205-665: Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles . He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft by the Eagles, where he spent 11 seasons. McNabb also spent
410-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
615-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
820-595: A 147.8 passer rating. McNabb's performance was only the second game in NFL history with a quarterback passing for more than 450 yards, 5 TDs, and no interceptions, the first being Y.A. Tittle in 1962. In the playoffs, McNabb led the Eagles to their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, with victories over the Minnesota Vikings 27–14 in the Divisional Round and Atlanta Falcons 27–10 in
1025-551: A 158.9 passing efficiency rating and 22nd in total offense, with 233.8 yards per game. He tied a school record with four touchdown passes against Cincinnati, and scored five touchdowns against Miami (three rushing and two passing). McNabb was also teammates with future NFL star Marvin Harrison for one season at Syracuse. McNabb was named the Big East's offensive player of the decade for the 1990s, and Big East Offensive Player of
1230-400: A 22-yard run by Brian Westbrook as time expired at the end of the first half, and the Eagles ballcarriers averaged less than 1.5 yards per rush (23 yards on 16 carries) during the rest of the game. The Eagles' receiving corps was also depleted, as tight end Chad Lewis missed the game due to injury, and wide receiver Todd Pinkston was forced to leave the game due to dehydration after leading
1435-586: A 23–20 victory at Washington on November 26. His 125 rushing yards were the most by an NFL quarterback since the Chicago Bears ' Bobby Douglass rushed for 127 on December 17, 1972, and was the eighth-best rushing effort by a quarterback since 1940 when the T formation was introduced. He threw a career-high 390 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 35–24 victory at the Cleveland Browns on December 10 en route to his second NFC Offensive Player of
1640-454: A 24–21 win. In NFC Divisional Round against the Chicago Bears on January 19, 2002, he was 26-of-40 for 262 yards and two touchdowns passing and adding 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground, which was also the final touchdown at the old Soldier Field . He became only the fourth quarterback in Eagles history to pass for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons – Sonny Jurgensen (1961–62), Ron Jaworski (1980–81), and Randall Cunningham (1988–90) were
1845-540: A 24–9 victory, due to injury). In his first full season as an NFL starter in 2000 , McNabb finished second in the Associated Press MVP voting (24–11) to St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk , who set the NFL record for most touchdowns scored in a season. McNabb made his primetime debut on ESPN against the Atlanta Falcons at home on October 1, with his first 300-yard passing game in
2050-535: A 35–14 record. As a freshman, he completed the longest touchdown pass in Syracuse's history—a 96-yard throw against West Virginia University—in a game where he accounted for 354 total yards of offense; he was named the Big East Conference 's rookie of the year at the end of the season. McNabb amassed 2,892 yards of total offense in his junior season to set a school record. As a senior, he led Syracuse to
2255-452: A 35–28 win. He also had nine carries for 49 rushing yards and led the team to a pair of successful two-point conversions (one rush and one pass). He was the first Eagles rookie to start at quarterback since Brad Goebel , and the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start since John Reaves in 1972. With the win, McNabb became the first Eagles rookie quarterback to win his first NFL start since Mike Boryla (December 1, 1974, against Green Bay) and
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#17327718985562460-604: A 38–10 victory and the Eagles' first 300-yard passer since Bobby Hoying against the Cincinnati Bengals at home on November 30, 1997. McNabb's 55 pass attempts at Pittsburgh in a come-from-behind 26–23 overtime victory on November 12 were then a career high and tied for the fourth-highest total in team history. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 90.7% of the offense in
2665-622: A 42–14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round . From Week 11 to Week 13, Harrison had a three-game streak of scoring a receiving touchdown. In the 1997 season, Harrison recorded 73 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns as the Colts went 3–13. The 1998 NFL Draft had the arrival of Peyton Manning who became the franchise quarterback for the Colts. During their careers, Manning and Harrison were one of
2870-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
3075-708: A Super Bowl after Doug Williams in 1987 and Steve McNair in 1999. McNabb led the Eagles against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX . McNabb struggled at times as the Patriots' defense implemented a plan to stifle the Eagles' running attack and contain McNabb's mobility. The Patriots' plan mostly succeeded, limiting the Eagles to only 45 yards rushing for the game and zero rushing yards for McNabb. Almost half of those yards were gained on
3280-543: A berth in the Orange Bowl against Florida, as he completed 157 of 251 passes (62.5%) for 2,134 yards; he also pushed the eventual champions, the Tennessee Volunteers , to the limit in a very close game. His 22 touchdown passes tied the school's single-season record, set by former Eagle Don McPherson in 1987. McNabb also rushed 135 times for 438 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranked sixth in the nation with
3485-440: A career high with 58 passing attempts (completing 28), and tied a career high with three interceptions in the NFL's first tie game in six years, when the Eagles faced the Cincinnati Bengals and ended up with a 13–13 tie. McNabb later admitted that he was not aware that an NFL regular-season game could end in a tie, leading to controversy because this could have affected game strategy. After the game, he stated "I never even knew that
3690-680: A degree in retail management. Harrison was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round as the 19th selection in the 1996 NFL draft , a selection which was obtained in a trade that sent Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons . Harrison went on to become one of the most productive receivers from that draft class, which included Keyshawn Johnson , Eric Moulds , Bobby Engram , Muhsin Muhammad , Eddie Kennison , Terry Glenn , Amani Toomer , Joe Horn , and Terrell Owens among others. Harrison made his NFL debut in Week 1 of
3895-496: A failed comeback bid, while Akili Smith and Cade McNown were out of the NFL by 2002. By 2006, only McNabb was still with the team that originally drafted him. McNabb saw his first NFL regular-season action in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 19–5 home loss on September 19. He made his first career start at home against Washington on November 14, completing eight of 21 passes for 60 yards in
4100-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
4305-424: A figure lower than the NFL's lowest passer ratings during those seasons, and not an acceptable rating for a franchise quarterback drafted with the goal of leading the Eagles to their first championship in over 40 years. This prompted some observers to conclude that McNabb simply " choked " in big games, while other information suggested the reality was more complicated: in 2001, McNabb was in his second full season as
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#17327718985564510-475: A fumble, and being sacked twice. In the second half, Andy Reid decided to go with Kevin Kolb, who was in his second year in the league. This was McNabb's first time being benched for something other than injury or a meaningless game. In the game, Kolb threw an interception that was returned 108 yards for a touchdown by safety Ed Reed , breaking Reed's own previous record. Despite his up-and-down season, McNabb helped
