page_title: Donovan McNabb
section_title: 2004: Super Bowl XXXIX
hierarchical_section_title: Donovan McNabb / Professional career / Philadelphia Eagles / 2004: Super Bowl XXXIX
caption_attribution_description: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb signed a football jersey belonging to Storekeeper 2nd Class of Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Pearl Harbor. McNabb visited the Silver Dolphin Bistro at Naval Station Pearl Harbor on Feb. 3 to meet with Sailors. Cropped from original U.S. Navy photograph.
context_page_description: Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 13 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and basketball for Syracuse University. The Eagles selected him with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft, and McNabb went on to play 11 seasons with the team, followed by a year each with the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings.
  McNabb was the Eagles' starting quarterback from 1999 to 2009. During his tenure with the Eagles, he led the team to eight playoff appearances, five NFC East division championships, five NFC Championship games, and Super Bowl XXXIX, which the Eagles lost to the New England Patriots, 24–21. He also became the Eagles' all-time leader in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.
  McNabb was the fourth quarterback in NFL history to amass more than 30,000 passing yards, 200 touchdown passes, 3,000 rushing yards, and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career. The first three quarterbacks to accomplish this feat were Fran Tarkenton, John Elway, and Steve Young.
context_section_description: McNabb finally amassed the kind of numbers that placed him firmly as one of 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 passer rating of 104.7. Further, he became the first quarterback in league history to throw over 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season. 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. 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 (becoming only the third team in modern NFL history to do this), and won 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's finest moment of the season and of his career came that year in a week-13 game with fellow Super Bowl-contending Green Bay Packers. After starting the game completing his first 14 passes (an NFL record), he led the Eagles to a 47-17 blowout victory. McNabb passed for an Eagles' record 464 yards and five touchdowns, which all came in the first half. In 2010, it was ranked number one by Eagles fans as the 'game of the decade.'
  In the playoffs, McNabb led the Eagles to their second Super Bowl trip ever, with victories over the Minnesota Vikings 27-14 and Atlanta Falcons 27-10 for the NFC Championship. Owens was not in the lineup during the two playoff victories, and was recovering from a broken ankle. McNabb became only the third African-American quarterback to start in a Super Bowl after Doug Williams in the 1987 season and Steve McNair in 1999.
  McNabb led his team against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. McNabb struggled at times, throwing three crucial interceptions. Two of these were thrown in New England territory, and one of those two was inside the 20-yard line. The final interception was during a last-gasp Hail Mary at the end of the game. He was also sacked four times. Controversy surrounded the end of the game, as center Hank Fraley claimed that McNabb was seriously ill. Wide receiver Freddie Mitchell claimed that he had to call a few plays due to McNabb's illness. However, in an interview with NBC, McNabb said he was not sick and did not throw up. He just said he was tired. Some reports claim that McNabb had the wind knocked out of him by an earlier hit, while others assert that he was unduly fatigued (McNabb also suffered from a bout of nausea at the conclusion of a 2002 regular season game played at Alltel Stadium, where Super Bowl XXXIX was contested). An article written by a staff member of The Philadelphia Inquirer refuted allegations of McNabb throwing up during the Super Bowl and even labeled the alleged incident "a myth". Both head coach Andy Reid and McNabb have denied any physical problems that led to the puzzlingly slow pace of play. Despite all of the problems, McNabb finished the game 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.
caption: McNabb during his tenure with the Eagles
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