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A Donovan McNabb thread
There are a zillion things wrong with evaluating players exclusively by their Pro Bowl totals, but Donovan McNabb made 6 Pro Bowls. That's a lot. He is one of 19 QBs to qualify for at least 5 PB since the AFL merger.
A Donovan McNabb thread
There are a zillion things wrong with evaluating players exclusively by their Pro Bowl totals, but Donovan McNabb made 6 Pro Bowls. That's a lot. He is one of 19 QBs to qualify for at least 5 PB since the AFL merger.
The others: Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, John Elway, Brett Favre, Dan Fouts, Bob Griese, Jim Kelly, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Warren Moon, Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Roger Staubach, Russell Wilson, and Steve Young.
Other than Griese, every one of those QBs was a *first-ballot* Hall of Famer or is not yet eligible.
Griese was a 4-time finalist & got in on his 5th ballot.
In 5 years on the HOF ballot, McNabb has never advanced beyond the first round of voting, not even to the round of 25.
Griese was a 4-time finalist & got in on his 5th ballot.
In 5 years on the HOF ballot, McNabb has never advanced beyond the first round of voting, not even to the round of 25.
The Eagles were bad in the late ’90s: 6-9-1, 3-13, 5-11. When McNabb became starter in 2000, they went 11-5. McNabb led the team in passing & rushing and placed 2nd in NFL MVP voting. Philly played in the next four NFC CGs, and McNabb made 5 straight Pro Bowls from 2000-04.
McNabb was one of the most successful *passers* of his generation. He threw twice as many TDs as INTs, and he had the lowest INT% of the '00s. In that decade, McNabb ranks 3rd in both yards (Peyton & Favre) and TD/INT differential (Peyton & Brady).
McNabb was also one of the greatest *running* QBs of his generation. Fran Tarkenton is the only QB with more passing yards AND more rushing yards than McNabb.
But all of this undersells McNabb, who for most of his career was the only offensive standout on his team. In 10 seasons as the Eagles’ starting QB, McNabb’s leading receivers included Chad Lewis, James Thrash, Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, and Todd Pinkston twice.
He played one year with Terrell Owens, and apart from that never teamed with a Pro Bowl WR or elite TE. The one full season he played with Owens, McNabb’s stats exploded.
Among the top 50 passers of all time, McNabb is the only one whose all-time leading receiver (Brian Westbrook) was a running back, and the only one whose leading receiver never actually led the team in receiving yards.
From 2000-03, McNabb single-handedly generated the offense on a team that won double-digit games every year.
McNabb was better than his numbers show, although his numbers are good. He was a successful passer, outstanding runner, breath-taking playmaker, and every-year Pro Bowler who went to five conference championship games, and did it all without great offensive teammates around him.
That Donovan McNabb is not in the Hall of Fame reflects more poorly on the voters than it does on McNabb.
