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Donovan…too much like Randall…
By Craig Berosh
phillypage2 columnist (11-21-2002)
I knew I was pushing the big 36. My 34’s were getting tight. I made the usual excuses. The pants are old. I’m not the best at laundry. I’m just bloated from all the cheese. My new size of 36 is a little loose, but 36 is the correct size.
It was around 10 years ago when I made the jump from a size 32 to 34. I didn’t even have health insurance and didn’t give a shit. Back then the Eagles had a hot shot QB and there was talk of the Bowl for the Birds. Back in the early 90s, the league hadn’t seen anything quite like Randall Cunningham. In 1990, Randall threw 30 TDs and ran for five more. He threw for over 3,000 yards and ran nearly for 1,000. People said he was the MVP and some group voted him so if I remember correctly. It was his fourth year as a starter.
The Eagles had a hellish defense to go along with the league’s biggest play maker in Cunningham. Reggie, Jerome and Clyde up front. Seth, B & E, Eric, Wes and Andre behind. Randall was back then what McNabb is now, maybe even more so.
The more I watched McNabb this year the more I was reminded of Randall. Inconsistent. Bad at times. Then he brought you out of your seat and won the game. The Eagles lost in the fog at Chicago that year. Then in the first game of the next, against Tampa Bay, they lost Randall for ever in all reality. He broke his leg. He came back, but the momentum and magic was gone and the Cowboys had emerged. The window was closed. Some 10 years and two inches later, here we are again.
I’m not concerned about Donovan in the long term. Somehow I think McNabb is more equipped for a comeback than Randall. Both are premier athletes, but Randall always seemed fragile in the head. McNabb has proven too strong and dedicated to this point to regress the way Randall did. And despite the fact the offensive talent around this year’s team is far superior to the team back then, the Eagles’ chances for Super Bowl are over. Each game is going to be a struggle. With all due resect to Ty, I mean Koy Detmer, the focus has now shifted from home field advantage to qualifying for the playoffs.
The Eagles defense back in 1990 was so dominate, so disruptive that you thought maybe, maybe if the quarterback didn’t make any mistakes the team could still do great things. This year’s defense is not Gang Green. The talent around Detmer is undoubtedly good enough. But how will Duce do against seven and eight men defensive fronts. I’m confident that Detmer can be as accurate as McNabb. That’s not what McNabb gave the Eagles. When things break down is Detmer going to run for a first or buy time for his receivers? We’ll see.
Maybe Staley and the defense can carry the load against the Cowboys, Redskins and Seahawks. But in the big games against the Giants, Rams and 49ers, we’re going to need our big gun. And our big gun is going to have a cast his foot. So 3-3 in the last six. That might get us in with an away playoff game in the Wildcard round. History has proven that a rocky road to the Super Bowl. I just hope I don’t have to wait until I’m a size 38 until he Eagles get another chance.