I was going to do a post on the keys to Sunday’s game, but I can really sum it up 3 bullet points…
- Get pressure on Kurt Warner
- Control the clock
- No bad turnovers
We are the better team, and if we play within ourselves (and cover Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin), we should win. We aren’t the guarantee some would make it seem, but we should win.
Instead of getting into a discussion about the obvious, I’d like to open up a discussion that has been popular around the area this week: Is Donovan McNabb a future NFL Hall-of-Famer?
It’s a strange question to be asking when many were showing him the door just a couple months ago, but an interesting one nonetheless.
Let’s start by looking at the stats…
Passing Yards
McNabb currently sits at 33rd all-time, with 29,320 passing yards. Let’s assume for the purpose of this exercise, that the 32-year old McNabb plays for at least 3 more years. Considering his extensive off-season training program and penchant for avoiding big hits nowadays, I personally think he will play at a high level for 5 more years (he’s only 1 year older than Tom Brady!), but I’m going to keep it conservative.
McNabb has averaged 218 ypg, or 3,500 yards for a 16 game season during his career. But since injuries and late season rests have allowed him to reach that mark only twice, let’s give him 9,000 yards total for the next 3 years. That would bring his career total to 38,320, or 12th on the all-time list.
Of the 11 QB’s that would be ahead of him, 9 are in, or will be in (Peyton Manning and Brett Farve) the HOF. The 2 that are not, and probably won’t be, are Drew Bledsoe and Vinny Testeverde. The other 7 are Dan Marino, John Elway, Warren Moon, Fran Tarkenton, Dan Fouts, Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas. It should be noted that if Kerry Collins plays a full season next year, he will likely be in that group as well.
So McNabb will be in elite company yards-wise, but not shoo-in company. Let’s move on to the next stat…
Passing TD’s
McNabb stands at 194 TD’s, 34th on the all-time list. He’s averaged 1.44 TD per game for his career, or 23 TD per 16-game season. Let’s knock him down to 20 a season, and give him 60 more for his career. That would put him at 254 TD, or, once again, 12th on the all-time list.
9 of the 11 previously mentioned QB’s are ahead of him, with the exception of Drew Bledsoe and Dan Fouts, who have been replaced by HOFer Sonny Jurgenson and non-HOFer Dave Krieg.
Still, 82% of the QB’s to reach this mark are in the HOF, and only Vinny Testeverde would lead McNabb in both categories and not be in.
Passer Rating
This is a fake statistic, as evidenced by the fact that Johnny Unitas is 61st and John Elway is 53rd all-time.
If those two are there, where would you guess McNabb is? 80th? 90th? No, of course not. He’s 18th. Right ahead of David Garrard and behind such long time stars as Tony Romo and Daunte Culpepper…Let’s move on…
Interceptions
Though he has had his share of bad ones, McNabb is actually one of the best ever when it comes to taking care of the ball. In fact, when all is said and done, he might end up the best ever. Right now, his 2.1% interception rate puts him 2nd all-time behind, you guessed it, Jason Campbell. Campbell has a long way to go in his career, but either way, McNabb will end his career near the top of this list.
Yards per Attempt
If there is anything that would hinder McNabb, it would be this. There are 219 QB’s that qualify for this category and McNabb is in the lower half at #120 (tied with Ron Jaworski, Doug Flutie and Rich Gannon, among others) with 6.8 yards per attempt.
However, I doubt this is a stat that would keep him out of the Hall, especially since it can be explained away, fair or not, by the quick pass nature of the West Coast Offense.
Completion Percentage
McNabb struggled with this early in his career, but has improved as his moved forward. For his career, he is a 58.9% passer, 41st all-time. Not great, right? Maybe not.
Of the 13 QB’s theoretically ahead of McNabb in TDs and Yards, only 4 (Dan Marino, Brett Farve, Joe Montana and Peyton Manning) had a higher completion %. Fouts (58.8%), Krieg (58.5%), Moon (58.4%), Bledsoe (57.2%), Jurgenson (57.1%), Tarkenton (57.0%), Elway (56.9%), Testeverde (56.5%) and Unitas (54.6%) all fall behind McNabb.
Wins
McNabb has led the Eagles to 82 wins in his career. If the team goes a modest 8-8 each of the next 3 years, he’ll have 106 wins, good for 9th all-time.
His win percentage is currently 64.5% (or slightly better than a 10-6 season). This is 9th among QB’s in the top 40 in wins.