4715-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
4920-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
5125-521: A league-leading 1,722 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors for the second time. Harrison receiving yardage marked the fourth most in NFL history for a single season at the time. The record stood until December 22, 2019, when Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints broke that record with 149. He finished runner-up to Priest Holmes for AP Offensive Player of
5330-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
5535-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
5740-510: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
5945-484: A new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game
6150-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
6355-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
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6560-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
6765-469: A respectable rookie season, and Jackson was selected to the Pro Bowl after his first 1,000-yard season. Jackson's selection was only the second time that an Eagles wide receiver was named to the Pro Bowl during McNabb's years with the team. Another reliable target for McNabb was the new starting tight end Brent Celek, with whom he connected 76 times for 971 yards and eight touchdowns. McNabb also encouraged
6970-511: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
7175-458: A school record for a single season until Amba Etta-Tawo broke it in 2016. Harrison set a school record with 2,718 career receiving yards, which stood until 2017 when it was broken by Steve Ishmael in the final game of his career. Harrison also returned 42 punts for 542 yards and two touchdowns and ranked second to Rob Moore in school history with 20 receiving touchdowns. He was named All-Big East in 1993, 1994, and 1995. Harrison graduated with
7380-472: A second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL draft and a conditional third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft . The conditional pick became a fourth-round pick in 2011, which was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a lower fourth-round pick in 2011 and a fourth-round pick in 2012. The fourth-round pick in 2012 was then traded, along with a 2012 third-round pick, to
7585-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
7790-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
7995-660: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Marvin Harrison Marvin Darnell Harrison Sr. (born August 25, 1972)
8200-471: A seven-game stretch late in the season. He finished the 2005 season with 82 receptions for 1,146 receiving yards and a league-leading 12 touchdowns in 15 games and starts as the Colts went 14–2 and won the AFC South. He was named to his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl in recognition of his 2005 season. In the first two games of the 2006 season, Harrison had consecutive games over 100 yards in wins over
8405-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
Donovan McNabb - Misplaced Pages Continue
8610-461: A sophomore, he was a teammate of future NFL players Simeon Rice and Matt Cushing . Together, they helped Mount Carmel win the 1991 State Championship over Wheaton Central High School. In 1993, as a senior, he led the team to a Chicago Prep Bowl championship. He also excelled at track and field , and played basketball with Antoine Walker . Though McNabb was approached by recruiters from numerous colleges, only two schools, Syracuse University and
8815-448: A sports bar owned and operated by Harrison. Dixon alleged that Harrison was the gunman who shot at him. On January 6, 2009, Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham confirmed the gun that fired shots at Dixon was the same model as Harrison's gun but said they had been unable to determine who pulled the trigger. Abraham also said that she was not going to pursue charges in the case due to conflicting witness statements. In fact, within
9020-603: A starter, the Eagles were not expected to appear in the NFC Championship game, and his performance in the Eagles’ loss to the heavily favored Rams was not considered choking; in 2002, the Buccaneers' Tampa 2 pass defense included four eventual Hall of Famers and McNabb's 58.5 passer rating – though poor – was the highest against the Buccaneers in the 2002 playoffs including Super Bowl XXXVII (also worth noting: in
9225-450: A statement that the network communicated to Limbaugh his comments were insensitive and inappropriate, and Limbaugh resigned soon after. In 2005 the so-called "Rush Limbaugh Hypothesis" was tested by a review of more than 10,000 articles published in the 2002 NFL season, and offered no support to Limbaugh's position. The long-term negative social implications of the remarks were revisited in 2021 after Limbaugh's death from lung cancer. Despite
9430-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
9635-632: A victory when the Texans prevailed 30–27 in overtime. In week 4, on October 3, McNabb played against the Eagles for the first time, returning with the Redskins to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Although McNabb posted only pedestrian statistics, the Redskins won 17–12. During pregame introductions, McNabb received a standing ovation from Eagles fans, then hugged former coach Andy Reid at their postgame handshake. In week 5, McNabb struggled for
9840-445: A week of the first shooting, Marvin Harrison was not considered a suspect. Dixon, who had initially given the police a false name and claimed he was robbed by two men when interviewed at the hospital, was then convicted of filing a false report for the incident on January 28, 2009. Dixon was sentenced to six months probation. His attorney reportedly sought a new trial; the conviction violated Dixon's parole in an unrelated case. Harrison
10045-568: A week-11 game against the Tennessee Titans on November 19. At that time McNabb led the NFL in total offense per game, touchdown percentage, and yards per completion (also finishing the season as the NFL's leader in those three categories), and was among the NFL's top 3 quarterbacks for lowest interception percentage and highest TD-INT ratio. However, during the game, McNabb tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his right knee while jumping out of bounds, ending his season,
10250-845: A win against the Washington Redskins on October 26, 2009, with a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson. Philadelphia met the Dallas Cowboys in week 17 with the winner becoming the NFC East champions. The Eagles previously lost to the Cowboys in week 9, and then lost the season finale in a 24–0 shutout, setting up a rematch the following week in Dallas in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The Wild Card Round rematch with Dallas proved to be just as disastrous for
10455-825: A year each with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings . The Eagles retired McNabb's no. 5 jersey when he was inducted to the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame in 2013. As the Eagles' starting quarterback from 1999 to 2009, McNabb led the team to eight playoff appearances (including five consecutive from 2000 to 2004), five division titles and appearances in the NFC Championship Game (including four consecutive from 2001 to 2004), nine postseason wins, and one Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX . McNabb's awards and honors include being named to six Pro Bowls , being named twice as CBS Radio 's NFC Player of Year (2000, 2004), and named as
