“He’s never had a quality receiver besides T.O. They run the ball more when Donovan McNabb isn’t in the game. He hasn’t gotten any protection from the O-line.” All of these have been used as defenses and excuses for #5 when he has struggled, and they’ve all been heard this season. But they all went out the window after last night’s 31-28 loss to the now 11-0 Patriots. A.J. Feely completed 27 of 42 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns and kept the Eagles in the game until the end. He also threw three interceptions, two of which proved critical and ultimately cost Philly the game.

But let’s face it, the Birds aren’t even in the game if McNabb is under center the way he’s played this year. There is not one shred of evidence from #5’s 2007 portfolio to suggest otherwise. Those who want to cite the Detroit game, let’s be realistic: that Lions defense is horrible and the Birds blew them out by throwing deep to wide open receivers. Against New England, Feely consistently hit receivers in the middle of the field, with touch that Donovan hasn’t shown since the beginning of last season. McNabb doesn’t have the confidence in his receivers to put the ball out there and let them make plays. How many times has he immediately gone to his check down receiver? Feely spread the ball around to eight different receivers including Greg Lewis who was heard from for the first time since Super Bowl XXXIX catching two touchdown passes. As for the running game, Brian Westbrook only ran the ball 17 times, no more than he has with McNabb in the game, and Feely got sacked only twice. Winston Justice killed McNabb in that Giants’ game, but Donovan hasn’t been getting rid of the ball, and he doesn’t have the get-away speed that he used to that would make up for it.

The offensive line played their best game of the season but Feely also got rid of the ball quickly and efficiently throughout the game. Andy Reid said at his news conference today that McNabb has to be 100% to play Sunday. That’s a bit of a step back from his post game comments 12 hours earlier that he expected Donovan to be ready to go and to start against the Seahawks. Furthermore, McNabb doesn’t seem to be in any rush to get back. He rushed back from his ACL injury to start this season and that hasn’t worked out well for anyone involved. He appears to be coming to terms with the fact that he won’t be in Philly next season and why not fully recover, make himself attractive to another team as a starter for 2008. I’ve been saying for a few weeks that Donovan is done in Philadelphia.

Feely is not a better quarterback than McNabb and to suggest as much is idiotic. But the bottom line is that here and now he gives this Philadelphia Eagles team, still very much alive in the wild card hunt, a better chance to win and make a run at the playoffs.