Eagles vs. Cowboys (A Rivalry Renewed): Pt. 2

Today, I am going to look at the quarterbacks for the Eagles, and Cowboys. The majority of this analysis will look at Donovan McNabb, and Tony Romo. I'm going to briefly include Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley, Brooks Bollinger, and Brad Johnson in this post, because they could see time, if someone were to get injured, and thus could have a potential impact on the outcome of Monday night's showdown in Dallas. I will incorporate statistics in this discussion, but I will use them sparingly. They are more to display each quarterbacks body of work, than to argue who’s got the advantage.

Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, both men are the respective faces of their franchise. They are also considered to be among the elite active quarterbacks in the NFL. Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb share a lot of similarities on the playing field. However, their biggest difference is where they are in their careers. Tony Romo, in his 6th season, is the young, up and coming quarterback. Romo is looking to keep the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the NFC East. Donovan McNabb, in his 10th season, is an established member of the quarterback aristocracy. McNabb will be fighting to bring the Eagles back to their dominant ways of the early 2,000's. Both quarterbacks are looking to lead their team to a Super Bowl championship. To do that, they are going to have to face one another at least two times a year. Yesterday, Dallas won the coin toss, and went first. So it's the Eagles' ball today.

Donovan McNabb has become a prolific passer in the NFL. He has the ability to make any throw that is asked of him. Which wasn’t always the case, early on in his career, he was notorious for short hopping passes, and not consistently putting the ball on the money. He used to his athleticism, as a counter measure. If he saw daylight, he was gone. That’s not his game anymore. Today, Donovan’s game has evolved. He’s more of a pocket passer that, if the play breaks down, can make one with his legs. As Donovan learned the art of being a better pocket passer, he became a better quarterback. He led the Eagles to the playoffs 5 years running, 4 consecutive Divisional championships, and one Super Bowl. Since 2005, McNabb has suffered a number of season ending injuries, but in those years he was putting up MVP like statistics. McNabb is once again healthy, confident, and assume his role as team leader. Here are the numbers on Donovan McNabb (career):
1. 58.7 completion percentage
2. 25,765 yards passing
3. 174 TDs
4. 79 Ints
5. 2,965 yards rushing
6. 24 rushing TDs
When Donovan McNabb is healthy, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. His strength and size give him the ability to elude tacklers, see the field, and put the ball anywhere he needs to. He’s become a more patient passer, makes better reads as well, and he spreads the ball around effectively. Donovan McNabb has tackled every adversity that he’s faced in the NFL, and that has made him a better player.

Dallas fans should thank Bill Parcells for two things: 1) Signing Tony Romo as an undrafted free agent and 2) Keeping him on the bench for three years. Tony Romo came out of relative obscurity, and onto the stage that is being the Cowboys starting quarterback. In 2006 he replaced Drew Bledsoe as the starting quarterback in Dallas, and led the Cowboys to the playoffs. In 2007, Romo and the Cowboys went 13-3, back to the playoffs, and he got rewarded with a big contract. He’s got a strong arm, and can make all the throws. He has good patience in the pocket, and makes good reads as well. Romo will stand in there, and take a hit, in order to deliver a throw, but if nothing is there, he will scramble. When Romo has time to make all of his reads he can pick a team apart. Here are the numbers on Romo:
1. 65.1 completion percentage
2. 7,434 yards passing
3. 56 TDs
4. 33 Ints
5. 228 yards rushing
6. 2 rushing TDs
Tony Romo was an unpolished gem, and by giving him time to learn, and develop he has ascended. He has the ability, and intelligence to be a great quarterback in the NFL. Tony Romo has been compared on numerous occasions to Brett Favre, which is high praise (depending how you look at it). Both Tony Romo and Brett Favre shoot from the hip at times. They may force an issue, and that can lead to turnovers. I don’t think that Tony Romo has peaked just yet, he’s close though. As he gets more and more game experience he should continue to improve.

Backing up Tony Romo is 17 year veteran Brad Johnson. Johnson is a journeyman of the NFL. He’s also a Super Bowl champion. Here are his career numbers:
1. 61.8 completion percentage
2. 28,627 yards passing
3. 164 TDs
4. 117 Ints
5. 658 yards rushing
6. 8 rushing TDs
Brad Johnson has got a lot of experience. His best attribute as a quarterback is his ability to manage a game. He might not going win you the game, but he’s not going to necessarily lose you the game either. Quarterbacks with his years of experience are useful. If Romo were to get hurt, Johnson could come in, and win a few games, but he’s not a sustainable solution.

The Eagles have placed the backup duties on the shoulders of 2nd year quarterback Kevin Kolb. Kolb has played only an insignificant amount of time, but for conformities sake, here are his numbers:
1. 83.3 completion percentage
2. 53 yards passing
3. 0 TDs
4. 0 Ints
5. -5 yards rushing
6. 0 rushing TDs
Kevin was a 2nd round draft choice last year, and would appear to be Donovan’s eventual replacement. He needs to continue to improve, before he’ll be ready to take over. He looked good in the preseason, but has yet to play a full 4 quarters of NFL football. Kevin has got a strong arm, which he showcased during the ’08 preseason. He’s got a steep learning curve in front of him, but fortunately for him, he’s got the fans support, for now.

Coming in at third on the Cowboys’ depth chart is Brooks Bollinger. Brooks is entering his 6th season in the NFL. Here’s what he brings to the table:
1. 58.6 completion percentage
2. 2,156 yards passing
3. 8 TDs
4. 8 Ints
5. 155 yards rushing
6. 0 rushing TDs
I know little about Brooks Bollinger beyond the fact that he exists. He has some playing experience, most of which came while playing for the Jets. I imagine that Brooks was brought in to add depth at the position, but I think Jerry Jones might strap on a helmet, before Bollinger gets under center.

Our 3rd string quarterback is A.J. Feeley. Feeley is in his 8th season, and has played for the Eagles, Dolphins, and Chargers. Here are Feeley’s career numbers:
1. 55.9 completion percentage
2. 4,070 yards passing
3. 27 TDs
4. 29 Ints
5. 45 yards rushing
6. 1 rushing TD
Feeley has shown flashes of Brilliance, and is a good leader. A.J. stepped up in 2002, and won like 6 games after McNabb and Detmer went down to injury. During the 2007 season, Feeley looked liked he was going to do the unthinkable, and knock off the undefeated Patriots. He committed a fatal error during the final drive. He threw the ball right into coverage, and the Patriots intercepted the ball. Feeley has the ability to steal games. He’s also got a penchant for committing costly errors in clutch situations.

In summation, if Brad Johnson and Kevin Kolb were to play the game, Johnson would have the advantage. This is always a high pressure game. Kolb hasn’t been field tested, and Johnson has plenty of experience. If A.J. Feeley and Brooks Bollinger were the starters, I give Feeley the advantage. Feeley has more of a history with the Cowboys, than Bollinger does with the Eagles. A.J. is Wiley, and can pull a win out of nowhere. Finally, we have the matchup that is going to almost certainly take place, McNabb vs. Romo. Donovan McNabb wins this matchup. He’s got a huge advantage in experience over Tony. Monday night’s game is going to have a playoff atmosphere, and I think that will affect Romo more than McNabb. So, the advantage goes to the Eagles.

What are your thoughts?
Statistics provided by NFL.com

GO BIRDS!!!!