Oct 8, 2008 - 5:07 PM
0 shoutsSAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Donovan McNabb clearly is unsatisfied with his recent performance. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has made a concerted effort to let everyone know just how "embarrassed" he is.
Two days after saying that he was "embarrassed" following the Eagles' 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins, McNabb repeated those comments in his personal blog on web site Yardbarker.com.
"I made a comment after the game that's worth repeating - I'm embarrassed," McNabb said in his blog, which was posted Tuesday on the web site. "I'm embarrassed with the way we played the past two weeks. I believe that we lost to teams we should have beaten. Not because I think they are not good - they are. But I still believe we are better; we just didn't show it."
A preseason favorite to contend for the NFC title, the Eagles (2-3) have lost their last two games in disappointing fashion. In a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on September 28, Philadelphia failed to score the go-ahead touchdown on four consecutive plays from inside the 5-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
Last week, the Eagles squandered an early 14-0 lead and went nearly 30 minutes without recording a first down in their loss to the rival Redskins.
McNabb didn't address his comments in Wednesday's media session, but did acknowledge that he called a players-only team meeting Monday.
"I think it was a collection of different things," McNabb said. "Nothing that I see negative as far as people in the building, or people not working hard or the effort. It's really, it's just the production. I think it's also us understanding what situation we are in right now. We've lost two games back-to-back that we shouldn't have lost.
"I tried to let them know that it's easy for us to sit and say we could be undefeated right now or we should be 4-1, whatever it may be, but we're not. So, in order for us to correct that and put these four or five games behind us, we have to do it right now."
Although the Eagles have struggled as an entire team, McNabb was willing to blame himself in his blog.
"I'm embarrassed with the way I played," he said. "I didn't do enough to win the game for my team. I take that to heart. I want the ball in my hand when the game is on the line and, if I have it, I have to make a play. I'll take that responsibility.
"All three of our losses were within a score, so one play could have made a difference - a fumble, an interception, calling an audible, not calling an audible."
McNabb also acknowledged in the blog that his personal success is pivotal to an Eagles team playing in the competitive NFC East.
"I am a proud person and I work hard to prepare to win each and every week," McNabb said. "Certainly there have been times where we have been beaten.
"Take nothing away from other teams who also prepare hard and have a high-skill level. You can't win every week. But losing in the fashion that we have just doesn't sit well with me."
McNabb, 31, has endured an up-and-down relationship with the Eagles' rabid fan base during his 10-year career spent entirely in Philadelphia. The five-time Pro Bowler vowed in his blog that both he and the Eagles will improve.
"I've made mistakes and I've owned up to them," he said. "I'm sure that some of my teammates and coaches might feel that they also could have done better. But a play here and a play there is costing us precious division and conference games that can bite us down the stretch.
"We didn't start playing well last year until it was too late. It's not too late to turn it around now. But to do so, we have to be embarrassed enough as a team to do something about it. I'm better than this and I'll prove it. I know my team is too. Now we have to prove it."