Playoff Wins
McNabb has 9 playoff wins, hopefully 10 after the weekend. This is tied for 8th all-time, if we win this weekend, he’ll have 8th to himself.
Brace yourself, McNabb haters, this might make your eyes bleed…here are the 9 QBs who have 9+ playoff wins in their career: Joe Montana, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady, Brett Farve, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Bart Starr and Donovan McNabb.
I’m pretty sure the guys on that list all got in the HOF as soon as they were eligible.
Also, McNabb’s 9-5 record puts him 9th on the list for winning % for QBs who made 10+ playoff game appearances.
IF we win the next 2 games, he’ll be 6th in wins and 4th in winning %.
Running
Well, you can pile on top of all these passing marks that McNabb is one of the best running QB’s of all time, though he doesn’t do it much anymore.
He has 3,109 rushing yards and 26 rushing TD’s. For the life of me, I can’t find a ranking of the top rushing QB’s of all time, but I’m pretty certain his is top-10 in both of these categories.
In Conclusion…
Let’s look at a quick recap of what I talked about above…
Passing Yards: 12th all-time
Passing TD’s: 12th all-time
Passer Rating: 18th all-time
Interception Rate: 2nd all-time
Yards per Attempt: 120th all-time
Completion %: 41st all-time
Wins: 9th all-time
Win %: 9th all-time
Playoff Wins: 8th all-time
Playoff Win %: 9th all-time
Rushing Yards and TD’s: Top-10 all-time
Looking at that, it’s really hard to see why some of the media and some of the fans think of McNabb the way they do. Personally, I believe this is just a product of the new 24/7/365 media that is always hounding for a story different than the 100 others out there in 100 different mediums. Sports writers and talk show hosts start controversy to differentiate themselves from each other and then they criticize the athletes for their reaction to the controversy they started themselves. Talk show hosts talk, and idiots listen. It’s as simple as that.
I could get off point for awhile there with this new-age over-stimulated over-hyped sports world , but to get back to the point at hand… Donovan McNabb is pretty much a sure fire HOFer.
I was surprised that he ranks as high as he does in some of these categories, but what clinches it for me is the playoff wins. Eagles fans continue to take this for granted because he hasn’t won a Super Bowl, but of the 815 QBs to ever play in the NFL, only 9 (1.1%) have given their fans the joy of 9 playoff wins.
We’ve got one. He’s a Hall of Famer. Let’s show him some respect.
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Pete: the analysis is eloquent. stats are true to the point. unfortunately for the AP or whoever votes the HOF, its probably just playoff wins or a ring that matter. he is heading down that road though.
love the take on the media; its a shame but it is what it is. Philly is a football city and apparently if Reno Mahe takes a dump somebody’s gotta bring a defecation expert to shed some light on its significance. they gobble up stuff like tabloids. i still don’t get why the FANS dont have his back. maybe Negadelphia?? but until he wins the elusive ring, he will always be under scrutiny. i like it cos i think thats what has made him who he is. It took a benching and Kolb playing to wake him up again. Love #5. clas act and ABSOLUTELY NO DRAMA!!
vote class of 2020.
Pete, you forgot one important thing to mention that is the giant elephant in the room. Donovan McNabb is a black quarterback. Of the guys “ahead” of him, only Warren Moon shares his race and is in the HOF. I think that being the 2nd most successful quarterback statwise (and maybe most successful playoff-wise), should be a very important consideration since Donovan is one of the face-changers of the NFL all-time at the QB position.
Stu – Good point. Of course we think any debate should be color-blind and I am sure Pete didn’t want to think he was using that as a crutch to support his argument, but in reality it is absolutely an aspect that will inevitably enter the conversation.
jkay-
Pete Given your gloating about him after Giants win, title question and content direction on this thread doesn’t surprise. The best that can be said about goofy, controversial Donovan is that he bested softer-armed Eli Manning on a wind-obstructed day, made some important 3rd down completions and didn’t lose the game (1 TD, 2 int, 22-40, 217, 58% efficiency rating), allowing for the defense-determined win. Played better than stats show, but not superlatively.
McNabb does not belong in Canton, Ohio. Not yet anyway.
- though touted as big and durable and tough, he’s played a full 16 game slate only 4 times in career!
