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Eagles teammate: McNabb was sick at end of Super Bowl

stevekstevek Posts: 28,917 ✭✭✭✭✭
Eagles teammate: McNabb was sick at end of Super Bowl

February 8, 2005
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Donovan McNabb was so ill in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl that a Philadelphia Eagles teammate called one play in the huddle, center Hank Fraley told a TV station.

``He fought to the end. He gave it his all,'' Fraley said on Comcast SportsNet in a show aired Monday night. ``He could hardly call the plays -- that's how exhausted he was trying to give it his all. If you remember back when we played Jacksonville two years ago and he ended up puking, it was close to that scene. He exhausted everything he had.''

Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko said Tuesday that McNabb wasn't injured during Philadelphia's 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots. However, McNabb could have been feeling sick -- he fought a cold earlier in the week.

McNabb was shaky at times in Sunday's game. He passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions.

The quarterback misfired on several passes early, held the ball too long at other times, and made several poor decisions. One of the best scramblers in the NFL, McNabb had zero yards rushing on just one carry and was sacked four times.

He struggled in particular in the fourth quarter, getting picked off twice and looking slow in getting the team moving late.

``He didn't get a play call in one time,'' Fraley said. ``He mumbled and (receiver) Freddie Mitchell yelled out the play we were trying to bring in. He was puking at the same time, trying to hold it in.''

Mitchell said on Tuesday that McNabb was having complications and ``couldn't get it out so I just had to finish the play up.''

``It was my first time being the quarterback in the NFL,'' Mitchell said on a local television station. ``It was hard. He kind of tried to get the hand signals to the team, but I knew what he was thinking. I just finished the play up.''

McNabb left Tuesday for Hawaii, where he will start for the NFC in Sunday's Pro Bowl. His agent did not immediately return a phone call Tuesday.

The QB had the best season of his six-year NFL career, leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1981 after three straight losses in the NFC championship game.

McNabb set a team record with 3,875 yards passing and became the first NFL player to throw for more than 30 touchdowns (31) and fewer than 10 interceptions (eight). His passer rating of 104.7 ranked second in the NFC.


Updated on Tuesday, Feb 8, 2005 7:29

Comments

  • kuhlmannkuhlmann Posts: 3,326 ✭✭
    rumors have it they were all seen out drinking and partying night before the game. sounds more like a hangover to me. excuses!! take your loss like a man mcnabb!
  • AxtellAxtell Posts: 10,037 ✭✭
    If McNabb were a man he wouldn't let this be an issue...he'd come out and say 'yes I was feeling a bit sick, but that didn't interfere with my game'.

    What a way to try to shrug off the responsibility of losing the game.

  • Initially i thought i saw him on the sideline puking , but then i realized it was probablly just the after effects from choking in the game
  • aconteaconte Posts: 2,053 ✭✭✭


    << <i>If McNabb were a man he wouldn't let this be an issue >>



    He hasn't said anything as he's on his way to the Pro Bowl.


    Who care's though is right! We lost. I accept that. The Pats were the better team especially on Sunday.

    But there is next year.

    aconte

    P.S. I'll be changing the icon back to underdog after this week. It was a great ride!image
  • stevekstevek Posts: 28,917 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Come on now...McNabb wasn't making excuses - this was just his teammates commenting on what happened in the game. The Patriots won fair & square and I accept that. I think though this article simply explains why the Eagles looked so "slow" in the last five minutes of the game. Andy Reid even stated at the press conference after the game that he called for the hurry-up offense with about five minutes left. But you can't execute a hurry-up offense if your quarterback is too sick to quickly get to the line of scrimmage.
  • kuhlmannkuhlmann Posts: 3,326 ✭✭
    or to hungover image
  • So McNabb won his personal battle in holding down his lunch, but the Eagles lost an easy opportunity to give themselves a chance to tie the game.


  • << <i>P.S. I'll be changing the icon back to underdog after this week. It was a great ride! >>




    You better! image
  • Bull.

    Are we to beleive he was too sick to call a play but healthy enough to run around and throw passes? Not me.

    If he was too sick to run the hurry up offense than Reid is a moron for not benching him.
    Collecting PSA and BGS 500 HR & 3000 Hit Club Baseball
    HOF Quarterbacks Football
  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    McNabb admitted he was not sick. No one was using his "sickness" as any excuse for the Eagles loss, so lets drop it.

    Eagles fans do not make excuses, like blaming a ref ...
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • AxtellAxtell Posts: 10,037 ✭✭
    Why hasn't McNabb come out and said this isn't true?

    Him not saying anything is the same as him confirming it to be true.

    Tacky, tacky, tacky...just like Big Ben's mysterious 'broken' toes.
  • Ask and ye shall receive:

    I'll put it on my shoulders
  • Mcnabb seems to be a standup guy. I actually believe the players that stated he was not feeling well.

    Donavon just seems like the type of guy that won't make excuses
  • aconteaconte Posts: 2,053 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Why hasn't McNabb come out and said this isn't true? >>



    Axtell,

    Give a guy a chance to respond. He did have to travel to Hawaii and he has a life bro!
    Give him a chance to say something...

    aconte
  • AxtellAxtell Posts: 10,037 ✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Why hasn't McNabb come out and said this isn't true? >>



    Axtell,

    Give a guy a chance to respond. He did have to travel to Hawaii and he has a life bro!
    Give him a chance to say something...

    aconte >>



    it just seemed odd everyone around him was talking about it, and he was mum on the subject...

    Wonder if this was freddie's attempt to explain why he was absent from the game? hehe image
  • 1420sports1420sports Posts: 3,473 ✭✭✭
    Freddie is gone ...
    collecting various PSA and SGC cards
  • stevekstevek Posts: 28,917 ✭✭✭✭✭
    For sure Freddie Mitchell will not be on the Eagles roster for the first game next season. He's gonna have trouble making any roster but some team might take a shot with him because he was a first rounder.
  • Brian48Brian48 Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭
    For what's it's worth, most of the radio jockeys this morning don't believe McNabb was hung over or was sick due to any neglience on his part (ie. partying). Freddie Mitchell added some comments that McNabb has tendency to hyperventilate at "times" and thats the reason why he had to help him call the plays. The guy was just out of breath and couldn't communicate properly to the rest of the team.

    This to me sounds like an anxiety attack, which would also explain the nausea. I can't imagine an athlete in his condition, who has done this numerous times before in the regular season, would all of sudden become so exhausted that he couldn't come up with enough energy to complete the last five minutes of the biggest game of his life. The last few minutes of any game is where the QB defines who he is. He had his chance and he failed to take advantage of it.

    Regarding Freddie Mitchell, I think he really needs to shut up. Even he's being honest, it's not proper to give out information such as this regarding one's own teammate. I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone after this.
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