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#173277189855610660-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
10865-489: Is an American former professional football wide receiver who played 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL), playing much of it with quarterback Peyton Manning . He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the Colts in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft . Harrison earned a Super Bowl ring with the Colts in Super Bowl XLI where they beat
11070-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
11275-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
11480-516: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
11685-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
11890-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
12095-533: Is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has
12300-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
12505-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
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#173277189855612710-464: The 101 Awards NFC Offensive Player of the Year (2004). He is known for his dual-threat skills as a quarterback, being only the fourth quarterback to amass over 30,000 passing yards, 200 touchdown passes, 3,000 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns in the regular season, and only the third quarterback with over 3,000 passing yards, 400 rushing yards, and 25 total touchdowns in the postseason. McNabb led
12915-485: The 1996 squad that lost to Kentucky (a team led by his former high-school teammate Antoine Walker) in the National Championship game . During his junior year, McNabb hosted Michael Vick when Vick visited Syracuse during a recruiting visit, and the two remained friends afterward. Source: McNabb was drafted in the first round as the second overall pick by the Eagles, behind first pick Tim Couch , in
13120-406: The 1999 NFL draft . A group of Eagles fans known as the "Dirty 30" were sent to the draft by sports radio host Angelo Cataldi and Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell . The two believed the Eagles would select running back Ricky Williams and they wanted the fans to cheer the selection. However, when the Eagles selected McNabb the "Dirty 30" ended up loudly booing McNabb when he appeared on stage. McNabb
13325-516: The 2008 NFL season , McNabb threw for 361 yards (the most of any quarterback that week) and three touchdowns, which included a 90-yard toss to Hank Baskett at the end of the second quarter. This performance led to him receiving the FedEx Air Player of the Week award. In week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers , McNabb threw his 176th career touchdown, passing Ron Jaworski and becoming the Eagles' all-time touchdown-pass leader. McNabb set
13530-533: The Arizona Cardinals , he was sacked by the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson and LeVar Woods . He fumbled the ball, fell to the ground, and held his right leg. He went to the locker room to have his ankle taped, but returned for the Eagles' second drive. McNabb ended the game 20-of-25 passing with 255 yards and four touchdowns, putting him as the NFL's leader in total touchdowns per game where he remained for
13735-439: The Arizona Cardinals . Harrison was sued in a civil lawsuit by Dwight Dixon, a convicted drug dealer, after Dixon was shot outside Chuckie's Garage, a North Philadelphia business owned by Harrison, on April 29, 2008. The two men had been in a fight minutes prior to the shooting over something that happened a few weeks earlier when Dixon and Harrison got into a verbal argument after Harrison denied Dixon entry into Playmakers,
13940-436: The Arizona Cardinals . The Eagles defeated the Cardinals earlier in the season but recognized them as a dangerous opponent, in part because the Cardinals were only the third team in NFL history with a trio of 1,000-yard wide receivers from the regular season. The Eagles traveled to Arizona for their third straight road game, hoping to become only the fourth wild card team since 1970 to win three consecutive road games to play in
14145-776: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
14350-660: The Chicago Bears . An eight-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro member, he held the record for most receptions in a single season (143) until it was broken by Michael Thomas (149) in 2019. Harrison was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. Harrison was born in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . He attended and played high school football at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia. Harrison attended Syracuse University ; he
14555-622: The Eagles to an 11–5 season and fourth-quarter comebacks in two wins against the defending NFC champion New York Giants . At the Meadowlands on October 22, his 18-yard pass to James Thrash with 1:52 remaining gave the Eagles a 10–9 victory, and their first win over the Giants in ten games. He also wiped out a 21–14 deficit on December 30, engineering two fourth-quarter scores as the Eagles clinched their first NFC East title in thirteen years with
14760-493: The Houston Texans for a lower 2012 third-round pick, which would be used to select quarterback Nick Foles and linebacker DeMeco Ryans . In the first week of the 2010 season, McNabb and head coach Mike Shanahan led the Redskins to a 13–7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys . In week 2, McNabb nearly engineered a victory over the Houston Texans , passing for 426 yards (third-most of his career), but came up just short of
14965-598: The Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports determined that the Eagles' odds of tying the score under those conditions was "a whopping 1 out of 175." The 2003 NFC Championship ended in disappointment with Philadelphia's 14–3 home loss to the underdog Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship . McNabb was injured with separated rib cartilage in the second quarter, when a sack by Panthers' defensive end Mike Rucker
15170-487: The NFC Championship . McNabb completed 65.4% of his passes in the NFC championship for 180 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, 32 yards rushing, and a passer rating of 111.1. Owens did not play during the two playoff victories as he was recovering from a severely sprained ankle and injured ligament that occurred during a game against the Cowboys in week 15. McNabb became only the third African-American quarterback to start in
15375-465: The Oakland Raiders (1973–1975) and Danny White of the Dallas Cowboys (1980–1982) as the third quarterback to lead a team to defeats in conference title games for three consecutive seasons (including, in McNabb's case, upset losses on the Eagles' home field in 2002 and 2003). The New York Post noted that McNabb's cumulative passer rating in the three championship games was 50.5, which was
15580-589: The Superdome , 27–24. Having played nearly up to full speed in the preseason games, it was decided that McNabb would return to the field several months short of the full year-long recovery expected of an ACL injury. In the season opener against the Green Bay Packers , the Eagles and McNabb suffered a 16–13 loss. McNabb had his share of problems, completing less than half of his passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles lost their first home game of
15785-621: The University of Nebraska , offered him scholarships to play college football as a quarterback. He initially leaned toward attending Nebraska, as he relished the idea of being coached by Tom Osborne . Eventually, however, he decided to attend Syracuse and play for the Syracuse Orange football team, principally because he wanted to prove he was a competent "pocket passer", but also for their broadcast journalism program . After redshirting in 1994, his first year at Syracuse, McNabb went on to start every game during his college career, compiling
