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Open Enough
There is a certain statistic that
leaps off the page when evaluating Donovan
McNabb … it’s his red flag waiving lifetime interception percentage.
As I understand it, his lifetime interception rating is the best for any
modern day quarterback ever. Sometimes
a great stat doesn’t tell the whole story.
Another way to say red flag waiving is to say that McNabb is risk adverse ... to
the point of being a reinforced obsessive compulsive. Now combine
this fact with Andy Reid’s dominant defensive units that brought the Eagles
five (5) NFC championship appearances and what soon develops is the concept of
… "He wasn’t open enough"!
In evaluating film, when you see a McNabb throw landing at a receivers ankles,
feet or bouncing off the turf … you begin to understand the concept of …
"He wasn’t open enough". Now
imagine Andy Reid saying; “Good
decision Donovan. Wait for that
opportunity. Don’t make that
mistake.” So
one could say that that out of bounds throw or that toss into the dirt is
a signal to his players, and more importantly McNabb’s coaches, that from
McNabb's point of view, the receiver in question just wasn’t open enough.
Good decision! Give
Donovan a pat on the back. Reinforce that risk adverse stifling
behavior. The problem is ... What we see is 3 & out McNabb.
Now
consider this … statistically McNabb is the polar opposite of Brett Favre.
Favre was the interception king because in his mind, if he saw a faint
sliver of an opening, Brett processed that as an opportunity.
Brett then fed that receiver as if he were a starving Joe that hadn’t
eaten in a week.
The players absolutely loved him for that ... at least in 2009. Turning up
the volume. So tell me ... when are we and my Viking cohorts going to
get something other than the pole? When you chose a player to
quell our desires ... let me tell you directly ... you chose the wrong pole and
the wrong hole if you're plan was to try and shut us up. No! No!
Adrian Peterson ... I got this!
McNabb's approach presents
several problems. The first, and to
a lesser extent, our receivers have been spoiled by Brett Favre’s approach, in
they expect a ball that they can compete for & then snatch from the sky.
To this perspective ... this represents
almost every Sidney Rice & Calvin Johnson completion. The
second, and most importantly of all, is that there is no one else on the Viking
squad that can act in this manner. Do
you think Jared Allen can act as both Judge & Jury in regard to a sliver of
an opportunity in being able to blow up a quarterback or make a defensive play.
That's not what I see on film. How about Adrian Peterson saying,
"I could have blown open that hole except that that Gale Sayers sliver of
daylight, which was all he needed, wasn’t big enough so I just took a knee."
The film doesn't show that either. The third problem, is that there
is no way you can come from behind using McNabb's approach. So in other
words, the exact right amount of McNabb pressure ... in what he can handle ...
is exactly wrong.
Now lets put this all into perspective. Call it simple terms. A
famous Michael Jordan quote went something like this, "Didn't you know that
you miss 100% of the shots that you don't take". Is it any wonder
why, if I were a Viking receiver, that I would be screaming to the almighty with
blood shooting from my eyes in anger. Why does that sandwich smell like a
waste treatment plant ... not to worry .... take a bite.
It is any wonder why there
was no true Viking fan contained within that dome on Sunday that could contain
the bile buried deep within their bowels when they were force fed more Donovan
McNabb … “you just weren’t open enough” throws that we’ve been force
fed all season long. What was
Shrek’s quote, “Better out than in … I always say”. In my
opinion, those fans that are infamous throughout the league for the din within
the dome were not loud enough ... as Leslie Frazier simply didn't hear your
disgust.
There are way too many that are spilling their blood, sweat & guts
out there. There are very few words
that I wish to hear from Leslie Frazier and not one of them in any combination
whatsoever sounds like, “We will start McNabb”.
To be direct, I'd rather have any small part of Joe Webb, a man with a true
Viking heart, with broken limbs, blown out knees, a cut throat, and in a permanent
state of bad luck than to stomach McNabb for one more minute.
Am I being clear enough? Can you hear me Leslie Frazier? Do I have
to risk my certain death in a throw down with every Viking horn wearing player
to get this point across. I think this is now as pristine and as clear as
an azure river.
How many more of my beloved Vikings, flawed as they all are, must be
sacrificed to the gods, before you correct the McNabb problem? More
importantly ... who is next?
The Viking Ghost
Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: October 11, 2011
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