Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

McNabb Worse than Mediocre as Eagles Survive Skins 27-25
espn.com ^ | Oct. 5, 2003 | ESPN.com

Posted on 10/05/2003 6:02:10 PM PDT by litany_of_lies

Eagles 27, Skins 25

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia Eagles wouldn't let the Washington Redskins pull out another close victory.

Patrick Ramsey overthrew Laveranues Coles on a 2-point conversion with 13 seconds left, and the Eagles beat the Redskins 27-25 on Sunday.

Ramsey rallied Washington from an 11-point deficit in the final 3:10, connecting with Darnerien McCants on a 32-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds.

But under pressure from Brandon Whiting, Ramsey hurried his throw to Coles in the corner of the end zone and the ball sailed over Coles' head.

After John Hall's fourth field goal, a 53-yarder, cut it to 27-19, the Redskins' Bryan Johnson recovered an onside kick at Washington's 43 with 1:13 left. Ramsey then drove the Redskins 57 yards in five plays.

Defensive end N.D. Kalu returned an interception 15 yards for a go-ahead TD and Brian Westbrook had a 19-yard TD run for the Eagles.

The Eagles (2-2) won for the first time at Lincoln Financial Field after opening the season with consecutive losses at their new stadium.

Washington (3-2) fell to 1-7 against NFC East teams under Steve Spurrier. All the Redskins' games have been decided by three points or less.

Playing without three Pro Bowl players in their secondary, the Eagles held Coles and Rod Gardner to just five catches combined in the first 57 minutes. Free safety Brian Dawkins (foot) and cornerback Bobby Taylor (foot) missed their third straight games. And cornerback Troy Vincent sat out with a hamstring injury.

Donovan McNabb completed 16 of 30 passes for 157 yards and his first TD of the season. He was intercepted twice. Ramsey finished 25-of-50 for 271 yards, one TD, two interceptions and one TD rushing.

This was McNabb's first game since conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh made comments about him that ignited a weeklong firestorm. Limbaugh said on last week's ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" that McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

McNabb said he did not mind criticism of his performance but was upset that Limbaugh made race an issue. The remarks forced Limbaugh to resign from the show.

Kalu, a former Redskin, broke a 13-all tie with his first career interception and TD late in the third quarter.

On a second-and-9, Ramsey's arm was hit by Eagles tackle Darwin Walker as he threw and the ball sailed up in the air. Kalu caught it at the 15, eluded an offensive lineman and rumbled untouched into the end zone.

Westbrook then put Eagles ahead by 11 with his TD run with 3:10 left. The Eagles drove 70 yards, holding the ball for 5:39. McNabb ran 6 yards on third-and-5 to keep the drive alive.

McNabb connected with fullback Jon Ritchie on a 4-yard TD pass for a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. Roderick Hood intercepted a pass from Ramsey and returned it to Washington's 18, setting up the score.

Ramsey's 1-yard TD run made it 10-7 with 5:56 left in the first half. Former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter set up the score, intercepting McNabb and returning it 21 yards to the 1. On third down, Ramsey leaped over the top for the TD.

David Akers' 36-yard field goal late in the first half gave the Eagles a 13-7 lead. Akers gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead on a 52-yard FG in the first quarter.

Hall's 48-yard FG late in the first half cut Philadelphia's lead to 13-10. Hall hit a 45-yarder midway through the third to tie it at 13. His 37-yarder cut it to 20-16 in the fourth.

McNabb had just 19 yards rushing. He scrambled 54 yards to Washington's 10 on the Eagles' first possession, but a holding penalty on tight end Chad Lewis negated the play.

ESPN.com: HELP | MEDIA KIT | CONTACT US | TOOLS | SITE MAP Copyright ©2003 ESPN Internet Ventures. Terms of Use and


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: eagles; limbaugh; mcnabb; mediocre; nfl; overrated; redskins; rush; stats
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last
To: lawdude
No, I get the picture. It's ridiculous the emphasis the press puts on McNabb.

It's a northeastern thing, really. McNabb had a rather heroic college career at Syracuse. Gave Miami a scare a couple of times, one game was legendary. He is also less jock than most of his contemporaries, and gives a good interview.

So, the press builds him up. Partially because of skin color, but also because he is a northeastern college quarterback playing for a team in a rough town for quarterbacks.

Rush had that angle wrong. Jeez, look up the road at what the NY press was saying about Pennington!
21 posted on 10/05/2003 6:35:19 PM PDT by lavrenti (Sad songs are about those loved and lost, never about career changes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: lavrenti
Bernie Testeverde

Didn't he play for the same college as Vinnie Kosar?

22 posted on 10/05/2003 6:37:01 PM PDT by PMCarey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: HiJinx
McNabbs response started it.
23 posted on 10/05/2003 6:37:34 PM PDT by lavrenti (Sad songs are about those loved and lost, never about career changes.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: lawdude
As a former league MVP who has taken his team to the past 2 NFC championship games, he deserves a little praise, doesn't he? Sure, he has sucked this year (he's on a fantasy team of mine, I should certainly know), and he's so inaccurate a passer he probably couldn't hit water from the Golden Gate bridge. But you're overblowing this. He doesn't have much of a team around him.

I like Rush, but I think he was wrong on this one. And ESPN hung him out to dry. If you want to direct your anger anywhere, direct it there.
24 posted on 10/05/2003 6:41:23 PM PDT by Akira ("Experience is a hard teacher, but fools will have no other." - Ben Franklin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: lavrenti
Rush had that angle wrong. Jeez, look up the road at what the NY press was saying about Pennington!