15990-406: The Washington Redskins . After playing the season with a sports hernia and sore thumb, McNabb's season ended with an injury on November 14 on Monday night during a 21–20 loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys . McNabb was intercepted by Roy Williams towards the end of the game, and tried to tackle the defender when Scott Shanle came in and tackled McNabb to the ground. McNabb's groin was injured on
16195-468: The Wild Card Round , McNabb threw 300 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown to Brian Westbrook , to lead Philadelphia to a 26–14 upset win on the road over the Minnesota Vikings . On January 11, 2009, McNabb and the Eagles upset the defending champions, the New York Giants , on the road in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Eagles won 23–11 and advanced to the NFC Championship against
16400-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
16605-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
16810-540: The highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ;
17015-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
17220-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
17425-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
17630-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
17835-467: The 1996 NFL season against the Arizona Cardinals with six receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown reception from quarterback Jim Harbaugh in the 20–13 victory. In Week 2 against the Jets, he had five punt returns for 102 yards and earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the 21–7 win. In Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles , he had six receptions for 106 yards and touchdown in
18040-553: The 1999 NFC Championship, league MVP Kurt Warner ’s 56.2 passer rating against the Buccaneers was lower than McNabb's in 2002, and the Rams’ top-ranked offense scored less points than the Eagles' offense did in 2002 - possibly avoiding the choking status because the Rams won, sustained by strong defense that held the Buccaneers to six points); in 2003, a second-quarter separated rib cartilage injury affected McNabb's ability to throw until he
18245-590: The 2004 season, Harrison had five receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–35 loss to the Chiefs. In Week 12, in a win over the Lions, he had 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. In the 2004 season, he recorded 86 receptions for 1,113 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 12–4 and won the AFC South. He was named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl. In 2005, Harrison had five 100+ yard receiving games in
18450-525: The 20–3 win over the Cowboys. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. In Week 15 against the Browns, he had nine receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the 28–23 victory. For his game against the Browns, he won AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In 2002, Harrison broke Herman Moore 's single-season receptions record by 20 receptions. He finished the Colts' 10–6 season with 143 catches for
18655-514: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
18860-465: The 24–23 victory. Harrison missed the Colts' final four regular season games after going on Injured Reserve. In the 1998 season, he had 59 receptions for 776 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games and starts as the Colts went 3–13. In the 1999 season, Harrison had a breakout season. He started off the regular season with eight receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns in a 31–14 win over the Bills. In
19065-650: The 37–10 victory. In the following game, a 24–19 win over the Kansas City Chiefs , he had six receptions for 103 yards and three touchdowns. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Chiefs. He finished his rookie season with 64 receptions for 836 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 16 games and 15 starts as the Colts went 9–7. Among rookie wide receivers, he finished fourth in receiving yards, third in receptions, and tied for second in receiving touchdowns. In his playoff debut, Harrison had three receptions for 71 yards in
19270-605: The 42–26 win over the Bills. In Week 6, he had eight receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown in the 38–17 loss to the Patriots. In Week 9, he had nine receptions for 174 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to the Dolphins. In the Colts' regular season finale against the Broncos, he had nine receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the 29–10 victory. In the 2001 season, Harrison had 109 receptions for 1,524 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as
19475-422: The Buccaneers, he won AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In the 2003 season, Harrison recorded 94 receptions for 1,272 receiving yards and ten receiving touchdowns in 15 games and starts as the Colts went 12–4 and won the AFC South. He was named to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl. In the Colts' Wild Card Round victory over the Broncos, Harrison had seven receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 8 of
19680-683: The Chargers in the Divisional Round . On December 14, 2008, in a game against the Detroit Lions , Harrison caught his 1,095th career reception, passing Tim Brown for third all time. He passed Cris Carter to become second on the all-time NFL reception record list with 1,102 receptions during a 23–0 Colts victory over the Tennessee Titans on December 28, 2008. He finished the 2008 season with 60 receptions for 636 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in 15 games and starts as
19885-556: The Chiefs. In the following game, he had ten receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown in the 38–31 loss to the Raiders. In a Week 6 loss to the Patriots, he had 13 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 24–16 loss. In the following game, a 37–24 victory over the Seahawks, he had seven receptions for 134 yards. In the following game, a 30–23 victory over the Patriots, he had five receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns. In
20090-562: The Colts went 12–4. After the 2008 NFL season, Harrison asked for and was granted his release by the Colts. After sitting out the entire 2009 season, Harrison quietly retired from the NFL. Harrison was inducted into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor during the week 12 game against the Carolina Panthers on November 27, 2011. He is widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history and
20295-552: The Colts went 6–10. He was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl for his performance in the 2001 season. In Week 2 of the 2002 season, Harrison had 11 receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown in the 21–13 loss to the Dolphins. In Week 5, he had nine receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Bengals. In Week 10, in a victory over the Eagles, he had six receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 11, he had 14 receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns in
20500-521: The Dolphins, 118 against the Patriots, 117 against Washington, and 138 against the Browns), all wins for the Colts. He had 115 receptions for 1,663 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 13–3 and won the AFC East. He earned Pro Bowl and first team All-Pro honors. Harrison started off the 2000 season with nine receptions for 115 yards in a 27–14 win over
