Phil Sheridan | Reid refuses to give McNabb help

It isn't going to be that easy.

The Donovan McNabb era flashed before your eyes as the Eagles quarterback made the all-too-familiar trek to the X-ray room today. McNabb's history - a broken ankle in Week 11 of the 2002 season, a serious groin injury in Week 10 in 2005, a blown knee in Week 11 last year - told you this was it. His season, and possibly his time in Philadelphia, had to be over.

That would have freed Andy Reid to do whatever he wants at the position. He could have gone with A.J Feeley for a couple of weeks, then eased rookie Kevin Kolb into the lineup.

But no. McNabb returned from the X-ray room for the third quarter. His right ankle was sprained. The thumb on his right hand was injured, too - jammed on a first-half throw. The injuries were severe enough to prevent him from returning to this game but not likely to keep him out of action for the long term.

"If Donovan's healthy, he's the quarterback," Reid said after a plodding 17-7 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins.

That part is simple. The ramifications are not. McNabb did not play well in the 19 minutes before blitzing cornerback Michael Lehan rolled up on his ankle. The offense had that same listlessness it has shown almost all season.

McNabb wasn't the sole cause. The pass protection was abysmal. The Eagles were confused by the blitz scheme of Dolphins defensive coordinator Dom Capers. Two of McNabb's first three passes were dropped. His best pass, a gorgeous touchdown throw to Reggie Brown on a flea flicker, was negated by a holding penalty on L.J. Smith.

But McNabb did throw two bad interceptions, both to safety Jason Allen. He tried to force one ball to Brown. The other was a "miscommunication," he said, a deep throw where there were no Eagles.

When Feeley came in, there was more of the same. Pressure. Covered receivers. Another bad throw that was intercepted. Then came halftime and a chance for sanity to seep in.

After the game, Reid said the Eagles' run-oriented approach was "what we planned on doing." But the numbers say otherwise. McNabb was in the game for 21 offensive plays, 13 called passes and 8 called runs. After Feeley came in, there were 21 called passes and 27 called runs.

McNabb: 62 percent pass plays.

Feeley: 44 percent pass plays.

We can linger on why Reid would pretend the play calling didn't change because McNabb was out. But the more interesting and ultimately era-defining issue is why Reid and his staff stubbornly refuse to give McNabb the benefit of a more balanced offensive approach. Year after year, regardless of McNabb's health or the quality of his receivers or the state of the offensive line, Reid makes No. 5 throw the ball a ridiculous number of times.

On a cold, windy, wet day against the 30th-ranked run defense in the NFL, McNabb was throwing 62 percent of the time.

When the coaches turned to Brian Westbrook, the Eagles moved the ball, took pressure off their quarterback and seized control of the game.

It's hard to tell whether Reid's blind spot here is a kind of compliment - he just believes McNabb can and will do the impossible - or a sign he's hellbent on getting McNabb maimed. There is ample evidence for both theories.

And you wonder where all this plays into McNabb's thinking. Five years ago, a younger McNabb played most of a game after breaking his ankle. This time, he took himself out.

"I know what I can and can't do," McNabb said. "There was no reason to go back out there. . . . I knew that I was done."

A few questions later: "I can't really run," he said. "I can't drop back. For me to go out and be a sitting duck, that takes away from what we want to do on the offensive side."

Just to make things even more frustrating, McNabb ran the ball with more quickness and elusiveness than we've seen since he hurt the knee a year ago. That reinforced the sense that he has been playing all season at some fraction of full strength. Now he will have to rehab a sprained ankle as he tries to prepare for the best team in the NFL.

"I am going to get right to get back out there and make sure I'm capable of doing what I can do," McNabb said. "We'll see how the week goes."

Here's how it will go: There will be debate over whether the Eagles are better off with Feeley or McNabb, then the Patriots will win and there will be more debate next week and the week after.

It could have been so easy, but no. With this team, it never is.