- efficiency rating has declined the last 2 years:
(’o6) 95.5, (’07) 89.9, (’08) 86.4
- career efficiency rating only 85.9
- career playoff efficiency rating only 79.2 (20 TD, 15 int)
- average yards per pass attempt only 6.8 ["I could've completed 80% of my passes if I dropped the ball off to my backs," Joe Namath, Namath; "long balls mean big balls," Mark Kriegel, Namath]
- despite QBing a seriously pass-lopsided offense and thereby accumulating completions and yardage, has thrown for more than 19 TDs in a season only 4 times (21, 25, 31, 23) – - relatively paltry figures for a HOF candidate
- 1 win & 3 losses in conference championship games
- 0 wins & 1 loss & 1 vomiting in Super Bowl
I still do question his heart, despite his rebounding (hard to go lower) from Reid’s mid-season benching and his public
embarrassment. In my opinion, a HOF-er doesn’t descend to that sustained level of shaggy play and force such a decision (from his homeboy head coach), even if his wife is having octuplets. His resurgence, if that’s what you wanna call it, can be likely attributed to his head/ego and the color of money. Never have considered him to be stupid, just erratic and overrated.
Sunday: desert storm, a possibility.
Dannie, definitely agree about the color-blind issue, but yes, with prominant media pundits like Rush Limbaugh being allowed to go on national tv and use the race card unjustifiably, it definitely goes to show that Donovan has had many more obstacles to overcome than guys like Dan Marino (just look at the % of black college coaches for the behind the scenes BS that we aren’t even exposed to). Race is still an enormous consideration in pro sports, and being the face of a franchise for 10 years, never getting into any off the field trouble, and having the success that he has had in Philadelphia no less, is HUGE.
Pete, I remember back in my middle school days waking up on Sunday and reading Jayson Stark’s baseball column in the Inquirer. Just great reporting back then. But newspapers are a dying art (Will Leitch has great opinions on this that he shares on deadspin.com frequently) and its so hard to get away from the 24/7 in your face reporting going on in sports.
Heck, even I expect to see coverage of all Philly sports games right after they happen on THIS site, so I have been programmed along with the rest of us to be immediately satiated.
jjg-
yes, I have long been a McNabb supporter and my post was as predictable as your reply…BUT, I really, genuinely was surprised at how McNabb ranks, and will end up ranking in these categories.
As much as I like him, I’ve never thought of him in the same statistical breath as guys like Fouts, Tarkenton, Moon, etc…
And list of guys with 9+ playoff wins is incredibly impressive. Granted, I wouldn’t put him ahead of any of those guys, but its very close to a list of the best QBs ever.
jjg: Brett Favre was a product of the West Coast Offense too under Holmgren. Do you make the same argument about his inflated numbers? considering that, are you impressed by McNabb having fewer turnovers?
McNabb got benched after a horrible game. i can bet you that if you check each HOF’s veryLONG career, you will find about one hiccup game like that, only they probably didnt get benched cos they were the IT then or maybe there were no Kolbs off the bench. Reid did what he did, the fact that you happened to see the game doesnt mean that games like that are not in the pockets of our HOF QBs. whaddyu think, they’re spotless? off the field scandals, fights with the coach, calling out teammates – you would probably find a whole lot there – coincidentally McNabb is without.
that HEART thing is, to me, just another excuse we hear everyday for just not liking a player enough to admit to his level of play. “heart”?? what NFL player doesnt have heart. you see 3 275-plus pound guys running after you at top speed with maim in their minds and still have the courage to take a hit just to get the throw off? the game pretty much implies emotional play if thats what you mean by heart. guys like Dawkins take it to the next level mentally but he is a defensive player. No QB goes out there with a full head of steam?? level headedness and coolness that McNabb displays is just bout right for the job. Favre, 3 time MVP holds on to the ball forever looking for a receiver and gets sacked; they call him a playmaker, he NEVER gives up on a play. it was cute in green bay and nY until he started losing games. all bout winning. thats it.
hey its all perspective meen. didnt mean to go off but that “heart” argument is null.
Pete,
Teams win playoff games. Sometimes even in the face of key
individual underperformance or limelight modesty.
The impressive (though not “incredibly”) part of Eagles’ last decade has been their collective performance (grunt tallying of wins) and drive towards the ultimate goal, a Super Bowl victory. Of course, the QB deserves his share of the credit, just not the portion some attribute. My opinion.
jjg….Conversely, teams lose playoff games (and others as well). The QB deserves his share of the blame, just not the portion some attribute.
voting with any influence of racial background is dumb. might as well thank rush limbaugh for his dead-on comments then.
jjg-
you are absolutely right. but there is a disconnect, like bski pointed out.