20705-429: The Eagles as the season finale. McNabb struggled early and was unable to get the offense into a rhythm, and after a scoreless first period the Cowboys outscored the Eagles 27–7 in the second quarter. Philadelphia fell 34–14 to Dallas, marking the first time McNabb and the Eagles were winless in a playoff appearance. McNabb faced speculation about his future with the Eagles, with some considering his possible trade value if
20910-494: The Eagles lost to the Saints, but beat the Kansas City Chiefs the next week. Following the Eagles bye week in week 4, McNabb returned in the week-5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , completing 16 of his 21 attempts for 264 yards and three touchdowns and being responsible for 210 of the 219 yards that the Eagles offense managed in total in the first half. McNabb reached 200 career touchdowns and 30,000 career yards passed in
21115-496: The Eagles reach the playoffs for the seventh time in his nine seasons as a starter. He also set a career high with 3,916 yards passing, led the Eagles to a franchise-record 416 points, and set a new NFL record for lowest career interception percentage, 2.09%, breaking the previous record of 2.11% set by Neil O'Donnell in 1995. At that time, McNabb's career touchdown-to-interception ratio was third-best in league history (2.16), behind only Tom Brady (2.29) and Steve Young (2.17). In
21320-414: The Eagles to a franchise-record 140 points through four games. In that span, he accounted for 71.5 percent of the club's offensive production, and completed 92 of 150 passes for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions for a 92.2 passer rating. He also rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns. In week 11 of the 2002 season , McNabb suffered a broken fibula. On the third play of the game against
21525-476: The Eagles to a memorable come-from-behind victory at an unfriendly Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs 37–31. McNabb also nearly set an NFL record as he completed 25 consecutive passes in a single game against the San Diego Chargers on October 23, 2005, but this record is not counted by the NFL as the completions were interrupted by a spiking of the ball to stop the clock at the end of
21730-553: The Eagles to sign quarterback Michael Vick to the team as a backup upon his release from prison for his part in a criminal dog fighting operation. McNabb had hosted and befriended Vick years before during Vick's recruiting visit to Syracuse University , stated that he was excited that the Eagles gave Vick an opportunity to get his life back on track, and The New York Times described McNabb's role in Vick's signing as "an act of selflessness not often seen among professional athletes." In
21935-427: The Eagles' most productive receiving target - by a “stunning” margin - was a running back ( Brian Westbrook ), followed next by two tight ends ( L.J. Smith and Chad Lewis ), and credited McNabb for having done much “with so little.” In 2023, others reached similar conclusions, crediting McNabb for much “heavy lifting” during his years with the Eagles, noting that none of the team's three most productive wide receivers of
22140-473: The Eagles' receivers in the first half with four receptions for 82 yards. The Patriots sacked McNabb four times, and McNabb threw three crucial interceptions (two of which were in New England territory, and one of those was inside the 20-yard line). The last was intercepted off a deflected pass thrown by McNabb from the Eagles’ own end zone with just 12 seconds remaining in the game. Some controversy followed
22345-485: The Eagles' second divisional game against Washington, McNabb passed for four touchdowns in the 33–25 victory. In the following game, against the Miami Dolphins , McNabb injured his right ankle and missed the next two games. He finished the 2007 season with 3,324 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 14 games. During a win against the Cowboys, sideline reporter Pam Oliver reported during
22550-596: The Eagles' starting quarterback. Garcia had success, leading the Eagles from 5–5 after the Tennessee game to 10–6 and winners of the NFC East Division. The Eagles went on to win their home playoff game in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the New York Giants , 23–20, with Garcia under center. However, in the following Divisional Round , they were defeated by the New Orleans Saints in
22755-553: The Falcons 20–6, but were upset at home 27–10 by the eventual champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their top-ranked defense in the NFC Championship . The Buccaneers' pass defense was so dominant that McNabb's passer rating in the game was poor (58.5), and other opposing quarterbacks fared even worse than McNabb (the respective passer ratings managed against the Buccaneers in the 2002 playoffs by Jeff Garcia and AP NFL MVP Rich Gannon were 35.9 and 48.9). In late September 2003, McNabb
22960-516: The Giants and Texans. In Week 9, Harrison had eight receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–20 win over the Patriots. In Week 15, he had three touchdowns in the 34–16 win over the Bengals. In December 2006, Harrison became just the fourth player in NFL history to record 1,000 receptions, joining Jerry Rice (1,549), Cris Carter (1,101), and Tim Brown (1,094). He is one of only seven wide receivers in NFL history to reach 100 touchdowns. For December 2006, he won AFC Offensive Player of
23165-405: The Harrison incident a year prior and that Harrison had hired a gunman to shoot him. An informant also made a statement to the effect that the gunman who killed Dixon was Lonnie Harrison, Marvin Harrison's cousin. On June 16, 2010, Shaun Assael of ESPN The Magazine reported that police confiscated a 9mm handgun from Harrison during a routine traffic stop on Wednesday in Philadelphia. They tested
23370-402: The McNabb years - Todd Pinkston , James Thrash , and Reggie Brown - had any 1,000-yard receiving seasons among them. In the press conference following the Eagles' loss to Dallas, and even up to April 1, Andy Reid stated that McNabb would remain the starting quarterback in Philadelphia for the 2010 season. However, on April 4, the Eagles traded McNabb to the Washington Redskins in return for
23575-482: The Month. He finished the 2006 season with 95 receptions for 1,366 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts. The Colts finished with a 12–4 record and won the AFC South. He was named to his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl and earned first team All-Pro honors for the third time. In the AFC Championship against the Patriots, he converted a two-point conversion on a pass from Manning in
23780-454: The NFC East by a record-tying seven-game margin in posting a 13–3 record, the franchise's best 16-game season ever. McNabb ended the season 1 TD short of tying the Eagles' single season records for passing TDs and total TDs, in large part because he only played sparingly in the team's fifteenth game (attempting and completing three passes, with 1 TD), and the team rested McNabb for the season finale. McNabb had arguably his most productive game of
23985-516: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
24190-570: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
24395-423: The NFL since 1999 when receiver "targets" were first tracked, and a still-current record as of 2023), with Owens second only to Panthers WR Steve Smith Sr. in receiving touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards at that point in 2005. McNabb could not keep the team's momentum rolling, as the Eagles lost four straight games. Over that span, McNabb posted a passer rating higher than 72 only once, on November 6, at
24600-458: The NFL twice in total offense per game (2005, 2006), led the NFL in total touchdowns per game (2002), and in 2008 held the NFL record for lowest career interception percentage (2.09%, now surpassed). He is the Eagles' franchise leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts, and completions. McNabb was born and raised in Chicago , Illinois . He attended Mount Carmel High School , where as
