LANDOVER, Md. -- Donovan McNabb is the Eagles' reincarnation of Randall Cunningham,
only better.
|  | | Donovan McNabb hurdled his way to 26 of his 125 rushing yards. |
Their styles are strikingly similar. Watch the highlights and the
only difference between the two is that Cunningham might out-jump a defender
a little higher than McNabb -- but not by much. They can match each other
throw for throw, although Cunningham might heave a longer pass.
In almost single-handedly beating the Redskins 23-20 Sunday at FedEx Field, McNabb, whose 125 rushing yards was the sixth best for a
quarterback in NFL history, proved to the world that he eventually will
carry this franchise past Cunningham's best achievements. In his second
year, he's showing the maturity that Eagles fans waited 11 years for Cunningham to show.
"On the sidelines, the defensive backs were watching him make that
54-yard run and saying it's almost ridiculous trying to cover receivers and
then have to worry about a guy like that," Eagles strong safety Brian Dawkins
said. "Even if you put a spy on the guy, there is no telling if he's going
to tackle him or not. That's a weapon in itself."
For Cunningham, his Eagles days were Sunday at the Improv. He'd run.
He'd scramble. He'd throw. In the playoffs, the Eagles lost. Coach Buddy
Ryan never really gave Cunningham a scheme. He'd let him run around on two
10-win and one 11-win teams from 1988 to 1990, but they lost three consecutive
playoff games as Cunningham endured 151 drive-disrupting, regular-season
quarterback sacks.
What's different with McNabb is that he has a plan and, in time, will
have the offensive personnel to win those playoff games. Andy Reid is
teaching McNabb the West Coast offense, so McNabb follows his receiving
progressions before he races into the secondary on bootlegs. In 12 games,
he's been sacked only 33 times. Cunningham's lowest sack number was 49. Rich
Kotite tried to teach Cunningham the West Coast offense in 1992, but
Cunningham was sacked 60 times.
The Redskins didn't know how to defense McNabb, and it's going to
cost them a Super Bowl. Fearing McNabb's scrambling, they used six defensive
backs a good portion of the day, particularly when linebacker LaVar
Arrington suffered a first-quarter concussion covering a kickoff.
Redskins defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes felt that the extra two
defensive backs would help stop the Eagles when they used a second tight
end, Luther Broughton. Think about it for a second. Why let Broughton, a
tight end with only 11 receptions coming into the game, dictate strategy? McNabb, a 226-pounder, weighs 20 pounds more than the Redskins' heaviest defensive back.
Think they might have trouble tackling him when he gets in the open
field?
"The defensive backs are better athletes, and they can do a good job
covering any of the running backs out there," McNabb said. "But when they
are covering the running backs, that gives me time to step up in the pocket
and find holes. If the tight end or back flashes into my vision, I can get
them the ball. But that also leaves me holes to run, and if I see them, I'm
going to run."
McNabb was going to be the only Eagle to gain yards on the ground against
the league's fifth-best run defense. With Duce Staley out for the season,
Darnell Autry could only contribute 25 yards on nine carries. Fullback Stanley Pritchett contributed only 18 on five quick handoffs.
With the score tied at 7-all, McNabb showed his ground magic in a
15-play, 71-yard field goal drive. On a second-and-15 from the Redskins' 37,
McNabb broke around right end and darted down the right sidelines for a
26-yard gain. Along the way, guard Jermane Mayberry buried strong safety Mark Carrier with a block. McNabb, looking like Superman, hurdled both and
kept running to the Redskins 11.
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Donovan's taken over. ... He's evolved into the type of guy who takes the run when he can take it. He's matured a lot. ” |
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— Brian Mitchell, Eagles halfback |
"He deserves a lot of credit," said Redskins cornerback Champ
Bailey, who ended up making the tackle. "He does a lot of things to make
you think. He can throw, and he can get down the field like a running back."
In the third quarter, McNabb looked like Barry Sanders as he weaved
through the left side of the Redskins' defense for a 21-yard touchdown run to
put the Eagles ahead 17-14. That was only a preview of coming attractions.
With the score tied 20-20 and less than five minutes remaining, the
Eagles had a third-and-10 at the Eagles' 39. From the shotgun, McNabb stared at
good coverage by the overloaded Redskins secondary. He ran right and slipped
into the open field and kept running and running and running.
After 54 yards, he was stopped at the Redskins' 7. Even more amazing,
he wasn't overly winded. He regrouped quickly and started working the
offense.
"Donovan was unbelievable today," Charles Johnson said. "He makes
that play, and three plays later, he gets frustrated at himself because he
misses Chad Lewis in the back of the end zone with a throw. We all told him
that he got points out of that play, and it was because of him.
"He has grown so much. As a team, we are starting to jell."
Reid didn't know which stat to praise. McNabb rushed for 125 of the
team's 171 yards, but he also connected only 19 completions to 10 different
receivers. All told, that meant he contributed 243 of the team's 289 yards.
"He did a nice job of putting the offense on his back and literally
running with it," Reid said. "Some parts of his game gets better every
week. And he was pretty good today."
Pretty good was an understatement. The Eagles settled for a 30-yard David Akers field goal that was even more dramatized with the knowledge that he was kicking with a strained quad suffered in pregame warm-ups. Akers was 3-for-3 on field goals.
"Donovan's taken over," halfback Brian Mitchell said. "He made
good decisions. He uses his legs when he has to. I think the main thing is
that he has tried to play within himself, and he has not tried to take it
all on his shoulders. He's evolved into the type of guy who takes the run
when he can take it. He's matured a lot."
At 9-4, the Eagles hold their first division lead since the Cunningham days in 1989. With McNabb at the helm, though, that stat may be
a regular part of the Eagles' franchise the next few years.
John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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VIDEO
  Despite great individual numbers, Donovan McNabb says it was a team effort. wav: 183 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Andy Reid talks about the composure of Donovan McNabb. wav: 159 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Brian Mitchell says Donovan McNabb was a ''magician'' against the Redskins. wav: 94 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Philadelphia's Troy Vincent on the impact of Donovan McNabb's play. wav: 231 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post sees Donavan McNabb as the future of the QB position. wav: 1540 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