Brian Dawkins, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are the only other starters that were on the 2001-02 team that went to the NFC Championship. I have never heard a single word blaming them of anything. They have never had to hold a press conference where they answer questions about whether or not they should stay in Philadelphia. They have never been consistantly trashed on talk radio. All 3 are universally beloved, actually.
Instead, all the blame is piled on McNabb (and Reid). But when they win, the accolades get equally distributed.
It doesn’t work both ways in this case. Why that is, is a whole different story.
when I write about the Eagles, I don’t focus in on just McNabb. If anything, I focus on the offensive and defensive lines.
but I do feel the need to make the point if McNabb played well, because I don’t feel he gets any credit when he does, only when he doesn’t.
bski Fair point, well taken; full of common sense and undeniably axiomatic. But in the context of rebutting the use of McNabb’s positive playoff record standing to support HOF mention, moot, wouldn’t you say?
Well stated, jkay. I believe in “heart”. I believe it exists. I believe that, without a doubt, some guys possess more of a “will to win” than others. The thing is, I believe this extra “heart”, “desire”, “will to win”, or whatever you want to call it expresses itself in performance (i.e. career numbers).
I agree with what Dannie said a few days ago that you’ve got to be consistent. You can’t argue that player 1 is better than player 2 based on numbers while arguing that player 3, who has lesser numbers than player 1, is better than player 1 because he has more heart.
“Heart” is difficult to quantify. As such, I believe it should not be used as a direct measuring tool. It’s perfectly valid as an explanation as to why you like one player more than another, but not for why one guy belongs in the HOF and another does not.
Like you said, “What NFL player doesn’t have heart?”. The only choice we have is to evaluate the careers these guys had and the numbers they put up (in which heart was a major, if not the primary, factor). If McNabb’s career and numbers put him right alongside other HOFers, then he belongs there.
All-
Great article and an even greater question to answer here. IMO McNabb is on the fence of the HOF. What he does over the course of the next 3+ years (and 1-2 games) will define his worthiness of the HOF. He has built a solid argument for himself if he were to retire today. There would most likely be some that say “yes” but most “no”.
What he does, or continues to do the next 3+ years will define him as a HOF candidate. After the Baltimore game when many fans (myself included) called for either his trade or Reids exit, this was because I felt his decline had come and his best days were behind him. With the play from McNabb and the rest of the team (which I think not only helps your stats but also your perception of greatness) his career seems rejuvinated and arguably playing the best fooball of his career. Although his feet aren’t as quick as they used to be, he is a smarter and more experienced QB than the McNabb of 5-8 years ago.
If he can continue to show that he is able to lead a team to the playoffs year in and year out (when healthy) and stay healty for a few more years, I think he is a definite HOF QB. In comparison to his peers, McNabb is one of the best QBs in the league, and he finds ways to win the big games.
bski Spoken like a raving acolyte. Have you gotten his autograph yet?
jjg….Spot on. However, if you are going to discount McNabb’s positive playoff record standing, then you have no choice but to disregard the same for everyone, rendering this entire point of comparison(playoff success) moot. I don’t want to do that at all.
In my previous post I talked about how I believe that heart expresses itself in performance. By extension, a player with more heart will perform better than one with less heart. To take it a step further, success in the playoffs and super bowl are the ultimate “gauge” of heart, IMO. If you succeed under those conditions, you’ve got what it takes, period.
Now, even though McNabb has had playoff success, he has not had super bowl success. Pete stated that there are only 9 QBs that have 9+ playoff wins in their careers. Of those 9, McNabb is the only one without a super bowl win. This matters and it hurts his HOF credentials in my eyes.
We may not be able to directly say that Joe Montana had more heart than McNabb, but I feel confident in saying that Montana’s greater success in the playoffs and super bowl is a pretty good indirect indicator that he did. (I realize there are other factors at play here, such as the teams that surrounded Montana and McNabb respectively, among other things).
The bottom line for me is consistency. You can’t single out certain stats showing McNabb to be inferior to other HOF QBs as proof that he doesn’t belong while at the same time disregarding other stats that show that he is right there with them. All stats taken as a whole make the case one way or the other. There can be no picking and choosing.
jjg…Don’t misunderstand me. I am not defending McNabb’s HOF credentials. My argument actually has nothing to do with him specifically. What I am attempting to do is to pin down how we determine who is HOF worthy and who is not. Exactly what measures do we use?