24805-513: The Super Bowl. The Eagles trailed 24–6 at halftime, but stormed back in the second half to take a 25–24 lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Cardinals retook the lead with a late touchdown and prevailed 32–25 in McNabb's last appearance in a conference championship game. McNabb was 28 for 47 for 375 yards passing (388 yards of total offense), three touchdowns, an interception, and a passer rating of 97.4. McNabb's 388 yards of total offense were
25010-545: The Week award. McNabb led the Eagles to their first playoff appearance since 1996, where they defeated the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21–3 in the Wild Card Round before losing to the New York Giants 20–10 in the Divisional Round . McNabb was selected as a first alternate to the NFC Pro Bowl squad in 2000 (behind Daunte Culpepper , Jeff Garcia , and Kurt Warner ). When Warner was unable to participate due to injury, McNabb took his spot. He accounted for 74.6% of
25215-511: The Year three times from 1996 to 1998, as well as the first-team all-conference vote earner in each of his four seasons. He was a finalist for the 1998 Heisman Trophy . Later, he was named to the Syracuse All-Century football team . McNabb was also a walk-on for two seasons for the Syracuse basketball team under head coach Jim Boeheim . He spent two years as a reserve on the school's nationally ranked basketball team, including
25420-406: The Year. In Week 4 of the 2003 season, Harrison had six receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns in the 55–21 win over the Saints. In the following game against the Buccaneers, he had 11 receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the 38–35 win. In the game the Colts were down 35–14 in the fourth quarter. Harrison's second touchdown brought the deficit to seven points. For his game against
25625-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
25830-572: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
26035-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
26240-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
26445-475: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
26650-608: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
26855-551: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
27060-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
27265-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
27470-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
27675-538: The distractions that came with Owens' ongoing conflicts with the team, McNabb performed well in September despite a painful sports hernia and was named the NFC's Offensive Player of the Month for the fourth time. McNabb threw 964 yards, eight touchdowns, and only two interceptions in three games, leading the Eagles to a 2–1 record. McNabb carried that momentum into October as he went 33-for-48 (68.8% completions), and threw 369 yards and three touchdowns en route to leading
27880-494: The elite NFL quarterbacks statistically. He averaged 8.26 yards per attempt, completed 64.0% of his passes, threw 31 touchdown passes (he also ran for three more), and had only eight interceptions. These numbers translated to a season passer rating of 104.7, which not only set an Eagles franchise record, but was also 2nd in the NFC for 2004, surpassed the season-leading passer ratings of the NFL's most recent seasons at that time (2000–2003, and also 2005–2006), and tied Steve Young for
28085-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
28290-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
28495-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
28700-506: The fifteenth-highest single season passer rating up to that point in NFL history. Further, he became the first quarterback in league history to throw over 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season, and set a new NFL single season record with 20 completions over 40 yards. This dramatic improvement coincided with a massive upgrading of the Eagles' receiving corps, namely the arrival of Terrell Owens , who caught 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns in only 14 games. Owens
28905-399: The first 100 years of NFL history. McNabb became the first quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards in a postseason game, surpassing the previous NFL record which Otto Graham held for over 50 years. He also completed the critical 4th and 26 pass to Freddie Mitchell during the game-tying drive at the end of regulation. Later analysis published in 2012 by Advanced Football Analytics and
29110-480: The first Eagle quarterback to win his first start since Ty Detmer (October 13, 1996, against the New York Giants ). McNabb threw the first touchdown pass of his career (six yards to tight end Chad Lewis ) against the Indianapolis Colts in a 44–17 home loss on November 21, 1999. McNabb went on to start six of the Eagles' final seven contests (missing the December 19 home game against the New England Patriots ,
29315-551: The first half. He was 14 of 15 for 332 yards in the first half. His performance against the Lions was highlighted by his first perfect (158.3) quarterback rating game. However, week 4 did not prove to be as good as the Eagles thought it would be. The Eagles endured yet another loss, this time to the New York Giants . The Giants' defense, led by defensive end Osi Umenyiora , sacked McNabb a record-tying 12 times. McNabb completed 15 of 31 attempted passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns. The Eagles split their next four games. In Week 10, in
29520-439: The first half. The 2005 game was also noteworthy for Coach Reid calling for McNabb to have 25 pass attempts in a row, without interruption by a running play. McNabb and Owens, to their credit, did not appear to allow the off-the-field controversies to affect their play on the field: through week 7 McNabb led the NFL in passing yards, was tied for most passing touchdowns, and targeted Owens an average of 13.14 times per game (most in
29725-422: The first three quarters, but rallied the Redskins to a 16–13 overtime victory against the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers at FedExField . He was 26–49 for 357 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In week 6, McNabb was 29 of 45 for 246 yards. He threw one touchdown and was intercepted twice, with the second interception coming on fourth down in the last minute of the fourth quarter against
29930-493: The following game, he had seven receptions for 105 yards and three touchdowns in a 31–28 loss to the Patriots. In the following game, he had 13 receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown in the 27–19 win over the Chargers. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September. In Week 7, against the Bengals, he had eight receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown in the 31–10 victory. From Week 13 to Week 16, he had four consecutive games with over 100 receiving yards (125 against
30135-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
30340-402: The game that McNabb indicated that he did not expect to be back in Philadelphia for the 2008 season. McNabb later indicated that this was not true, and stated that although he believed rookie Kevin Kolb 's time would come, he would be an Eagle the next season. At the conclusion of the 2007 season, McNabb faced criticism for asking for "playmakers" on his yardbarker blog. He did, however, deny he
30545-655: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
