On Tuesday, in the midst of the beginning of baseball season for the defending world champs and the stretch runs for the Sixers and Flyers, 950 ESPN will devote a four block of sports talk radio to something they've dubbed "The Great Donovan Debate." Hosted by Mike Missanelli and featuring notable guests such as Sal Paolantonio and Ron Jaworski plus a live studio audience, the event was designed to debate the merits of franchise QB Donovan McNabb.
Let's save everyone four hours right now: there is no debate.
Whether you love the guy or hate him, it shouldn't take anybody that amount of time or resources to come to a conclusion that most rational people reached a long time ago. McNabb is at worst one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL, and with him under center the Eagles have realized a decade filled with varying degrees of success, though ultimately some missed opportunities. We'll get to those, but first let's break down the pros and cons.
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Top notch arm strength; Donovan throws a beautiful deep ball. Keeps plays alive with his feet and can run for yards. Does not turn the ball over. Effective even with mediocre receivers.
Struggles at times with accuracy and can be downright erratic. Has missed extensive time due to injuries. Has not always shown up in big games.
And that's just about it. This argument always comes down to winning and losing. The detractors will simply point to the fact that he hasn't won the big one and how the team has often come up short on the doorstep, despite the fact that you can't lay every game at his feet. I was one of the few people who was critical of his play against the Cardinals, but when the defense allows that many points, it's not all the quarterback's fault. And anyone who blames him fully for losses against Tampa and Carolina is delusional. Andy Reid was plain out-coached against the Bucs, and the dropfest against the Panthers directly led to the addition of T.O. the following offseason.
You know what the merits are to Donovan McNabb? He gives you the chance to win it all. He's not necessarily going to do it all on his own, but few quarterbacks can in the first place. Since he was drafted in 1999, only seven men have led teams to Super Bowl victories. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are obvious first ballot Hall of Famers, and Ben Roethlisberger has won two with a great franchise. After that, the list slims to a bunch of guys who were in the right place at the right time. Trent Dilfer won with one of the greatest defenses of all time, Brad Johnson's group not far behind them. Eli Manning managed to escape an undefeated squad by scoring a mere 17 points with a 6'7" receiver and 264 lb. running back. Only Kurt Warner remains, and he's never taken a team without two great receivers anywhere.
In other words, aside from three guys, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the past decade has come down to luck. Either a defense didn't give out at the end, or the QB just had so much to work with he couldn't possibly lose. If you would now like to direct your anger at the front office, I suppose you could join in 610's "Great Bird Debate '09" and skip baseball season and the NBA and NHL playoffs altogether.
Maybe the Eagles never will get over the hump with Donovan. Plenty of guys never did, from greats like Marino and Kelly and very nearly Elway to Moon and McNair. The point is he is the guy that right now gives them the best shot. They could go with Kolb, draft somebody else, or sign a veteran holdover, but none of those are likely to work out, and we watched this offseason how much it compromises a team's future in the rare instance a franchise QB is available for trade.
No, when you already have a guy, you just have to ride it out no matter how maddening it gets. Maybe that smile is annoying, or the passive aggressive attitude insulting, or it could be the perceived lack of leadership. You can be sick of "worm balls" and big game failures. Whatever it is exactly though, McNabb is still their best option. It's really as simple as that.
There is no magical solution for finding a franchise QB, or winning a championship for that matter. When Donovan is gone, whether it's because of his current contract situation, next year, or when he retires, the Eagles will be thrust into a position of desperation, praying they have the next starter already on their bench or they get lucky enough to select the right guy in the draft. After another nearmiss in the NFC Championship, there's no rush to go through an extensive search.
Whatever side of the fence you're on, for once just take Donovan McNabb for what he is: a very good quarterback in a league where few teams have one and a player that gives his team an opportunity to win every Sunday. That's really all you can ask for.