Donovan McNabb, Eagles Have Chemistry

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It wasn’t Donovan McNabb’s best game. But he did enough (22-of-40, 217 yards passing and two touchdowns — one running, one throwing) to help the Philadelphia Eagles beat the N.Y. Giants 23-11 in an NFC Divisional Playoff game this afternoon. Donovan has shouldered more than his fair share of criticism over his career (most of it unjustified), but he doesn’t need to carry all the Eagles’ playoff burdens around with him. He is the leader, though. And by his example, the team has bonded and discovered a chemistry that finds them somehow on the verge of a Super Bowl berth:

“It was great out there, coming off the field and seeing all of those Eagles fans cheering for us. We’ve worked hard to get to this point. We’ve all hung in there together. No doubt the chemistry in the locker room is as good as it has ever been. I think the big thing is that we’re all enjoying this, having fun out there and we’re trusting in each other. When you have that kind of feeling among all 53 players in the locker room, it’s tough to overcome that. It’s tough to beat that feeling.”

It’s tough to beat all right. The way the Eagles are playing right now, I’m not sure they can be beat. When Donovan McNabb is healthy, he is one of the league’s best quarterbacks. And he’s healthy right now. Combine that with a defense that is giving up just 12.5 ppg this postseason and you’ve got a recipe for winning football games.

We all know the story of how Donovan was benched earlier this season during a lackluster performance against the Baltimore Ravens. And how he and the Eagles have stormed into and (so far) through the playoffs since. The Eagles look like a different team and Donovan looks like a different quarterback. Donovan won’t admit that the benching did him any good. He doesn’t feel it was justified (and won’t let us forget about it) and neither do I. Now, I’m not questioning head coach Andy Reid’s motivation or instinct in that situation. Obviously he saw something that caused him to react that way. Whether it was a message to Donovan or a message to the rest of the team that no one player is bigger than the whole unit, it worked.

I have to admit. Donovan McNabb is one resilient dude. Any NFL quarterback is going to take more than his fair share of abuse, but what Donovan has endured has been above and beyond. Through it all, he has handled himself with great poise and class and I do admire him for that. He seems to be having more fun that at any other time in his career and even if the Eagles don’t get past the Arizona Cardinals and into Super Bowl XLIII, he has already proven that he is as much a winner as any NFL quarterback I’ve ever seen.

Source: PhiladelphiaEagles.com, Photo: Newscom