Some Psychotherapy for McNabb (+ a diagnosis of our WRs)

As you can probably ascertain from my posts, I'm a huge fan of Donovan. He single-handedly brought me back into the fold as an Eagles fan, after the long dark years of Rich Kotite and Ray Rhodes. Despite this, my loyalty is obviously with the Eagles. And on Sunday, when Andy Reid benched him in a 3 pt game, I really was ready to say goodbye to the McNabb era. I'd had enough of the torture--especially this year.

But like any self-deprecating Eagles fan, there's still a glimmer of hope in my heart that maybe it's not over. Maybe they will, in fact, go on an incredible run and make the playoffs this year. Or at least be in contention until the end of the season. Don't hate on me--I know it's a long shot. But before the last two games, the team wasn't that far off from winning a couple of the games they lost.

So, you ask, what's the problem? Me and everyone else who cares has already identified a few main things: playcalling has been questionable, there's no running game, the WRs stink, the D has been inconsistent--especially when it comes to stopping big-time RBs (see Clinton Portis, the Giants trio of Earth/Wind/Fire, and others), we're getting no production from our Tight Ends, and of late, the QB has just been plain awful.

Anyone who has watched McNabb over the years knows that he's not an awful QB. He might not be the second coming of Joe Montana, but for about a 5 year stretch--before the TO debacle--he was pretty darn good. Accurate, not turnover prone, could do damage with both his arms and his legs, and is (still) probably one of the hardest QBs to bring down in NFL history. He was a winner, and the first year he had a Pro Bowler to throw to, he put up amazing numbers and the team went to the Super Bowl. His run of success wasn't a fluke.

The problem this year is not his physical health. It's everything above, and the fact that something has gotten into Donovan's head. Maybe it's the pressure of having to win games all by himself. Maybe it's a lack of confidence in his WRs. Maybe he's just sick of being abused by the Philly media. Honestly, it's probably a bit of everything. Donovan can take some steps clear his head, but the coaching staff can probably have a much bigger impact, but upping the pressure on the rest of the team, committing to the run, and calling better plays.

Specifically, our WRs need to re-earn McNabb's trust by showing up for work, and delivering. The teamwide case of stone-hands has to be cured, DeSean needs to play beyond his years of experience and stop making mistakes, and these guys need to get open. I don't care how, but get open. Pass protection hasn't been the problem. The problem is that if you have a bunch of WRs who are never open, it doesn't matter how much time you have in the pocket. It's very clear to me that McNabb has sincere doubts about throwing the ball to any of these guys, and it's in their control to get their sh*t together and start playing like they belong in the league. The team has consistently dressed 6 guys every week. Their playing time should be threatened if they drop balls. And two of them--any two--need to step up and act like they want to be the starters. All of them need to play with the sense of urgency that if they fail, their careers are on the line. And unfortunately, I haven't seen that from any of our WRs this year. They're all crappy.

Nevertheless, regardless of how dim it is, the glimmer of hope still shines in my heart. It won't be a hard fall for me emotionally if the team doesn't go on a little run, but I'd love to see it happen.