Trotter slams McNabb
John Gonzalez wrote a column in this morning's Inquirer about comments Donovan McNabb made last week on WIP. McNabb's ex-teammate Jeremiah Trotter was a guest on The Morning Show today and ripped into McNabb, saying the Eagles quarterback has never taken the blame when the team comes up short. Trotter added that he believes McNabb wants out of Philadelphia. "I really believe it's time for Donovan to just go to another team," Trotter said. "Donovan is a great quarterback. He is in the top five. He has been for a long time, but I believe he'll play even better if he's happy. I don't think Donovan wants to be here. Donovan is not going to come out and say it, which I think people would respect him more if he came out and just told the truth. But I think he tells everybody else one thing when he does his press conference and post-game interviews and he throws little comments out there. Donovan really doesn't want to be an Eagle. I don't think he's ever been happy there." Trotter took issue with McNabb on a variety of topics, saying he hasn't come up in clutch situations. "In this league, you're gonna get put in positions where you gotta come through at specific times," Trotter said. "And I always say the great players come through in great moments, and he hasn't prove to come through in those times when the team really needs him." When asked if that's how McNabb's current teammates feel about him, Trotter answered, "Without a shadow of a doubt." In last week's interview, McNabb said the Cardinals' final scoring drive in the NFC championship reminded him of the Eagles-Rams championship game in 2002. McNabb said both teams ran the ball at the end of the game because they were "terrified" that the Eagles' offense would get the ball back. "I don't know what offense he's talking about but I don't think anybody's terrified," Trotter said. When asked specifically about the Rams championship game, Trotter pulled no punches. "Well first of all, defense was the only reason we was in the championship game. That's first thing," he said. "Second thing is we was going against the top-rated offense and they was going against the worst offense. I mean they was going against the worst defense so they should have at least 60 points on them guys." Trotter said nobody should be surprised by McNabb's comments about the defense, adding that he has never taken responsibility for playing poorly. "I don't think a lot of people are gonna be surprised by the comments, him throwing the defense under the bus," Trotter said. "A lot of people are not gonna be surprised. They understand Donovan and you know, Donovan has never really taken the blame for playing bad. ...You'll never hear Donovan say 'I played bad. I gotta do a better job.'" And finally, Trotter said McNabb probably wouldn't have made these comments back when he was on the team. "Nobody on the team is going say anything to him. He's Donovan," Trotter said. "They don't want any controversy, but I really don't think he would have said those things if myself, Hugh [Douglas] or Ike [Reese] had been on the team." Following the Eagles' loss, when McNabb made similar comments, Trotter responded, and we blogged about it here. To listen to the Trotter interview from this morning, click here.
Trotter slams McNabb
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
John Gonzalez wrote a column in this morning's Inquirer about comments Donovan McNabb made last week on WIP.McNabb's ex-teammate Jeremiah Trotter was a guest on The Morning Show today and ripped into McNabb, saying the Eagles quarterback has never taken the blame when the team comes up short.
Trotter added that he believes McNabb wants out of Philadelphia.
"I really believe it's time for Donovan to just go to another team," Trotter said. "Donovan is a great quarterback. He is in the top five. He has been for a long time, but I believe he'll play even better if he's happy. I don't think Donovan wants to be here. Donovan is not going to come out and say it, which I think people would respect him more if he came out and just told the truth. But I think he tells everybody else one thing when he does his press conference and post-game interviews and he throws little comments out there. Donovan really doesn't want to be an Eagle. I don't think he's ever been happy there."
Trotter took issue with McNabb on a variety of topics, saying he hasn't come up in clutch situations.
"In this league, you're gonna get put in positions where you gotta come through at specific times," Trotter said. "And I always say the great players come through in great moments, and he hasn't prove to come through in those times when the team really needs him."
When asked if that's how McNabb's current teammates feel about him, Trotter answered, "Without a shadow of a doubt."
In last week's interview, McNabb said the Cardinals' final scoring drive in the NFC championship reminded him of the Eagles-Rams championship game in 2002. McNabb said both teams ran the ball at the end of the game because they were "terrified" that the Eagles' offense would get the ball back.
"I don't know what offense he's talking about but I don't think anybody's terrified," Trotter said.
When asked specifically about the Rams championship game, Trotter pulled no punches.
"Well first of all, defense was the only reason we was in the championship game. That's first thing," he said. "Second thing is we was going against the top-rated offense and they was going against the worst offense. I mean they was going against the worst defense so they should have at least 60 points on them guys."
Trotter said nobody should be surprised by McNabb's comments about the defense, adding that he has never taken responsibility for playing poorly.