Regardless about whom we are speaking, the HOF decision must be based on something. That something, whatever it may be, needs to be consistently applied to all, IMO. Saying that one guy deserves to be in the HOF based on his numbers, while another guy with comparable numbers does not because he had less heart, does not work for me at all.
I am not saying that McNabb belongs in the HOF. What I am saying is that, in the end, after we determine our measure of HOF worthiness, we will evaluate all players, McNabb included, by this standard. If, by this measure, McNabb proves to be on the same level as other HOF players, then we cannot deny that he himself is one.
HOF credentials and standards? Be it Canton, Cooperstown or Springfield, the voting is rigged according to the voting empowereds’ hearts, more than their minds. Thus, inconsistency in evaluation and hypocrisy in final determination are humbling hallmarks of those institutions. bski, your wish for measurement conformity and fairness is respectable, yet ideal like a perfect democracy. If one is a believer in heart, one is a believer in disheartening selections – - and the fun that was had along the way.
As far as the game(s) this weekend, here’s what I see. 4 teams left. Steelers #1 in overall defense, Ravens #2, Eagles #3, Cardinals…..#19.
Defense (and making fewer mistakes) wins championships. As long as the Eagles take care of the ball and don’t give up any game changing plays (turnovers, punt/kickoff returns, punt/field goal blocks, and such), their defense is too good to lose this game.
The same goes for the Steelers. Baltimore has a fantastic defense, but Pittsburgh’s is even better. Pittsburgh’s offense is playing better than Baltimore’s is right now (Plus Flacco’s numbers in the 2nd game against the Steelers, which was in Baltimore, were worse than the 1st game and I expect them to decline further in this 3rd meeting). Pittsburgh is the healthier team. Also, this will be the 18th consecutive week that Baltimore has played. I’m thinking (hoping) that the Ravens will be too beat up and worn out to pull this one out.
I know lightning (Joe Jurevicius, for example) seems to strike the Eagles in NFC championship games (and the Steelers haven’t done very well in the 2000’s either, especially at home), but I’m predicting a Pennsylvania super bowl.
Pete, good article. Those numbers back you up. BTW, how many QB’s are in the hall of fame? How many QB’s from a given era make it?
QB numbers for the NFL are difficult. Passing offenses have changed so much, and even today a lot depends on what kind of system your coach runs.
Beyond the numbers you would think to make the HOF you need to be in the discussion for best at your position for at least 2-3 years, and be seen as top 5-7 through the majority of your career.
By this simple metric I see both McNabb and Dawkins as HOF players. Both had a run where they were in the mix as the best player at their position (while the team was making all those NFC Chanpionship games) and have been at least top 1/4 at their positions through there entire careers.
There are some people that think only the greatest of the greats should be in the HOF. By that measure both these guys fall a bit short… but in reality the HOF is for dominant players, it is not a pantheon reserved just for the gods of the game.
can anyone confirm or deny that Mike Missanelli mentioned this article on his show today? I didn’t hear it, but was told he did.
I sent the article to Mikey Miss this morning because on the ride home last night he was arguing this point and said no one ever provides stats or data when they say Mcnabb is a hall of famer. So I can’t confirm that I heard it but I can confirm that he had the link to this article in his email inbox today before his show.
This pretty much has John Elway written all over it. Win a Super Bowl or two, and McNabb’s a lock.
Pete’s stats make a great case for McNabb with or without a ring. But another thing we need to keep in mind is that McNabb rang up all those numbers during a career where for the most part, he didn’t have any elite receivers.
I looked up some old rosters and wasn’t overwhelmed by any of the names. Johnson, Small, Pinkston, McMullen, Thrash, Mitchell, Lewis, Baskett, Brown, et al. At best, some of these players were solid but not spectacular. The only elite receiver McNabb ever had was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-But-Was-Last-Seen-Yelling-At-An-Offensive-Coordinator-In-Dallas.
Meanwhile, Joe Montana had the likes of Jerry Rice, Dwight Clark, John Taylor, and Freddie Solomon. Elway had Rod Smith, Shannon Sharpe, and Ed McCaffrey. Dan Marino put up some sick numbers with Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. And who could forget Terry Bradshaw throwing all those Super Bowl bombs to Lynn Swann and John Stallworth?
Factor this in along with Pete’s research and we’ve got a Hall of Famer in our midst. Let’s hope McNabb seals the deal over the next couple of weeks.
drolz-
Sounds like Vinny Testeverde ought to be in the HOF !
