What is Donavan McNabb's legacy?

Question

If McNabb retired today, how would he be remembered?
To me, McNabb will always be remembered as the guy who choked in big games. As part of a really solid team in a really weak conference, he found a lot of success and showed a lot of skills. Unfortunately, the Eagles under McNabb always lost their big games, and you could usually point to McNabb for the reason why. When the pressure is on, his throws are off and frequently right to the opposition. When he finally did make the Super Bowl, he wilted when the game was in his hands and was even called on it by a teammate. At this point, he can still put up numbers, just don't expect it when it counts.

Answer 1

Good QB who had a couple of nice seasons, but was never a top tier QB in the NFL.

Answer 2

Sid, if you're an educated football fan you could also easily point to the other deficiencies in the team. Can you think of another team that EVER put so much of the emphasis on their QB to win big games for them singlehandedly with absolutely no help? Can you point out to me the team that asked it's QB to pass 65-70% of the time and still win the SB even though the players it gave him to pass to were guys like Pinkston and Thrash? Seriously. You are probably the guy who thinks that QBs get 100% of the credit for Super Bowl victories and 100% of the blame if they don't no matter what the makeup of the team is. But smart football fans know that's not the case. And let's be honest here, the only "Teammate" that ever called McNabb out for wilting in the Super Bowl was T.O. Yeah. 'Nuff said there.

They didn't beat NE in that Super Bowl, but to say they lost because McNabb choked would be to seriously and RIDICULOUSLY ignore the fact that the Patriots were just an extremely good defense. NE was favored by a TD and the Eagles lost by 3. Unless your definition of "choke" is just any game that you lose, whether you were supposed to win or not. Please look back at New England's playoff games that year and compare what McNabb did to what the Pats did to the other QBs they faced that year including Peyton Manning.

The bottom line is that you feel the need to blame only 1 person and that is just not the way football works period. McNabb's legacy if retired today? The best QB the Eagles ever had......but, once again, still not good enough to overcome ALL of the rest of the team's shortcomings as well as his own and win them a Super Bowl.

Answer 3

I think McNabb still has a few more good years left in him, and he's going to be one of those qb's who you'll look at his career stats and say "wait, really? He did that well?"

I'd say he'll be remembered much like Jim Kelly. Obviously, he had his troubles in the big game, much like McNabb, but McNabb had much less surrounding talent on his team, and there is only one qb who had done more with less offensive talent around him - Tom Brady. Even in his "choking" during the super bowl, McNabb threw for 357 yards and 3 TD's... it wasn't just his fault that they lost.

McNabb is already in the all time top 50 for passing TD's and completions, and I think he'll be a starter for another 5 years. He takes way too much undeserved criticism. He throws very few interceptions, and he spreads the ball around the offense as well as anyone. He's had quite a few good years, and even though he's having a "bad" season, he's still completing over 60% of his passes and is on pace for 23 TD's (would have been 7th in the league last year, and 8th in 2005) and 4,080 yards (would have been 5th in the league last year and 2nd in 2005).... give the guy a break!

Answer 4

I agree with much of what Jim Baw had to say. Donovan has spent his career in the wrong system for his abilities. He is a down field thrower without a down field receiver. If TO would have grown up in Philly like he appears to have done in Dallas, he would be one of the best in the game.

Choking in the big games, maybe. Or perhaps he simply gave everything he had to give and was left empty at the end. One thing is for sure, none of us will ever know the truth. Heck, none of us know a damned thing about what its like to be in that position.

I, for one, feel that he had abilities that went unrealized due to the personnel around him. Let's not forget that before Westbrook became the best back in the league, McNabb carried that team on his back in every single game.

Answer 5

He would probably say you are just saying that because he is black.

I think the thing that will last with me though when I think back on McNabb, was how funny it was when he got booed on draft day. Philly fans are so crazy. I can imagine sitting around the x-tree, booing each others gifts. Or at diner... So little booooo Tommy did you booooo have a boooo good day at booooooo school booooooooo.... haha classic.

Answer 6

4 NFC Championship Games-1 Super Bowl Appearance against a Dynasty-Madden cover-Second least intercepted per pass in NFL history.I don't think those are bad numbers at all.

Answer 7

aehh shut up, mcnabb is a top 10 qb in this league. you put him on the patriots and they would still be undefeated. Injuries and players around him have a lot more to do with his mishaps than his own weaknesses.

Answer 8

Choking in the big games, Campbell's Chunky Soup, fighting with TO, and calling the race card everytime he was critisized.

Answer 9

Good athlete who let the media's perception/portrayal of him affect him too much. Never had thick enough skin to play QB in the NFL.

Answer 10

Bad hair and bad decision making. And for being caught on camera laughing and joking after having thrown a pick.