Is there still something left in the tank for McNabb?
Donovan McNabb will have a fresh start.
No doubt about that as he will be with a new team at the start of the 2010 NFL football season. In case you didn’t know, he was traded to Washington, where he h
as been a welcomed addition. It now begs the question: Are the Eagles better off without him? Are the Redskins better with him? The answer could be yes to both.
You see, Donovan McNabb went to six Pro Bowls and led the Eagles to eight play-off appearances, five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl in 11 seasons. But he did not win the big one, and the organization decided to move on with Kevin Kolb at quarterback.
Though Kolb has started just two games in three seasons, he 
has received high praise from his coaches, teammates and analysts. He is considered a born leader who is well suited to run Philadelphia’s offense.
While McNabb was the starter in Philadelphia, the Washington Redskins had a revolving door at quarterback. They used 10 different starters in 11 years and only one made a Pro Bowl – Brad Johnson in 1999. Washington won only two playoff games during that time.
So, McNabb brings stability and a strong pedigree to a critical position. “I think it’s more psychological for the team, because everybody knows what he’s done,” Mike Sellers, the Washington full-back, said.
McNabb’s success in Philadelphia is tarnished somewhat by off-field issues. He was a model citizen, but seemingly always found himself in the middle of odd controversies. There was the famous booing on draft day, which he never forgot. There was Rush Limbaugh’s critical comments in 2003, the feud with Terrell Owens in 2005, the half-time benching in 2008, vomiting incidents in the huddle and three regular season-ending injuries.
McNabb angered his younger teammates last year when he said the Eagles showed their youth after a costly loss. The final straw for many fans and some radio talk-show hosts was McNabb’s air-guitar entrance on to the field before his final game – a 34-14 loss at Dallas in the playoffs. Would Drew Brees, Peyton Manning or Tom Brady act that way before a big game?
Kolb, the son of a football coach, takes a serious approach. He also leads in a quieter way. Teammates love Kolb’s confidence and intensity. They also relate better to him because he is just 26 and the average age of Philadelphia’s projected starters on offense is 25.3.
“Kevin reminds me of exactly what he is, that quarterback from Texas that you know is like, ‘Let’s kick some butt, take some names and have a good time doing it’,” Hank Baskett the Philadelphia wide receiver, said.
The Redskins on the other hand, say glowing things about McNabb. “It’s his swagger. Donovan comes in and he knows he can win a game for you,” Casey Rabach, the Washington center, said. “You know he can do great things. We have obviously seen a lot of him in the past from playing in the same division, and everyone is just as confident in his ability. It’s nice to have a guy like that around.”
Let’s see if both teams will still be happy after a couple of losses here and there.
Which team will win Super Bowl XLV? BetUS.com has the odds.
New Orleans Saints +900
Indianapolis Colts +800
New England Patriots +1000
Dallas Cowboys +1000
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