Donovan and DeSean "cleared it up"
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Donovan and DeSean "cleared it up"
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
Donovan McNabb and DeSean Jackson apparently cleared the air over McNabb's "youth" comment and Jackson's response to that comment on his radio show Monday night.
"Whatever his comment was about, I didn't hear the question he was asked," Jackson said today. "We talked and, you know, it's nothing big. We just got to keep it in-house and stick together as a team. Don't let things like that break us up. We talked about it, cleared it up and it's alright."
FROM EARLIER
There's been a lot of talk about Donovan McNabb's post-game comments in which he supposedly blamed an entire generation for the Eagles' loss to Dallas. Let's label it Gen X (McNabb) vs. Gen Y (Jackson, Maclin, et al).
"We showed our youth," McNabb said when he was asked about, well, the Eagles' relative youth.
Some have pointed to the Eagles quarterback's comments as another example of his unwillingness to lead, or perhaps his inability to lead. I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps. If McNabb rebounds on Saturday and leads the Eagles to a victory I'm fairly sure that kind of criticism will be silenced -- at least for one more week.
McNabb clarified his comments today.
"It all starts with me," McNabb said. "I have to raise my level of play and everyone has to, as well. In playoff play there is no looking back and saying, 'I could have, should have, would have,' and you have to come in with that attitude and be able to make plays when the plays are there to be made."
McNabb, by the way, is 6-0 in the first round of the playoffs. His counterpart, Tony Romo, is 0-2. Of course, that is past history. What people care about is the now and what radio show talk hosts care about is drumming up controversy. McNabb was asked if he was blaming the kiddies.
"No, not at all," he said. "What I meant is we have a young team and a lot of things that we were doing just looked very uncharacteristic of what we did all throughout the year. I wasn't blaming it on anyone, by any means. I said that it was my fault on the [fumbled] snap, and I said that I need to elevate my game. I think at times too many people focus on just little things and they aren't focusing on the whole question or the whole answer."
DeSean Jackson was asked about McNabb's comments on his radio show Monday night and the wide receiver said that if the sound bite was played in the locker room it's "not something nobody wants to hear." Jackson said that he would talk with McNabb about the statement and about the quarterback's visible frustration during the game. McNabb said today that the two had yet to talk.
"We've communicated as a team after the game, and we're communicating all throughout this week," McNabb said. "I think the most important thing for everyone is to not put that pressure on your shoulders now because of what happened, recognize what happened in the game, and be able to know what you're seeing and let's just go out and have fun."
Brian Westbrook said that he did not interpret McNabb's comments as negative. The running back apparently stood up and addressed the team following the loss.
"I'm one of the older guys on the team and it needed to be said that we didn't play our football game this past week," Westbrook said. "We didn't do what we set out to do."
If 5 is the best Eagle ever,can their ever be a doubt with that level of mediocrity from a talent standpoint,why we have never won a Super Bowl Philadelphia?...Enuff said,I'm out...PEACE!!!— MJOLLNIR HAMMER
Comment removed.- what makes you think this week will be any different?— frank martino
- So now its the media's fault that McNabb blamed the youth. This writer is soft.— psu05
- Donovan is my son and you best be leaving him alone. It just ain't right.— 5sthebestEagleEver
- I'll be so happy when the Kolb era starts next season. I'm so tired of the prima donna act of Donovan McNabb. Kolb is a down to earth type of dude. He would just blame himself and focus on preparing for the next game. With McNabb it's endless drama and controversy.— soulman386
- Great article in pointing out that the radio shows are where this controvery starts and ends. How is calling out his offense, especially the young playmakers not an example of leadership? I'll never get the lack of respect shown to Donovan in this city... but hey, we'll see how Saturday ends up.— gaitherfan
bigphillydad, really? Check out Pmanning's playoff resume. It's putrid. Wiff, the difference is that if KK IS the QB the real Eagle fans will be behind him. The problem is that no one but you think that he is the answer to anything and I'm going to love pointing that out to you when DM is gone and KK falls flat because it'll be a long time before the Es can find another franchise QB. Of course in that event you'll have another log in or just plain be gone. But with your great record of being correct sooooo often, why worry? Idiot.— tpizza- THEY ALL JUST PLAYED BAD LET HOPE WE WIN ON SAT. GO EAGLES GO EAGLES— renee8143
