Donovan McNabb on Michael Vick, Eagles' playcalling
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Donovan McNabb on Michael Vick, Eagles' playcalling
Zach Berman, Inquirer Staff Writer
Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was on the NFL Network's NFL AM on Monday and discussed the Eagles. He did not say anything inflammatory or that wasn't true, but considering McNabb's history with the Eagles and specifically with this current regime, what he says carries validity. Here are his unedited comments on the Eagles:
On Vick's performance: "I just think it's a bad day at the office. If you look at the preseason, he wasn't able to get into a rhythm and get his feet up under him. This was another preseason game for him. I think Marty Mornhinweg will do a great job for him of getting his feet back under him and getting his confidence back. I thought he lost his confidence throughout that game. Walking off the field with his head down, that's just not like Michael Vick. Michael Vick's a guy who keeps his head up, continues to motivate the rest of the guys. I thought he lost his confidence early, which led to more and more turnovers all throughout the game."
On Vick throwing 56 times: "I think that was just a bad decision overall. I thought they should have ran the ball a little bit more. Shady McCoy did a great job of running the ball with over 120 yards rushing. And whenever you get in that position, you got to take the ball out of his hands and put it into the guy that's hot. If you run the screens, if you're running the ball or if you throw the shovel pass, do something just to get that confidence for Michael Vick. Continue to throw and throw and things aren't going well, you put your team in a bad position."
On whether Vick's performance was a cause for concern: "I don't think it's a cause for concern. I think the most important that we need to focus on is what's going to happen next week. They're playing a tough team with a tough defense next week, and I think now you go into the gameplanning, are we going to throw the ball 30, 40 times, or are we going to set it up with running the ball now. Because I think it's important you find out the mental makeup of Michael Vick this week. You're coming off a four-interception game, now what are you going to expect? Are you going to come back and think you're going to throw your way out of a slump, or just kind of get into a rhythm. I think it's important that Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid do a great job of getting his confidence by doing a three-step to five-stop game to get him back on course."
- Vick was 6 for 6 to start the game. the biggest rhythm bust was Shady's fumble and multiple penalties. That is where it started, and he was atrocious from there. He played desperate, and andy and marty did not recognize it until after his 4th interception.
- AR should have gone to the bullpen when Vick's pitch count got that high.— 2ndNlong
- Wow,I feel better now this coming from a choking,gagging dog who never won a thing.Thanks McPuke your the best.Pathetic.— sewell guy
- Yeah! Well, if Mc5 never WON a thing then Buddy Ryan is gas station bathroom scum, Cunningham, Jaworski, Vermeil and BRIAN DAWKINS are all deadbeat pathetic losers who don't deserve any kind of recognition for anything.
and those tards won minus Dawk won less.— OurCity2000 
McNabb > than the trolls who post on here.- Vick is a tiny little dude. He can't see over linemen so Marty calls the rollouts to get him some vision. Which is very troubling because with all that vision he still throws into double and triple coverage. I gotta think that 'dark as night' visor on his helmet is at least partly if not majorly to blame. I know he doesn't want the DBs to lock onto his eyes but really, how is it helping to wear it the way he is now? It's not and may only be hurting. This is ultimately why Foles will be your starter. He is tall enough to see over everyone and get an eyeball on the whole field not just tunnel vision on one slot down the field. I like Vick but his strong suit has been and always will be running and creating havoc for a defense, not as a drop back QB.— Mark1npt
- McNabb at least was way better than Vick.....McNabb at least won many playoff games and even led the Eagles to the SUPER BOWL...Vick has NOT even won a lousy stinkin' playoff game, Vick is a $100 million fraud...LOL— phil500
- phil, why do you keep trashing Vick and then writing "LOL" at the end of your comment? You do know that it means "laughing out loud," right? So do you believe it or not? — dtrain67
- McNabb was dumb for allowing the Eagles to bring Vick onto the team, Lurie and Reid conned and lied to McNabb by falsely telling him Vick was no threat and was only the THIRD STRING QB.....then after one year when Vick got back into shape they dumped McNabb and gave Vick his QB job (Kolb was just a smoke screen, that's why after only 1 game they made Vick the QB)— phil500
- As much as I talk ISH about Donowhine, he speaks truth here. Mike Vick was put in a bad position thanks to Mourn-his-wig and Fat Andy! How the heck do you continue to throw the ball and Shady is just killing the Browns dee on the right side?? In 13 years Andy Bleed still just doesn't get it! You have to game plan and be flexible enough to make in-game changes! not stick with what doesn't work! What an imbecile! GO MIKE VICK GO!— Panthro2011
- McCoy had 20 carries for 110 yards and that's not counting the 5 carries for about 50 yards that were called back because of penalties. It's not like the guy didn't get the ball. Looking at Vick's raw number of throws is misleading. The Eagles had 456 yards on offense (not even counting all the yards they lost on penalties) and the defense kept getting them the ball back. They had a lot of plays...period...more than an average game.— JimG
- It is ironic, while he is correct McNabb never thought the Eagles ran the ball too much when he was the QB even though they did.— Sidewinder7
- then when they asked Shanahan if he designed those short throws for RG3, he said no, He had options but chose to make those plays. And there you have it, you can make many decisions within a play. RG3 played a great game, so skins are no easy win anymore, although they never were, solid D. Vick makes the wrong decisions, time and again, stop making excuses for his poor play. After a game like that, fans still give him a pass, its laughable. What will it take to make you think he plays poorly 6, 7 INTs, maybe 2 or 3 fumbles?— peteike
Anytime I read that McNabb (as and Eagle) or Vick stink, I quickly realize that the person has no clue about NFL football. On their worst day, Vick or McNabb are average. Look at McNabb's final two years, when he wasn't wearing midnight green, that is a bad quarterback. The quarterback has been a strength of this team since McNabb's 2nd year. In fact, if the defense was anything close to the good old days. McNabb would be going to Canton.
— willbert31- McNabb didn't stink, but Vick does. Vick will never be half the QB McNabb was in his prime. And you you really slamming the Jim Johnson defense from when McNabb was the QB? That was a very good defense and had more to due with that team's success then the offense did. — Sidewinder7