30750-446: The game, with rumors circulating that McNabb became ill and threw up in the huddle during the Eagles' last touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter. McNabb denied the rumor and accepted blame for the defeat. The rumor persisted even though no Eagles player could confirm seeing McNabb become ill, and even though none of the extensive television coverage recorded such an incident. Philadelphia Inquirer and Bleacher Report later described
30955-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
31160-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
31365-405: The gun during a search of Harrison's Escalade . Harrison was stopped as he was driving the wrong way on a one-way street. Harrison claimed he did not have a gun. But the police believed that they saw Harrison put what appeared to be a weapon in the center console between the two front seats. They concluded that they had probable cause to search the vehicle and they found the gun; however, Harrison
31570-415: The gun to see if it matched three spent 9mm shell casings found inside the truck driven by Dwight Dixon at the scene of an April 2008 shooting. Dixon's claim, he was now deceased, was that the casings came from a second gun which Marvin Harrison fired. Authorities had already matched other bullets to a separate gun which Harrison owns—which he claimed was in his home on the day of the shooting. The police found
31775-555: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
31980-451: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
32185-550: The most by an Eagles quarterback since Randall Cunningham, who also had six in 1988. McNabb broke the club's single-season record for most attempts (569) and completions (330) in 2000, marks previously set by Cunningham (560 and 301, respectively) in 1988. He was named 2000 NFC Player of the Year by CBS Radio and the Terry Bradshaw Awards on Fox Sports and was named to the All-Madden team. In 2001 , McNabb led
32390-533: The most productive quarterback-wide receiver duos in NFL history. In the Colts' 1998 regular season opener, Harrison had five receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown in a 24–15 loss to the Miami Dolphins . In Week 7, against the San Francisco 49ers , he had three receiving touchdowns in the 34–31 loss. In Week 11, against the New York Jets , he had nine receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown in
32595-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
32800-401: The others. McNabb's Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1980, losing to the heavily favored St. Louis Rams . McNabb earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl (was originally elected as an alternate) following the 2001 season after combining for 3,715 yards of total offense and establishing career highs in touchdown passes (25) and quarterback rating (84.3). Including
33005-429: The oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given
33210-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
33415-426: The play and he was placed on the injured-reserve list later that week. Mike McMahon replaced him at quarterback, and went 2–5 as a starter, with the Eagles finishing the season with a 6–10 record overall. Though low for his standards, McNabb put up respectable numbers in 2005. In nine games, he threw 2,507 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. To go along with that, he completed 59.1% (211–357) of his passes and
33620-453: The playoffs, he threw touchdown passes in 15 of 18 games and two-or-more in 12 of those games. He was named by his teammates as the club's offensive MVP in 2000 and 2001. During the off-season, McNabb signed a new contract with the Eagles worth $ 115 million over 12 years, with a $ 20.5 million signing bonus. In 2002, McNabb was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September, his first time receiving that award. During that month, McNabb led
33825-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
34030-556: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
34235-478: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
34440-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
34645-526: The regular season finale against the Vikings, Harrison had 12 receptions for 109 yards and three touchdowns in the 31–10 victory. In the 2000 season, he had a league-leading 102 receptions for 1,413 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns in 16 games and starts as the Colts went 10–6. He was named to his second Pro Bowl for his performance in the 2000 season. In Week 2 of the 2001 season, Harrison had seven receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns in
34850-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
35055-446: The rest of the season. McNabb's injury was initially reported to be a sprained ankle, however X-rays after the game revealed that McNabb's fibula was broken, and he was out for the remainder of the regular season. A dominant defense helped A. J. Feeley and Koy Detmer go a combined 5–1 to finish the season. McNabb returned to face the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but he recovered slowly. The Eagles defeated
35260-507: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
35465-435: The rumor as only a "myth" and an "NFL urban legend." McNabb accounted for almost 90% of the Eagles' yards from scrimmage with 30 completions for 357 yards, the third-highest total for both categories in Super Bowl history, and three touchdowns, the only points in the game for Philadelphia. Despite McNabb's efforts, the Eagles lost by a score of 24–21. For his 2004 efforts, McNabb was selected to his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl ,
35670-500: The season in a week-13 game against the Super Bowl-contending Green Bay Packers . After starting the game completing his first 14 passes (setting an NFL record with 24 consecutive passes completed over a two-game span), he led the Eagles to a 47–17 blowout victory. McNabb passed for an Eagles' then-record 464 yards and five touchdowns (all five in the first half), a 74.4% completion percentage, and
35875-464: The season opener, McNabb led the Eagles to a 38–10 win over the Carolina Panthers . He completed 10 of his 18 passes for a total of 79 yards and two touchdowns. However, Andy Reid said the following Monday that McNabb broke a rib while rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Eagles were hopeful McNabb would start in the week-2 game against the New Orleans Saints , but he was kept on the sidelines in both weeks 2 and 3. Kevin Kolb replaced him, and
36080-481: The season to the rival Washington Redskins , 20–12, though his numbers improved. As week 3 approached, skeptics had already wondered whether McNabb still had the skill that propelled him to success in the past. The Eagles defeated the Detroit Lions in a 56–21 win in week 3. McNabb completed 21 of his 26 attempted passes for 381 yards. Four of those passes went for touchdowns (three of them went to Kevin Curtis ), all in
36285-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
36490-446: The size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football
36695-438: The slow beginning in the 2003 season , McNabb had the highest quarterback rating (97.5) in the NFL for the second half of the season and also completed over 62% of his passes for over eight yards per attempt. McNabb again led his team to the NFC Championship, highlighted by the Eagles' comeback overtime win against the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round . The NFL placed this game at #69 on its list of 100 greatest games in
36900-428: The sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
37105-411: The team began a transition at quarterback from McNabb to backup and former second round draft pick Kevin Kolb . McNabb earned Pro Bowl honors for the sixth and last time in his career, with the 2009 season being statistically one of his most productive seasons. NFL.com noted in the offseason that McNabb finished the 2000s as one of the decade's top quarterbacks in several offensive categories even though
