Philly.com: Romo is division's ruling quarterback
By Ray Parrillo
Inquirer Staff Writer
Andy Reid realizes the notion is bouncing around like a loose football. It's a notion debated by Eagles fans everywhere, more strenuously by some than others, and even by the most devout Donovan McNabb loyalists, whose number is dwindling.
And it's a notion that intensified in Sunday night's season-crushing 38-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Is the franchise quarterback in decline?
As expected, the Eagles' head coach defended McNabb at yesterday's postmortem news conference, saying that the sluggishness of the Eagles' offense was not the fault of one player and that he did not believe a change at quarterback was necessary.
At least not yet.
But when asked if he could say with absolute certainty that, barring injury, McNabb would be his quarterback for the remainder of the season, Reid left a slight opening.
"Yeah, that's where I'm looking at things," he said. "Again, nothing is guaranteed in things. That's how I'm looking at it, yes."
Just as it's easy to forget what a mess the Eagles were at quarterback before Reid selected McNabb second overall in the 1999 draft, it's easy to understand the theory that his best years are behind him.
In the last 23 regular-season games McNabb has started, the Eagles are 9-14. Take away the four touchdown passes he threw in the win over Detroit, and McNabb has only five touchdown passes in seven games this season. He ranks ninth in the NFC in completion percentage, ninth in third-down passing, and 11th in fourth-quarter passing.
Although McNabb may eventually regain his explosive running ability, it hasn't been there since he returned from last season's major knee injury. Too often, McNabb seems indecisive in the pocket and reluctant to throw downfield. Too often, he holds the ball too long.
"It's easy to point fingers at one guy, but I don't think that's where we're at right now," Reid said.
Reid added that dropped balls and defensive pressure had factored into McNabb's struggle, and he credited the Cowboys' defense for taking away plays designed to go downfield.
"So there are other things involved, too," he said. "I'm not saying there aren't plays that Donovan would like to have back. I think everybody's got a little piece of the pie."
If the Cowboys' convincing win signaled a changing of the guard in the NFC East, where the Eagles have finished first in five of the last six seasons, it also made a statement that Tony Romo had replaced McNabb as the division's ruling quarterback. Romo was nearly flawless, completing 20 of 25 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating was a gaudy 141.7. He was more mobile in the pocket than McNabb and more in command of his offense, which clearly had more weapons than the Eagles'.
"He played like a top-rated quarterback," Eagles defensive end Trent Cole said.
McNabb had two killer turnovers in the first half, which resulted in two Dallas touchdowns - a fumble on a sack that the Cowboys recovered on the Eagles' 37-yard line on the game's first play from scrimmage, and a game-turning interception by free safety Ken Hamlin that was returned to the Eagles' 14 just before halftime. McNabb's passer rating for the game was a grim 64.0.
"It was a coverage sack," McNabb said of the fumble. "I just tried to find an open lane to run. I didn't see [the Cowboys' Marcus Spears] behind me. He did an excellent job of tomahawking it and knocking it out of my hand."
Reid said McNabb's turnovers couldn't be blamed on his knee injury.
"The fumble, obviously you've got to keep two hands on the ball when you're in the pocket, and if you can get rid of it, get rid of it," Reid said. "If not, you take off and go. The primary thing there was keeping two hands on the ball. I don't think that has anything to do with the injury. And then the interception, he tried to squeeze one in there, and he had a couple guys on him. I don't think that has anything to do with the injury."
The bottom line is that the offense revolves around McNabb. If he hasn't been the problem, then he hasn't been the solution, either
Inquirer Staff Writer
Andy Reid realizes the notion is bouncing around like a loose football. It's a notion debated by Eagles fans everywhere, more strenuously by some than others, and even by the most devout Donovan McNabb loyalists, whose number is dwindling.
And it's a notion that intensified in Sunday night's season-crushing 38-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Is the franchise quarterback in decline?
As expected, the Eagles' head coach defended McNabb at yesterday's postmortem news conference, saying that the sluggishness of the Eagles' offense was not the fault of one player and that he did not believe a change at quarterback was necessary.
At least not yet.
But when asked if he could say with absolute certainty that, barring injury, McNabb would be his quarterback for the remainder of the season, Reid left a slight opening.
"Yeah, that's where I'm looking at things," he said. "Again, nothing is guaranteed in things. That's how I'm looking at it, yes."
Just as it's easy to forget what a mess the Eagles were at quarterback before Reid selected McNabb second overall in the 1999 draft, it's easy to understand the theory that his best years are behind him.
In the last 23 regular-season games McNabb has started, the Eagles are 9-14. Take away the four touchdown passes he threw in the win over Detroit, and McNabb has only five touchdown passes in seven games this season. He ranks ninth in the NFC in completion percentage, ninth in third-down passing, and 11th in fourth-quarter passing.
Although McNabb may eventually regain his explosive running ability, it hasn't been there since he returned from last season's major knee injury. Too often, McNabb seems indecisive in the pocket and reluctant to throw downfield. Too often, he holds the ball too long.
"It's easy to point fingers at one guy, but I don't think that's where we're at right now," Reid said.
Reid added that dropped balls and defensive pressure had factored into McNabb's struggle, and he credited the Cowboys' defense for taking away plays designed to go downfield.
"So there are other things involved, too," he said. "I'm not saying there aren't plays that Donovan would like to have back. I think everybody's got a little piece of the pie."
If the Cowboys' convincing win signaled a changing of the guard in the NFC East, where the Eagles have finished first in five of the last six seasons, it also made a statement that Tony Romo had replaced McNabb as the division's ruling quarterback. Romo was nearly flawless, completing 20 of 25 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating was a gaudy 141.7. He was more mobile in the pocket than McNabb and more in command of his offense, which clearly had more weapons than the Eagles'.
"He played like a top-rated quarterback," Eagles defensive end Trent Cole said.
McNabb had two killer turnovers in the first half, which resulted in two Dallas touchdowns - a fumble on a sack that the Cowboys recovered on the Eagles' 37-yard line on the game's first play from scrimmage, and a game-turning interception by free safety Ken Hamlin that was returned to the Eagles' 14 just before halftime. McNabb's passer rating for the game was a grim 64.0.
"It was a coverage sack," McNabb said of the fumble. "I just tried to find an open lane to run. I didn't see [the Cowboys' Marcus Spears] behind me. He did an excellent job of tomahawking it and knocking it out of my hand."
Reid said McNabb's turnovers couldn't be blamed on his knee injury.
"The fumble, obviously you've got to keep two hands on the ball when you're in the pocket, and if you can get rid of it, get rid of it," Reid said. "If not, you take off and go. The primary thing there was keeping two hands on the ball. I don't think that has anything to do with the injury. And then the interception, he tried to squeeze one in there, and he had a couple guys on him. I don't think that has anything to do with the injury."
The bottom line is that the offense revolves around McNabb. If he hasn't been the problem, then he hasn't been the solution, either
posted by The Gryphon at 7:27 PM
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