Sunday went according to plan.
We all expected the Eagles to beat the Lions, we all expected Michael Vick to have a good game, and we all expected the quarterback controversey (at least in the eyes of the fans) that is about to ensue.
One of my favorite things ever is to watch the media do exactly what I am about to do: talk about how there is no controversy, and in doing so, start a controversy. It's as predictable as the seasons, but there's really no avoiding it. Especially in this scenario.
Andy Reid has stated that Kevin Kolb will be the quarterback next week. And he is right to do so. The Eagles have put all of their eggs in Kolb's basket and they're not going to allow one bad half stop him from being the great quarterback they expect him to be.
Here's the problem: he has never done anything to show anyone that he will be a great quarterback. He was a second round pick, a backup in waiting, and other than a few starts (one against the worst team in the league), he hasn't given us any reason to think he will be anything more than an average NFL passer. To fans, it just feels like Bobby Hoying redux. We all expect him to be good. But quite honestly, we know nothing about him. We would like to see him pull a "Jimmy" and steal $60k worth of whiskey, sell it to Al Capone, and then show us the loot. We want to be Nucky. We want Kevin Kolb to show us what he's capable of- we'll be on board. But so far, he's done nothing more than be our "number two" and kick up a fuss (how's THAT for an uberly- current pop culture reference?)
On the other hand, you have a proven NFL player who has put up 52 points in six quarters this season. It's hard to not want him to be the guy. Yesterday, Vick showed you what a superior athlete he was, as he flicked the ball 60 yards down field, spun out of the pocket, and orchestrated a normal two-minute drill. We haven't seen that from a quarterback in quite a while.
Is there a controversey? Not in Reid's eyes. He has to play Kolb. The real controversey will come if Kolb stinks against Jacksonville and Washington. Oh boy. He will be on a very, very short leash with the fans.
And that is to be expected.
What else was expected? The horrible tackling in the secondary and the awful, depleted offensive line. If Kolb, who already struggles with the blitz, gets that same blocking next week, it is going to be ugly.
What wasn't expected? Riley Cooper slapping at the ball on the onsides kick. I don't think I've ever seen an NFL player slap a ball. What the hell was that?
Oh yeah, I guess this was expected too. McNabb face:
H/T to @08_wfc_26.
5 Responses
Boardwalk Empire is going to be a hit.
Typical Mcnabb yesterday he couldnt move the ball late in the second half of the game to seal the win for his team.
Washington media sucks they didnt ask any tough question in the post game pc. With questioning like that they will never have to worry about him blaming everyone except himself for the loss.
@D – Tough to blame McNabb for the loss…he did throw for 400+ yds with no running game to help and handed his Def a 27-10 lead. If not for the false start on that 3rd & 1 play that made it 3rd & 6 with about 7 mins to go, the game was over. Then the kicker has a kick blocked and then misses in OT after he drives them down the field.
Pretty good summary of QB situation. The problem is Vick won’t be here next year. You can’t help but notice how much better the team looks with Vick vs Kolb right now. But then the other side is you need to find out if Kolb can play or else next year you have no Vick and still don’t know if Kolb can play. Need to know whether or not you have to draft another QB of the Future.
And I guess the point is playing Vick to try to win 9 or 10 games and get into the playoffs is almost beside the point. The organization made a decision last offseason that winning 10 or 11 games, making playoffs, and not winning a Super Bowl, was no longer good enough. If so they could have just kept McNabb for another year. If deep down they don’t think they can realistically win a SB with this spotty O-line and inconsistent defense with Vick at QB, then you almost have to play Kolb as long as he is halway decent.
They keep saying it’s not a rebuilding year, but when you jettison your franchise QB (who btw probably had one of his 2 or 3 best years statistically last year) to hand the job to a kid, that’s what you are doing. They are potentially sacrificing the present a little bit to hopefully make your future better down the road.
It will be frustrating next year though if Vick is playing well somewhere like Oakland, McNabb is playing well on Minnesota, and Kolb is stinking up the joint here.
I could care less about Vick and what he can and can’t do on the field. All I care about is him being gone next season. There is no reason whatsoever for Vick to become the starting QB. Very few people seem to forget that we are in a “rebuilding” stage where we have to train Kolb to be the starting QB. No one should expect a winning season, that’s not what rebuilding is about. But I’m sure all I’m going to hear all seaon is “wah-wah” we didn’t get to the playoffs.
Good stuff to both Kyle and John E. I had to get on here to comment on the McNabb face. Now, I was sad to see 5 leave, however…I do NOT miss “McNabb face”…at all! LOL! I used to always tell people once that expression came on his face, ya might as well turn off the TV because that face meant he gave up. The worst was when you would see it as early the third quarter!
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