PHILADELPHIA — For all their success together, all those division titles and playoff appearances over the past decade, Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb are measured by this in Philadelphia: no Super Bowl trophy.
Strong favorites to make a championship run just eight days ago, the Eagles were quickly eliminated from the playoffs with a 34-14 loss to the Cowboys in an NFC wild-card game Saturday night.
Now begins an offseason filled with uncertainty. The biggest question is whether McNabb will return. Reid isn’t going anywhere. The winningest coach in franchise history recently signed a three-year contract extension through 2013.
But McNabb has just one year left on his deal, and it’s no longer unimaginable to think the Eagles could be ready to move on without the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
“I want to be here and don’t want to be anywhere else,” McNabb said after the team’s second loss to the Cowboys in six days sent it home early.
He might not get his wish.
McNabb had one of the best seasons in his 11-year career, helping Philadelphia go 11-5 and reach the playoffs for the eighth time since 2000. But he struggled badly in two crucial games, ending the season on a terrible note.
The Eagles had won six straight games and were a popular pick to reach the Super Bowl before they lost 24-0 to the Cowboys last Sunday. That loss cost Philadelphia the NFC East title and a first-round bye. Instead, the Eagles dropped to the sixth seed and had to return to Dallas.
McNabb led an offense that scored a franchise-record 429 points this season. But they couldn’t generate anything against the Cowboys two weeks in a row.
When Michael Vick threw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin to tie it at 7-7 in the second quarter on Saturday night, McNabb hadn’t even completed a pass to that point.
McNabb didn’t help his case by making poor decisions and misfiring on several throws. But an injury-depleted offensive line didn’t give him much time and his receivers, including Pro Bowl wideout DeSean Jackson, couldn’t get open.
“Donovan is a great quarterback. He has enjoyed his years here,” running back Brian Westbrook said. “Whether people think he should be the guy here or not, he has done a great job. Donovan is the reason that we have had so much success.”
