Yesterday, you got the feeling that, with free agency looming in a month and the draft coming up in April, Andy Reid liked what he saw in his second year as head coach. With a nod to the need at running back, where Reid admitted the team was caught unprepared after Duce Staley was lost to injury early in the season, he obviously believes his Eagles are a sound group. It is no secret, though, that it all hinges on McNabb, the MVP runner-up and a Pro Bowl alternate. And while Reid will tell you it is difficult to gauge which facet of McNabb's game improved the most in his first full season as a starter, his teammates will tell you that, without a doubt, McNabb's mind grew more than anything else. Both McNabb and Miller must recognize defensive changes as they happen, more so McNabb.
Some guys go out there and just play the game.
He knows what's going on. Miller wouldn't say it but McNabb, whose athleticism approaches that of Randall Cunningham, is light years ahead of the former Eagles superstar in that regard at similar points in their careers. He recognizes fronts. He anticipates the play before it happens. That allows him, when things don't go right, to use his athletic ability correctly.