PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Donovan McNabb isn’t jealous of Brett Favre and he’s patched things up with Terrell Owens. Oh, by the way, his knee is just fine, too.
Having answered questions about his health with a strong performance in the preseason, McNabb dealt with other familiar topics on Wednesday. He’s been compared to Favre since the Eagles drafted him No. 2 overall eight years ago. He’s linked to T.O. because of their infamous feud following Philadelphia’s trip to the Super Bowl in 2004.
With the Eagles playing at Green Bay on Sunday, McNabb gets another chance to go head-to-head against Favre. He’s 4-1 against the Packers, outplaying Favre in the process.
“We’re two different players,” McNabb said. “I kind of learned some different things from Brett, and I’m still kind of watching him a little bit.”
Asked the biggest difference between himself and Favre, McNabb said: “I guess interceptions. Some throws you just don’t make, some throws you do.”
Favre has thrown 273 interceptions in 8,223 career attempts, an average of one in every 30.1 passes. McNabb has been picked only 72 times in 3,259 throws, or once every 45.3 attempts. McNabb probably could’ve mentioned that he scrambles far better than Favre, too.
Eagles coach Andy Reid coached Favre for seven seasons in the 1990s as an assistant on Mike Holmgren’s staff in Green Bay until he came to Philadelphia in 1999.
So, it’s natural to compare McNabb to Favre because Reid has played a key role in the success of both players.
Early in McNabb’s career, Reid constantly talked about Favre and the way he approached everything from working out to studying film. McNabb finally told his coach he was tired of hearing about him.
“They’re both great quarterbacks,” Reid said. “They’ve both reached the highest level that you can play by their styles and personalities.”
Unlike Favre, McNabb hasn’t been able to stay on the field. He tore a knee ligament in Week 11 last November, finishing the regular season on the sidelines for the third time in five years. Meanwhile, Favre is the ultimate ironman. He’ll extend his record for consecutive starts to 238 against the Eagles.
“Things happen. You get nagging injuries,” McNabb said. “You have to continue to stay on top of it.”
McNabb has been to five Pro Bowls, four NFC championship games and one Super Bowl in eight seasons. Favre, selected to eight Pro Bowls, has led the Packers to three conference title games and two Super Bowls, including one victory.
“Donovan has played outstanding,” Favre said. “Barring injury, he lights it up. From the outside looking in, he’s done everything he’s supposed to. Donovan has his own game, a game I can’t play. I think it’s unfair to him and to me to compare us because we’re two different types of quarterbacks. But, we both have been playmakers.”
As for Owens, it seems McNabb and his former No. 1 receiver are no longer enemies. Owens said in an interview in Time magazine that he regretted how his relationship with McNabb soured. He also said he’d take McNabb behind Peyton Manning if he could play with any quarterback in the NFL.
“Donovan is a great guy,” said Owens, who enters his second season with Dallas. “Honestly, I do miss being around him. I learned some things from Donovan. It was a bad situation, and if there were a way I could go back and handle some things differently, I definitely would.”
McNabb said the two could’ve had “something special” if they played together longer than 1 1/2 years.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go in that direction,” McNabb said. “We’ve talked it out and communicated when we had the opportunity to, and kind of put it behind us. That’s the past, and we’re just focusing on what we have to do with our given teams right now.”
Notes: DE Jevon Kearse (shoulder) was limited in practice. Everyone else participated fully.
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