McNabb earns stay from criticism with stand-up performance

PHILADELPHIA -- I'm sorry, life is just not fair for Donovan McNabb.

Four days after he was humiliated in Baltimore, he rebounds with one of his best games of the year, conquers a playoff-bound opponent and laps MVP candidate Kurt Warner. Nice, huh?

'I never get too high or too low,' says McNabb, who puts aside his recent bad play. (US Presswire)

Not nice enough. He had to share center stage with star running back Brian Westbrook, whose four touchdowns led the Eagles to a 48-20 demolition of Arizona.

OK, that I can accept. This I cannot: After hitting his first six passes and leading the Eagles to touchdowns on their first two possessions, McNabb finally misfired -- dropping a sideline delivery at the feet of DeSean Jackson ... and was booed.

I kid you not.

Forget that McNabb had the accuracy Warner did not. Or that he threw a season-high four touchdown passes. Or even that he pumped life into a comatose offense that had one offensive TD in its previous nine quarters.

The poor guy was booed. And while it was confined to such a small portion of the stadium that reporters questioned whether it was done in jest, it was enough to convince me that, yep, it's tough being Donovan McNabb.

"I never get too high or too low," shrugged McNabb, "and I think that's very important in the position I'm in. I'm playing the quarterback position, and we know there are going to be some tough times and some times that go pretty well.

"But it's important as a quarterback that you never show it's affecting you or bothering you. You continue to work or get out of the so-called slump to get your team back on track. I don't worry about what people may say on the outside or what the joke is at that particular time about me. I just go out and play football."

That is not to say he doesn't earn some of the criticism he absorbs. Heck, he's the guy who, after stinking up the joint against lowly Cincinnati, admitted he didn't know the rules for overtime. Are you kidding me? You're in the league 10 years, the team leader and the face of the franchise, and you don't know you have 15 minutes to win?

Please.

Then he stunk up the joint again in Baltimore and was yanked at halftime -- a decision that coach Andy Reid will rue if and when the Eagles miss the playoffs. That provoked a public debate on the future of McNabb, Reid and the Eagles -- with everyone but Joe the Plumber asked to chime in -- and it seemed to provoke a reaction from McNabb.

"This is hard to say," said running back Lorenzo Booker, "but, to be honest, he was hungrier than I've seen him (this week). I mean, the guy comes to work every day while at the same time making sure everyone is going to do their jobs. But I have yet to see him that hungry.