I’m all for McNabb getting into the HOF (big surprise there) but in general I”ve got a beef against QB’s getting into the HOF. First of all there are 5 Offensive starting linemen on a team and 1 QB, that alone should tell you there should be 5 O Line guys for every 1 QB in the HOF. ‘Course it’s nearly the other way around about 5 QB’s for every one O Line guy.
To make it fair we need to massively increase the number of OLine guys, how about every single OLine player with 12 or more years in the league gets automatically sent to the HOF ? Obviously Tra Thomas, John Ruyan, and Shawn Andrews get in.
Go Eagles
Stu Willie Thrower, Marlin Briscoe, James Harris, Joe Gilliam, John Walton, and Doug Williams were true pioneers, ”face-changers” as you say. Because of their trials, guts, successes and failures, they paved the way for the smoother roads of subsequent African-American QBs like Warren Moon, Vince Evans, Randall Cunningham, Rodney Peete, Jeff Blake, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper and Vince Young. Newsflash: Due to societal progress, your “giant elephant” left the room awhile back as it pertains to professional sports opportunity and performance assessment. Welcome to 2009.
Pete Correction on McNabb ranking in QB TDs all-time: 15th on list (2 ties), not “top ten” as stated above in your recap:
Otto Graham 44
Steve Young 43
Jack Kemp 40
Y.A. Tittle 39
Kordell Stewart 38
Steve McNair 37
Tobin Rote 37
R. Cunningham 35
Steve Grogan 35
D. Culpepper 34
John Elway 33
Fran Tarkenton 32
Terry Bradshaw 32
Roman Gabriel 30
D. McNabb 26
QB all-time rushing avg.
George Mira 7.6
Marlin Briscoe 7.5
Michael Vick 7.3
Sam Wyche 6.7
Bobby Douglass 6.5
R. Cunningham 6.4
Greg Landry 6.2
Steve Young 5.9
Bert Jones 5.8
Donovan McNabb 5.8
Archie Manning 5.7
QB all-time rushing yardage totals
R. Cunningham 4928
Steve Young 4239
Michael Vick 3859
Fran Tarkenton 3674
Steve McNair 3590
John Elway 3407
Tobin Rote 3128
Donovan McNabb 3109
Greg Landry 2655
Bobby Douglass 2654
But never let the facts get in the way of a good HOF persuasion story.
jjg-
Pete Touche and ole!
Can I help it if my early heroes were John David Crow, Sonny Randle
and Bobby Joe Conrad?
DM: Great quarterback? Huckleberry Finn would call that a “stretcher.” Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.
ha!
Slight quibble on “[it] doesn’t really change the argument much.” The argument doesn’t change, but your presentation of facts changes from true to false, casting doubt over the other facts that you assert to support your position.
Newly-conceived product of jjg research inc.
statistical comparison of today’s starting QBs, career playoff totals:
DM 14 gms 294-493 (59.6%) 3147 yds (6.4) 20 TD 15 int 79.2 rating
KW 9 gms 209-332 (63.0%) 2712 yds (8.2) 19 TD 12 int 92.6 rating
I think Pete’s analysis is dead on and agree with his conclusions. But the people who vote for this WIIL NOT take that much time to look at the stats. As Pete said, he was surprised to see how highly McNabb ranked in the all time stats. I think the voters will be lazy and remember the puking, benching, 3 picks in the Carolina game and not vote him in. I totally disagree and think he should be in the HOF, but I don’t get a vote. If we win this week his chances improve because of the playoff wins and Super Bowl apperances. If we win the Super Bowl then all will be forgiven and forgotten, and he’ll be a surefire HOFer.
bball-
Pete: I think you and Dannie do great work with your blog. But in reply to your post #38 points:
1. simple argument credibility damage by posturing your stated guess into argumentative recap as fact; fact + fiction = fiction. As to no one else having a problem – thinking (and responding) is an individual science; “mob perspective” (by default or your assumption), as history proves, isn’t necessarily correct.
2. Holt, Bruce, Fitzgerald, Bolden – fine, impact receivers, yes. But not as impactful without good QB reads and well-timed throws, with touch. The QB-wideout equation works both ways.
Finally, I agree that there is no point in extending our McNabb argument – at least today. Using a broad brush to summarize, you think he is a great QB and HOF-worthy. I think he is good QB who hasn’t earned football immortality. So be it.
No, but I think he’d make a great mailman. Does things with regularity.
Pete
Great article. I have some thoughts on my own, but I’ll link you on the site. Very well done, and I’m with you that McNabb has earned it.