A Letter to Donovan McNabb About the Realities of Veteran Leadership | BirdsFan.com

San Diego, We Have a Problem: A Letter to Donovan McNabb

Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by Tex in Eagles Related

“Veteran leadership is something we don’t have much of. For the guys out there, we’re trying to get the young guys going a little bit. But the young guys have to step up this time,” quoting Donovan McNabb.

Dear Donovan,

I have to disagree. The young guys have stepped up, and you haven’t become a veteran leader. First things first, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin have become excellent number 1 and number 2 receivers. Both put up great numbers in the Chargers game at 11.4 yards average and 12.7 yards average per reception. So you really can’t blame them for trying. Meanwhile, with an unestablished running game, LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver had a sum total of five carries between the both of them. That was the fault of Andy Reid’s play calling, not their youth. McCoy and Weaver can only do so much with the plays that they were dealt.

Concerning so-called veteran leadership, Donovan, you’re the veteran on the offensive side of the ball so take command of the ship. Not every game is going to be easy, pleasant or a stroll through Disneyland, where you can joke and grin at the sidelines. You had one of your greatest passing games with 450 total passing yards yet you couldn’t win the game. Your passing decisions whether to launch it down the field or dump it to your safety valve Celek rests on your shoulders. Your erratic “trick” arm ultimately rests with your shoulders. It is not the responsibility of these “young guys.”

Donovan, let me remind you of what Al Pacino said in Any Given Sunday. “You’re a goddamn quarterback! You know what that means? It’s the top spot, kid. It’s the guy who takes the fall. It’s the guy everybody’s looking at first – the leader of a team – who will support you when they understand you. Who will break their ribs and their noses and their necks for you, because they believe. ‘Cause you make them believe. That’s a quarterback.” Donovan, it’s time for you to man up and become one.

Sincerely,

Tex, a Loyal Fan