McNabb vs some of the Greats (as of '04)

QBs after 4 yrs. in the league

QB record as starter playoffs completion % yds TDs Ints Best pass rtg Rush yds/TDs
mcnabb 31-17 (64.6%) 4-3 56.9 9835 71 38 86 1884/14
elway 38-18 (67.9%) 2-2 (SB loss) 54 11637 66 65 79 893/3
favre 26-19 (57.8%) 2-2 62.2 10412 70 53 90.7 616/4
aikman 27-27 (50%) 4-1 (SB win) 60.2 10527 54 60 89.5 -/-
montana 18-15 (54.5%) ? (SB win yr3) 63.1 8069 52 32 ? 312/5

* Marino's passing #s & record are off the scale.

Hmm, so let's break this down. Higher winning % than all but elway, better playoff records than favre and elway, higher completion % than elway (note, the other 3 are tops in nfl history in completion %, aikman i know is 3rd all-time), more TDs than all 3, fewer picks than all except montana (who, along with mcnabb and young, are 3 of the 4 in nfl history w/fewest picks thrown %), much better passer rating than elway, and when you get to rushing, he crushes all of them, w/991 more yds than the next best (elway), and almost 3 times as many rushing TDs as the next best (montana).

Now, let's look at what help they had:
McNabb- pro bowl TE (1 good year in 2000), subpar receivers (all yrs), subpar running game (until 03) - great defense (except 03), OK line
Aikman - pro bowl RB, WR, TE, & 2 OL (93/94), great defense
Elway - i don't think he had any weapons on offense until late 80s, good defense
Favre- pro bowl TEs/WRs, good line, ok RBs, great defense
Montana - come on, Rice, Taylor, Rathman, Brent Jones, great defense

For all the Rush lovers who want to beleive that McNaab is a product of the media and his defense take a look at these facts:
1. With at least 45 starts, he ranks third with a .646 winning percentage. Defense may have helped him with that, but the media couldn't help Eagles win.
2. Ranks 4th on the NFL's ALL TIME list in TD:Int ratio (1.87) and 3rd in INT percentage (2.31). Defense or media can't touch this.
3. He has more playoff wins than any other QB in Eagle history with 4. I know that is a sad commentary on Eagle history, but the point is McNaab has only started five years and he surely will win more playoff games in his career. Do you know how he rates against Montana, Elway, Favre and Simms in playoff win in first five years starting? Wanna guess? #1. This is not a media hype - it's statistical fact.
4. Holds NFL Playoff rushing record for a QB, (107) VS. Green Bay, where he rallied his team from 14 down to win. The 4th and 26 (perfect pass, soft defense sure, but still a perfect pass) and his escape from TWO GB defenders on a critical goal line play in which he hit Pinkston in end zone will define that game. The Eagle defense was actually softer in 2003 than at any time in McNaab's history with the team. He still went 12-4.
5. In 2000, his first year of leading them to 11-5 - he accounted for 74.6% of the Eagles offense. That's third ALL TIME for a season. In addition to passing for more than 3,000 yards, he also rushed for more than 600 and rushed for 6 td's.
6. He had a comeback win VS Pittsburgh when he brought the team back from 10 points down with 2:00 to play. And the defense never took the feild and the media never threw a TD.
7. Later that yr, he rushed for 125 yards vs Wash. That was the most by a QB since Bobby Douglas in1972. 1972!!!
8. With 2000 being his first year as a starter, and in leading a 5-11 team to an 11-5 record, and for accounting for 74% of the offense, and his 4 fourth Quater comebacks - and all this with no offensive help, (Duce was injured that year) he was runner up in the NFL MVP voting. And was named CBS NFL Player Of The Year.
9. He's been named NFL's player of the week 4 times.
10. NFL's player of the month once.
11. Is only fourth Eagle QB to pass for 3,000 yards in back to back seasons Sonny Jurgenson, Ron Jaworski and Randall Cunningham are the other 3 and good QB's. Not Hall Of Fame, but good pro QB's. But McNaab is over rated?
12. Isn't an accurate passer? While he isn't the most accurate passer, he is streaky and he does hold the club record for most completions in a row.
13. He broke Randall Cunningham's records for most attempts and completions in a season.
14. Is regarded as the teams hardest working player and was named by his TEAMMATES as the teams MVP in 2000 and 2001.
15. He demonstrated his heart when he played an entire game on a broken leg and completed 80% of his passes for 255 yards and 4 td's. This was the only game in his career he didn't have a rushing attempt.
16. But most importantly, he did all this - which many of you will say isn't that impressive in just a five year period - with this offensive talent. a list of McNaab's recepient on his TD passes.
A. Chad Lewis 14, James Thrash 13, Charles Johnson 7, Todd pinkston 7, Jeff Thomason 7, Duce Staley 4, Torrence Small 4, Luther Broughton 2, Antonio Freeman 2, Cecil Martin 2, Darnell Autry, Mike Bartrum, Na Brown, Dameane Douglas, Dorsey Levens, Brian Mitchell, Brian Westbrook, Freddie Mitchell all 1. Westbrook and FredX just got going and should catch alot of TD's in their career from Mac. Pinkston should thrive as the #2, but other than that Donovan might as well have been throwing to me and my drunk buddies in the parking lot.
Nobody is saying put him in Canton, but for Rush to say he's over rated and for you guys to say yea, he is, is ludicrous. He's has carried that offense to 3 straight NFC CG's, that's never been done before - win or lose. And he's only started 5 years! Over rated? You guys must be smokin what Rush was.