37310-516: The team's total net yards in 2000, third highest in the NFL. Only Carolina 's Steve Beuerlein (75.3%) and San Francisco 's Garcia (75.1%) had a higher percentage. His 629 rushing yards in 2000 led the Eagles, made McNabb only the third quarterback since 1970 to lead his team in rushing, and at the time was the fourth-highest season rushing total by a quarterback (968 by Bobby Douglass in 1972, 942 by Randall Cunningham in 1990, and 674 by Steve McNair in 1997). His six rushing touchdowns in 2000 were
37515-475: The third quarter. In Super Bowl XLI , Harrison had five receptions for 59 yards as he won his first Super Bowl with a 29–17 win over the Chicago Bears. In the 2007 season, Harrison appeared in only five regular season games due to a knee injury. It marked only the second time Harrison had missed regular-season action due to injuries and the first since 1998. He returned for the Colts' postseason loss to
37720-416: The third time in five years McNabb had gone down with six or more games remaining in the regular season. Eagles officials stated that his rehabilitation would likely last 8–12 months, which completely ended his 2006 season and even raised questions as to whether he would be ready to begin playing by the beginning of the 2007 season. In the meantime, veteran backup quarterback Jeff Garcia took McNabb's place as
37925-483: The third-most by a quarterback in any conference championship game up to that point in time (NFC or AFC), and the most up to that point in the history of the NFC championship game. In the 2009 NFL draft , the Eagles picked Missouri Tigers star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to add to McNabb's receiving corps, with Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson . While Curtis only caught 77 yards, Maclin had 773 yards and four touchdowns in
38130-415: The visiting Indianapolis Colts . The Redskins fell to the Colts 27–24. McNabb's passer rating was 67.5. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of
38335-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
38540-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
38745-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
38950-538: Was a three-year starter for the football team, playing with quarterback Donovan McNabb in his final year. He was named as a captain for the 1995 season. In a game against West Virginia in the 1995 season, he had a 96-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb. He was the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 1995. In the 1996 Gator Bowl , he had seven catches for 173 yards in a 41–0 win over Clemson . Harrison's 1,131 yards were
39155-414: Was also sued by Robert Nixon, a victim who was caught in the crossfire of the shooting who identified Harrison as the shooter in a statement to the police. Dixon died on July 21, 2009, after he was shot several times while he was in his car outside a building two blocks away from the sports bar. At the hospital after the shooting, detectives questioned Dixon before surgery. He asserted that it stemmed from
39360-472: Was in the rulebook. It's part of the rules, and we have to go with it. I was looking forward to the next opportunity to get out there and try to win the game. I hate to see what happens in the Super Bowl, and I hate to see what happens in the playoffs, to settle with a tie." After the tie, McNabb struggled in a game against the Baltimore Ravens , going 8-of-18 for 54 yards with two interceptions and
39565-661: Was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Harrison was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame First Team for the 2000s decade. Harrison was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team . Harrison's son, Marvin Harrison Jr. , is an NFL wide receiver. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, 4th overall, by
39770-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
39975-565: Was named the NFC Player of the Year by CBS Radio and also by the DC Touchdown Club , and was named as the 101 Awards NFC Offensive Player of the Year. McNabb's 2005 season began in turmoil and ended on the injured reserve list. While not speaking to his main target, Terrell Owens (who was temporarily barred from the Eagles' training camp for insubordination, and would be suspended by the Eagles before season's end), and all
40180-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
40385-431: Was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified
40590-556: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
40795-436: Was pulled from the game, and the team's second-leading receiver and rusher Brian Westbrook missed the game due to a triceps injury; in all three NFC championship games, the Eagles’ only Pro Bowl -level receiving target was tight end Chad Lewis , and their starting wide receiver corps was arguably among the league's least productive over that period. McNabb finally amassed the kind of numbers that placed him firmly as one of
41000-404: Was taking a shot at anyone in particular, saying "We were 8–8. There is room for improvement." McNabb caused another mild stir in camp when he suggested that the Eagles should not have lost a game to any of their NFC East opponents the previous season. He felt that they were just a few plays away from being a playoff team. He even went on to say, "I still put us at the top of the NFC." In week 1 of
41205-440: Was the NFL's leader in total offense per game at the season's end. McNabb and the Eagles began the 2006 season with a fast start to 4–1, at that time leading the NFL in six offensive categories with McNabb becoming the first NFL quarterback to start a season with at least 1,500 yards passing, 10-plus TDs, and no more than one interception through his first five games. The Eagles began to lose momentum, stumbling to 5–4 heading into
41410-479: Was the second of five quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks of a quarterback-rich class that was at that point considered the best quarterback draft since the famous class of 1983 . However, only McNabb and Daunte Culpepper went on to have successful careers in the NFL; Tim Couch struggled with the Cleveland Browns and officially retired in 2007 after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars in
41615-669: Was the subject of very controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh , who worked as a commentator for ESPN at the time, stating that McNabb was overrated, and that, "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well". The comments came after the Eagles began the season 0–2, losing to defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and eventual champion New England , both losses coming in their newly opened stadium, Lincoln Financial Field . Many responses from commentators, football players, coaches, and other public figures were sharply critical of Limbaugh. Within days ESPN issued
41820-399: Was the team's first Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver since before Coach Reid was hired ( Irving Fryar , 1997) and the team's first All-Pro wide receiver in almost 20 years ( Mike Quick , 1985). As a result, the Eagles won their first seven games of the season for the first time in franchise history, clinched first place in their division with five weeks still to play in the regular season, and won
42025-447: Was worsened by linebacker Greg Favors tackling McNabb on the ground, because Favors was unsure if the play was over. McNabb sat out for one play before returning to the game. McNabb attempted to play through the injury but was much less effective afterward, completing only four of his next 12 passes including three interceptions, leaving the game for Koy Detmer to play the fourth quarter. With this defeat, McNabb joined Ken Stabler of
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