"I don't think a lot of people are gonna be surprised by the comments, him throwing the defense under the bus," Trotter said. "A lot of people are not gonna be surprised. They understand Donovan and you know, Donovan has never really taken the blame for playing bad. ...You'll never hear Donovan say 'I played bad. I gotta do a better job.'"
And finally, Trotter said McNabb probably wouldn't have made these comments back when he was on the team.
"Nobody on the team is going say anything to him. He's Donovan," Trotter said. "They don't want any controversy, but I really don't think he would have said those things if myself, Hugh [Douglas] or Ike [Reese] had been on the team."
Following the Eagles' loss, when McNabb made similar comments, Trotter responded, and we blogged about it here.
To listen to the Trotter interview from this morning, click here.
sometimes mcnabb should just keep his mouth shut. i didn't hear the interview, and i'm sure they baited him, but still.. "both teams ran the ball at the end of the game because they were 'terrified' that the eagles offense would get the ball back." ... the eagles DID get the ball back in both the st. louis and the arizona game. it was a team loss, shut up already.— philabirds- TROTTER SPEAKS THE TRUTH. Whether you like it or not, Trot does not mince his words.— kgochenour
- Trotter is the man! And he is absolutely correct, Mcchoke has never stepped up to win the games we aren't supposed. Can't say that about our defense though, how many games has that side of the ball won for us since Mcchoke has been here?— beerisgood
- Glad that Trotter confirms what I have thought for years, that both reid and McNabb will cover up bad play and be statisfied with mediocrity as long as nobody rocks the boat. Any body that does speak up is long gone, so the remainders just keep quiet and go along with the conspiracy of mediocrity.— atp2007
- So he wouldn't have said those things when Trotter, Hugh, and Ike were on the team? But these guys did nothing when TO was acting like a fool. It's so easy to talk about people, no one threw Trotter under the bus when he couldn't play anymore. Then he went to Tampa Bay and never suited up for a game.— G
Comment removed.- I love Trotter. He is one of the best middle linebackers we've ever had, and one of the most passionate players I've ever seen, but let's set the record straight. Trotter himself did not take responsibility for playing poorly when he was an Eagle. When he was here the first time, he did a T.O. and got all dramatic to try to force the front office to pay him Ray Lewis money when he was not a Ray Lewis talent. He was then let go after pitching a fit. Next, he went to Washington, where he performed poorly before being injured and released. He had to call Andy and ask to be forgiven before he was brought back. During his second stint with the Eagles, he was great at crashing the line and playing downhill, but the team regularly got gashed across the middle by pass catching tight ends and running backs because Trotter couldn't cover anybody. I never heard Trotter take the blame for that. However, I have heard Donovan, particularly during the stretch in the middle of the season when he played terribly, step up to the microphone and say, "We all need to play better, including me." Donovan is not perfect. No one is, but it is really disappointing to see his former teammates (including Hugh, who stole money from Jacksonville at the end, and Ike, who was a great special teams player, but not good enough to play regularly on defense) attacking him this way. Stop letting the media use you, Trott. You're a bigger man than that.— kingsolomonsmind
- I'm tired of this conversation. It takes both sides of the ball in equal proportion to win big games. Even if we have the ball with 2 minutes left...it takes both sides to win. If I remember correctly, McNabb led the offense back into that Rams game years ago. The only way we could win that game was if the Defense held its own, and they played as well as they could have against that offense. If you all want McNabb to go, you'll all regret the basement we will suddenly be in. Everyone wants to blow it up and start over, but nobody wants to lose during that time.— sf1027
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- Classic divide and conquer. The racist and garbage Philly media at its best.— mongoS
- Sounds like Trotter is taking the Tiki Barber route. I hope we get the same results.— flossified
- Should philly.com be my source for NFL coverage? I wonder what is deemed newsworthy and what is merely fodder? Infighting and cynical remarks between ex players and players don't seem like news to me. Perhaps the terms "news" and "coverage" are subjective.— phan in TN
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- 1. Trotter is a prime example of a guy who never came up big in the biggest moments. He is example number one of a guy who is beloved by the fans despite consistent and dependable failure in big moments. But I guess he doesn't come off as "high brow," so that makes it all OK. 2. Trot says everyone would respect it more if McNabb just spoke the truth. Well, the things he said last week seemed pretty honest to me, yet, we've entered another period of McNabb bashing. Once again, people talk themselves in circles trying to justify their hatred for McNabb. The fact of the matter is, the collective opinion of him has been cast.— owumd
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