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."
Comment removed.
McNabb should make all all-defensive-team when he goes public. He makes Yoggi Bera seem logical. Let him go because he is just too inconsistent with passes at times. Save his money and pick up a defensive end to complement Trent Cole and let's welcome in the more consistent (we hope) Kevin Kolb era.— sportsdead- McNabb should make all all-defensive-team when he goes public. He makes Yoggi Bera seem logical. Let him go because he is just too inconsistent with passes at times. Save his money and pick up a defensive end to complement Trent Cole and let's welcome in the more consistent (we hope) Kevin Kolb era.— sportsdead
- McNabb should make all all-defensive-team when he goes public. He makes Yoggi Bera seem logical. Let him go because he is just too inconsistent with passes at times. Save his money and pick up a defensive end to complement Trent Cole and let's welcome in the more consistent (we hope) Kevin Kolb era.— sportsdead
- BS..personal agendas against mcnabb.. no matter what he does or says its picked apart for some negative angle..— mongoS
- McNabb can be the best, at times. However, at times he lacks focus. He smiles at inappropriate times (it sends the wrong message to teammates and fans). He lacks a sense of urgency (this drives me nuts).It's a 60 minute game and he seems to drift off purpose and loses valuable time. He looks like he knows the camera is on him and he wants to project a certain persona.— islandmon
- oh please..the guy can smile or show emotion. folks hear comments somewhere from haters and take it and run with it.. now mcnabb should not smile.. what nonsense!!— mongoS
- What a media fabricated non-story. This is why players have to be forced by the league to talk to the media.— MD20202020
So McNabb is feeling the heat and back-tracking. Two words: no character. This is the same clown that lied in his presser about his "great" pass to Maclin in the Denver game. Ooops, he got caught on NFL films admitting to Westbrook on the sidelines that he actually overthrew Avant. Squirmy.- Leave it to McChoke to blow another game. Missed snap, missed TD pass, so on. After that, the ship sank. Of course without it's captain. He jumped ship again. Just ask the youngins.— romanT
- another mcnabb "can't get it done in the big games" and his not taking the blame for anything. i didn't say everything. if for just once in his career he would have said "i stunk" they'd have a chance. the only way the eagles can win at dallas this weekend is a change at q.b, bench westbrook, run and pass about 40/60 and blitz seven out of ten plays on defense. ain't going to happen. season is over.— JACK V
- Bye bye Dmac , thanks for the memories . Let's turn the page on this one . It's all downhill form here . Don't let the door hit you on the way out . Too bad the Eagles don't play the Bucs in the playoffs this year , they would kill them .— steve999
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- You got that right 5isthebestEagleEver. Wait until they have a QB like the 2 bozos out here in Cali for the Raider and 49ers.— Jeff@NorCal
- McInaccurate has no right to blame the youth on the team. If he didnt over throw Jackson, or throw behind Maclin constantly they would have won. He is an idiot.— maximus
