one.

Many will blame McNabb and Reid for the Superbowl loss.

After all, they are the head coach and quarterback, which many believe to be the two most important figures in determining the outcomes of big games. But I think at least McNabb is shouldering too much of the game.

Many will remember the three interceptions he threw in their Superbowl loss. But there were other players who didn't fare so well, either: the offensive line and Brian Westbrook.

The New England Patriots entered the game with five linebackers who stopped McNabb from scrambling and Westbrook from getting much yards. They also put the pressure on McNabb, as he was sacked four times.

A lineman vs. a linebacker should be a favorable match up for the offense. Linemen are bigger and devote all of their time to blocking equally big, strong, and faster defensive lineman.

Yet, the line failed to block for Westbrook and McNabb, causing the QB to shoulder too much of the load.

Even so, many fans insist that McNabb screwed up on the final drive.

I disagree.

During that drive, Westbrook caught a pass in bounds but didn't gain any yardage, forcing the Eagles to run a hurry-up offense, resulting in an incompletion.

The next play was a pass which would have been within the grasp of LJ Smith if he reached out just a little further.

Also, McNabb has done great this year so far, considering that Westbrook is probably fantasy football's great disappointment—honestly, he's 23rd running the football. Last year, McNabb abounded them and now Westbrook thinks it's okay to give them payback.

McNabb doesn't have that many weapons (exception: DeShaun Jackson) yet, he's fourth in total passing yards above the legendary Peyton Manning (fifth).

Fans may not like McNabb or Reid, but the experts do. McNabb has been elected to five consecutive Pro Bowls, and has won many awards.

Reid is a two-time Coach of the Year. I think eagles fans are just too whiny.

With the Philadelphia Phillies winning the city's first title since the late '80s, suddenly Eagles fans insist that it's time for change.

They want a new quarterback, a new coach, but with all the same players?

The Eagles aren't that good, and where exactly will you find a better head coach or quarterback willing to come to Philly?