Once Donovan McNabb scored his touchdown yesterday in the Eagles 38-10 trouncing of the Carolina Panthers, I think that most of us felt as if the game was over. Seconds later as Donovan lay on the ground, screaming while grabbing his knees and back, I couldn’t help but think that our entire season might be over. That feeling was confirmed once our number-two quarterback, Kevin Kolb, came into the game and did absolutely with yet another opportunity.

After all these years of listening to Andy Reid cough and grunt through press conference after press conference, we have learned that Andy Reid is one tough code to crack. Andy has never and will never come right out and say anything. He is secretive and holds his cards tight in his hands. So, it wasn’t shocking to hear Andy play down Donovan’s injury while also talking up how much he likes Kolb.

“I have full confidence in him.” Reid stated. “I don’t worry about his accuracy or knowledge of the offense right now. It’s just a matter of getting caught up with the game speed of the regular season.”

Right. So, in other words, the guy that the Eagles spent a second round draft pick on a few years ago who has had two years to prepare for NFL action is still not used to the “game speed of the regular season.” I can understand that. I’ve seen how difficult young quarterbacks like Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Mark Sanchez are finding the transition to NFL game speed. I mean, they’re struggling just as bad as Kolb is, of course.

Andy has continued to talk up Kolb for two years even though people are still searching for progress. On the field, Kolb has looked like a quarterback who shouldn’t be playing above the college level. Fans have been waiting for Andy Reid to just come out and admit his mistake in drafting a quarterback who ran a college offense that went five-wide every down. We’re all still wondering what Andy saw in Kolb when he drafted him as high as he did. We just want to hear Andy admit that the Kevin Kolb experiment is over.

Today, we may have gotten our wish. The Eagles re-signed Jeff Garcia whom handled our team very well in 2007 when McNabb went down due to injury. The signing of Garcia is significant for a few reasons. First, it shows that the Eagles are realistic in their thinking that Michael Vick is going to need some time before he can jump right in after a two-year layoff and play football at a high level. Second, it shows us that the Eagles are not certain that McNabb will only miss a game or two. Most importantly, however, is that it shows that the Eagles doubt the ability of Kevin Kolb.

Jeff Garcia is not a third or fourth quarterback. If the Eagles knew that Michael Vick was coming back in week 3, they could have signed pretty much anyone to be the emergency quarterback. Once McNabb gets back now, who exactly is the odd man out? Well, Donovan isn’t going anywhere. It’s safe to say that the Eagles would not have gone through the public backlash of obtaining Michael Vick just to release him midseason. So, it comes down to Garcia and Kolb. It’s very hard to imagine that the veteran Garcia would sign with a team for one to two weeks and be kicked to the curb once again.

Welcome back to the team Jeff Garcia. You did wonders for this team and the city loved you. Our city loves athletes who put their heart out on the field and play 150% every down. Now that you have re-signed with our team, we can now thank you for putting the Kevin Kolb era behind us. It’s been two years too long.

Brett is 26 years old and from Millville, NJ. He has is a life-log fan of the Philadelphia sports teams as well as the Boston red Sox and Cincinnati Bengals. Brett is also a big fan of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. If you would like to comment on one of his stories, please e-mail him at Brettley916@aol.com

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Philadelphia Eagles fans have gotten their quarterback controversy early. Donovan McNabb will miss 2-4 weeks with cracked ribs. This will be #5′s fifth season of eight with injury. The situation sets up a situation in four weeks where Michael Vick may be the Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback.

McNabb was injured after being hit on a touchdown run. A review of the tape shows that the hit came late, although it wasn”t called. As an Eagles fan, my fears were heightened when McNabb immediately grabbed both of his knees. McNabb was able to walk off under his own volition, but never returned to the game.

The injury darkened what would have been a glorious day for Philadelphia Eagles fans. The Eagles struggled early by giving up a touchdown to Carolina on their first drive. The Eagles defense sparked the team when Victor Abiamiri picked up a Jake Delhomme fumble and returned it for six. This started a 28-point run, all in the first half. The Eagles got points from the special teams, offense, and defense making it a an all-around terrific team effort.

Kevin Kolb saw his first NFL action since the Baltimore debacle last season. Kolb didn”t look all that much better. The offense didn”t click well under Kolb. Kolb went 7 for 11 for a disappointing 23 yards. On the one hand, Kolb was in a bad spot coming into the game when he did. On the other hand, he has had two opportunities to show his stuff and has failed miserably in both of them.

This isn”t to say that McNabb can come back early. McNabb has played through injuries before, but that doesn”t make me feel better. This could be a situation like 2005 where he was injured in the first game, continued to play through injury, and struggled until Andy Reid finally pulled the plug in mid-season. Andy Reid did say after the game that there is a chance McNabb could play. Whether he plays at 65% or doesn”t play at all, it is a lose-lose situation for Eagles fans.

The Eagles host the New Orleans Saints next week. This is a tricky situation in my opinion for McNabb. The Saints are going to score and I have no confidence that Kevin Kolb can hang in a shootout with Drew Brees. On the other hand, McNabb is already playing behind a questionable offensive line. If it takes sitting him for a game or two to ensure he is back at close to 100%, I say go for it. It isn”t worth seeing McNabb”s entire season ended next week.

Eagles fans have been down this road for the last eight years with Donovan McNabb. Whether it is bad luck or his own culpability, he has been injured in five of the last eight seasons. This is something that he can play through, so his status for next week will probably up in the air all week. Brett Favre is currently playing with bad ribs and so far he has looked good. Like him or not, McNabb is a tough quarterback that once finished a game with a broken leg. All eyes will be on Donovan McNabb for the next seven days.

Never a dull moment in Philadelphia during the football season!

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