Don't bring up logic to the ditto heads. Their man was shown to be a fish out of water talking football, and bringing his political agenda to an NFL pregame show. Pennington was the second coming last year, or so said the media.

25 posted on 10/05/2003 6:42:36 PM PDT by SengirV
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: RightWinger
My Carolina Panthers were still unbeaten today.
Next week they have to play the high scoring Colts.
I will be watching the Tampa Bay game tomorrow night, if they can slow them down, maybe our strong defense can too.
26 posted on 10/05/2003 6:42:46 PM PDT by RightWinger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
and his first TD of the season.

Prior to that touchdown throw, he had gone 173 attempts without a TD. The next worst in the NFL had gone 60.

27 posted on 10/05/2003 6:45:07 PM PDT by lepton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
McNabb Worse than Mediocre as Eagles Survive Skins 27-25 ^

Another racist remark. Won't you honkeys ever learn to shut your cracker mouths up?

/ sarcasm

28 posted on 10/05/2003 6:47:10 PM PDT by jimkress (Go away Pat Go away!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lavrenti
One of MacNabb's most serious limitations is that he basically can't throw a pass for under 20 yards flight-path. He throws most of those into the feet of the receiver, but it could go nearly anywhere.
29 posted on 10/05/2003 6:50:02 PM PDT by lepton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: TheExploited
I have (McNabb) on my Fantasy Team. The guy has single handedly ruined my season. I am playing Jon Kitna next week over Donavan the Dud.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last year, I played Fantasy Football for the first time, and made it to the Championship Game with (guess who???) McNabb & Kitna as my QB's. Kitna was pretty damn good last year, as was McNabb until he broke his foot. I get the feeling that McNabb's been feeling the pressure of trying to live up to that contract. From what I saw of A-Rod, it may take him another year psychologically to get over it.

I'm not playing this year, probably because I don't have the time/inclination to do the research necessary. Baseball's always been my favorite sport, so I pretty much stick with that.

With the recent success of my alma mater (Gonzaga), football season is there to occupy some time until basketball season rolls around.

Plus, my spare time is pretty much nonexistent with one kid in band, another in Lariettes (drill team), and a toddler to keep us from losing it. My son's HS band is performing at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland next year, so we've got fund raisers galore until that trip.

30 posted on 10/05/2003 6:51:13 PM PDT by Night Hides Not
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Akira
As a former league MVP who has taken his team to the past 2 NFC championship games, he deserves a little praise, doesn't he?

Maybe as much as the Ravens QB in their superbowl drive, and some of the Bucs QBs. How does his performance compare to either of those cases?

MacNabb is a fairly good HB who throws well down-field. Despite his being elected to it, he is not, nor has he ever been a Pro-Bowl quality QB. He may someday become one, as he has a lot of talent - but he's not there. I'll even grant that due to his running ability, he's certainly a better QB than his less-than-average career stats. He's fun to watch as several times a game he makes simple plays into a struggle, and fairly often makes a bit of unpredictable excitement out of it. He is not, however, a "great quarterback".

31 posted on 10/05/2003 7:04:40 PM PDT by lepton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
What about all the other teams that played today? We should get a low down on all of them.
32 posted on 10/05/2003 7:05:36 PM PDT by Prodigal Son
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
We'll make an exeption this time ;-)
33 posted on 10/05/2003 7:17:41 PM PDT by Admin Moderator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lavrenti
McNabbs response started it.

McNabb didn't rspond to Rush's comments, he responded to the media who asked him about Rush's comments.

Donovan didn't have a thing to say about it until Wednesday, after WIP and the Philly papers had three days to fan the flames. Once they cornered McNabb and got a quote, they had their story.

McNabb didn't start this.

34 posted on 10/05/2003 7:17:41 PM PDT by WhistlingPastTheGraveyard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
Stick your head in the garbage, litany.

I am an Iggles fan, though I live in Redskins territory. I watched the second half of the game. I think Donovan McNabb is not a superstar but is a damn good quaterback. And, I think Limbaugh got a raw deal for expressing an opinion.

That said, McNabb didn't have that bad a game and made some key plays in the second half. The Iggles almost blew it, but it was the special teams and defense, not the offense, that made the last 2 minutes so painful to watch.

Take a deep breath, dude.

35 posted on 10/05/2003 7:22:01 PM PDT by blau993 (Labs for love; .357 for Security.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blau993
Stick your head in the garbage, litany.

You must originally be from Philly. In the City of Brotherly Love, the above is a term of endearment.

36 posted on 10/05/2003 7:26:05 PM PDT by litany_of_lies
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
McNabb should thank Rush. After this flap, he will never be benched.
37 posted on 10/05/2003 7:32:50 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (mislead, misled, lie, lied, failed, failure,leaked, revenge, etc., etc., etc..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: litany_of_lies
McNabb will never again get bad press, either. They don't dare.
38 posted on 10/05/2003 7:33:21 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (mislead, misled, lie, lied, failed, failure,leaked, revenge, etc., etc., etc..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KansasCanadian
Emmett Smith was the one crying today--six carries against the Cowboys and -1 yards

I was there, in the suite next to Cardinal owner Bill Bidwell. He was not 10 feet from me through a glass partitition.

I couldn't help but give him a thumbs up every time Emmitt got stuffed.

Okay, not EVERY time. I almost felt sorry for him. Actually, I guess I felt more sorry for Emmitt. He's still a class act.

39 posted on 10/05/2003 7:38:45 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone
Your profile page is most entertaining...
40 posted on 10/05/2003 7:44:17 PM PDT by KansasCanadian (The following comment about the French was removed by the Moderator...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson