Excerpts from New T.O. Book Released

[Feva]

Two games against the Giants in 2001 popped immediately into my mind... the 10-9 win on the pass to Thrash and the win that won us the East.  Remember, McNabb made that drive late to put us up by 3. 

That game should have been out of reach - the Giants got stopped inside their own 10 three times and were forced to kick FG's.  I was at the game... the fans were pissed.  McNabb gets some credit, sure... but I seem to recall him getting a very short field on that last drive.

And the one later in the year (which I was also at), the only reason he was able to finish that drive was a bogus defensive holding call on the Giants.

I just can't believe any true Eagle fan would actually try to defend McNabb as a super-awesome crunch-time QB.  Next, you'll be telling us that his downfield vision and decision-making are stellar beyond all belief...

He is what he is - a very good quarterback.  But he is certainly not a great one.  Yet.

Ah... I get it.  When he pulls out a win, it's because there are a whole lot of other factors involved like the defense, the refs, etc. but when he can't do it and the Eagles lose, it all falls on him and it's because he's not clutch.  Perfect example, in the SB... everyone says McNabb "choked" and I've heard tons of people say he single-handedly lost them the game... but no one ever wants to acknowledge the fact that the defense let the Pats score on 4 out of 5 possessions beginning in the 2nd quarter.  No one ever mentions the 20 yards of run support he got from the running game... the next to no time he got from the o-line.  All anyone wants to talk about are the interceptions... which don't get me wrong... are on him and they definitely did some damage to our chances, but it was far from the only factor. Y'na mean?

I'm not saying that McNabb is a "super-awesome crunch-time QB".  What I'm saying is that he gets judged way too unfairly by people who supposedly have extensive knowledge of the game... and that there are 30 other QB's in the league right now that aren't likely to have put us in a better position than McNabb has over the years.

[mikey418]

McNabb is one of the top QBs in the league today and we should be happy we dont have a QB controversy with Kyle Orton, Brian Griese, and Grossman....

The only QB I think I would take over McNabb would be Tom Brady...Peyton always chokes in the big game and Toothlesburger only got where he is on the back of his defense and running game....

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I'm not saying that McNabb is a "super-awesome crunch-time QB".  What I'm saying is that he gets judged way too unfairly by people who supposedly have extensive knowledge of the game... and that there are 30 other QB's in the league right now that aren't likely to have put us in a better position than McNabb has over the years.

Wrong.  I'm judging him very fairly.  I'm explaining what he has to do to become a great QB instead of a very good one.

Basically, if you put his skill with Jake Delhomme's ballsack, you'd have a hell of a QB.  But both of them are only good and not great,  because they lack the complete "gamer" package that the greats over the years have had.

I agree with what others have said - that I probably would not trade Donovan for any QB in the league straight up besides Brady... but I'd have to think really hard about Peyton Manning (also lacks edge, maybe even more so, but has 10 times the accuracy and throwing skill), Matt Hasslebeck, Carson Palmer, Roethlisberger, and even Delhomme.

The combination of McNabb and Reid inspires the Eagles to be "fine".

[Feva]

Settle down... settle down, I'm not talking about you, specifically.  I'm talking about a large portion of the Eagles fan base in general, the supposed experts on TV and in the papers... and morons of that sort.

I wonder how great Delhomme's ballsack would look if he had to literally carry his offense the way McNabb has over the years though.  While we're at it... do you really think that any of those QB's you mentioned could come close to what McNabb has done with the Eagles?

I don't.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I wonder how great Delhomme's ballsack would look if he had to literally carry his offense the way McNabb has over the years though.  While we're at it... do you really think that any of those QB's you mentioned could come close to what McNabb has done with the Eagles?

I don't.

Delhomme has had a lot of questions at running back, no TE to speak of, and usually one good WR.  All the whining about Donovan "carrying" the offense is obviously moot over the last couple of years, and even before that, he had safety outlets at RB and TE to throw the ball regularly.  Not every QB has two future HoF'rs at WR's and a great running game to fall back on.  I would say with definitive certainty that any of the *great* QB's of the modern era could have done what McNabb did with the same players or better.

[ice grillin you]

how do we know that delhomme hasnt made steve smith a better wr...why is it always automatically assumed that every other qb has weapons and mcnabb doesnt...im not saying the eagle wr's have been great but why cant mcnabb elevate the wr's he gets...great qb's do that...has mcnabb ever turned any of his average wr's into good ones...no he hasnt because the guy isnt a very good passer...and to be a great qb you have to be a good enough thrower to improve the wr's around you...im the first person to say that reid has been an idiot in not getting better wr's...but im also getting tired of hearing how good donovan supposedly is (lol @ better than manning) but never showing that greatness due to the same old wr excuse...plenty of great qb's have never had great wr's

mcnabb over his career has been a good player who has been supported by a great defense a very good offensive line and a infrastructure that has coddled him...but never has he been the player that is going to take your team that extra notch to that championship level...in fact he has held it back from doing that...

if you wanna say brady is the only qb in the league youd take over donovan then ill say there are ten other qb's in the league that would have been to more than one superbowl with the eagles over the past five years and also would have won one

[RezRob]

Delhomme has had a lot of questions at running back, no TE to speak of, and usually one good WR. All the whining about Donovan "carrying" the offense is obviously moot over the last couple of years, and even before that, he had safety outlets at RB and TE to throw the ball regularly. Not every QB has two future HoF'rs at WR's and a great running game to fall back on. I would say with definitive certainty that any of the *great* QB's of the modern era could have done what McNabb did with the same players or better.

Delhomme is not Chuck Norris, so get off his sack(not directed solely at Pat). He has always had a Mushin Muhhamed or a Steve Smith. McNabb had a happy owens for 1 year and got the SB. Delhomme also had a great D/ running game and also lost to the SuperPats. Delhomme would have had just as much BS if he was a QB in Philly. When the Panthers tank it or just play mediocre he isn't ripped by Steve Smith and called an Uncle Tom by the local Republicans. Negadelphians can keep raising up other QBs and doing the grass is greener crap all day, but we got  great QB and person running our team. He is going to be here for a while so get behind or jump ship.

[Tomahawk]

blah...plenty of great qb's have never had great wr's

Really? I can't think of one; let alone plenty.

[SunMo]

Elway never had great recievers

[ice grillin you]

elway
marino
kelly
farve

you people do realize that great qb's sometimes make avererage wr's very good or great....the great qb's dont need to be saved by great wr's...they make the wr's better...soemthing mcnabb doesnt do...he needs a TO to be a great qb...not the otherway around

[Wingspan]

elway
marino
kelly
farve

elway - Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, the Three Amigo's to a lesser extent.
Marino - Duper, Clayton, Fryar
Kelly - Lofton, Andre Reed
Favre - Sterling Sharpe, Javon Walker, Keith Jackson, Antonio Freeman

[SunMo]

elway
marino
kelly
farve

elway - Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, the Three Amigo's to a lesser extent.
Marino - Duper, Clayton, Fryar
Kelly - Lofton, Andre Reed
Favre - Sterling Sharpe, Javon Walker, Keith Jackson, Antonio Freeman

you're proving IGY's point.

is Mark Duper a great reciever, or did playing with Marino make him better than he was?

[rjs246]

elway - Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, the Three Amigo's to a lesser extent.

Smith is a good, steady player who has produced with every QB he's ever played with. Sharpe is a TE. The three amigos were far from great.

Marino - Duper, Clayton, Fryar

This group, more than any of the others you listed was basically made by Marino. He definitely made them what they were, with the possible exception of Fryar who did well everywhere.

Kelly - Lofton, Andre Reed

Again, Kelly made these two what they were. Lofton was a run-as-fast-as-you-can-in-a-straight-line WR. Reed was a great receiver

Favre - Sterling Sharpe, Javon Walker, Keith Jackson, Antonio Freeman

Favre made these players better. Freeman? A great WR? Um no. Walker has had one great year. Sharpe and Jackson were great for a few seasons but Favre definitely made all of these guys what they were.

There are some good WRs you listed but there is a very real chance that not a single one of them will ever sniff the Hall of Fame. I wouldn't put any of them in the same 'great player' category as the QBs that were matched with them.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

I just can't understand why some of you deny that McNabb does actually have his fair share of shortcomings.  None of us are here saying that winning a Super Bowl would be impossible with him or that he's not a very good QB.  We are saying that if he worked on his mental toughness as much as he played with ropes and beanbags, he might have already won a Super Bowl.  That's about it.

[SunMo]

he's my favorite player and i see this shtein.