McNabb, Smith separated by more than a single pick

Sporting News, The, Nov 27, 2000 by Gary Horton

Less than two years ago, the expansion Browns narrowed their search for a quarterback to two candidates players--Tim Couch and Akili Smith. And the Eagles couldn't have been happier.

Eagles coach Andy Reid knew from his first day on the job that Donovan McNabb was his guy. When the Eagles took the Syracuse star with the second overall pick, the Bengals were left with Smith.

For Cincinnati, it seemed like a no--lose situation at the time. Not even the Bengals, who have a history of squandering top picks, could screw this one up. If a pair of well-respected personnel men such as Cleveland's Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark considered taking Smith with the first overall pick, then the Oregon quarterback had to be worthwhile.

Not so fast.

When Smith was benched after a loss in Week 11, which was the same week that McNabb led his team to an overtime win against Pittsburgh, it was painfully evident their careers were on divergent paths. While it's far too soon to dub McNabb the next Norm Van Brocklin and call Smith the next David Klingler, there are dear signs of boom in the former and bust in the latter.

Physically, these two players are very much alike, but that's where the similarities end. Both players stand 6-3 and are separated in weight by just a couple of cheese steaks. Each has a cannon for an arm and runs the 40-yard dash faster than some of his team's wide receivers.

The biggest difference between these second-year players is McNabb's game experience.

The development of each player can be traced back to his college days. While McNabb was earning first-team All-Big East honors four years in a row for the Orangemen, Smith was working his way through junior college and finally became a full-time starter his senior year at Oregon. Smith recorded one of the most impressive seasons by a quarterback in Pac-10 history (one is the key word in that statement) and aced all the pre-draft testing. Some scouts were enamored with Smith's potential talent and labeled him as a late bloomer Others, including Reid, were more skeptical. Mortgaging his future--and that of the franchise--on a one-year producer didn't appeal to the newly named head coach. Former Bengals coach Bruce Coslet probably wishes he had exercised similar judgment.

Smith's shortcomings are apparent on film. First, he needs plenty of work on fundamentals. It's never good to micromanage a passer's mechanics; some of the best quarterbacks in history (i.e. Brett Favre) have used unorthodox throwing motions. However, there are some habits, such as patting the football with his non-throwing hand, that are causing Smith to deliver the ball late or off-target. Smith also gives up on routes prematurely and braces for hits, which indicates that the poundings have affected him.

The other glaring deficiency is a lack of decisiveness. There are contributing elements, such as the team's porous offensive line and inexperienced receivers, but Smith doesn't look sure of himself in the pocket.

Just how bad are things for Smith? Words don't do it justice, so we'll use numbers. He has thrown only half as many touchdown passes (two) this season as McNabb has thrown to the Eagles' backup tight end (four). Smith was replaced in the starting lineup by Scott Mitchell, who had posted a quarterback rating of 11.2--that's right, 11.2--in three relief appearances for Cincinnati. Mitchell suffered a knee injury last Sunday against the Patriots, however, so Smith might go right back in the starting lineup.

Perhaps the most discouraging evidence of Smith's lack of progress is an inability to succeed despite the presence of Corey Dillon, one of the league's top running backs. Opposing defenses crowd the line of scrimmage with eight and sometimes nine players in an effort to stop Dillon. Yet Smith has not been able to exploit man coverage on the perimeter.

This is where McNabb's know-how gives him the edge. For a young player, he is very experienced, and he plays that way. The Eagles lost their best player, running back Duce Staley, early in the season, but McNabb has demonstrated the maturity of a player well beyond his years. He adjusted his game to include more running and began making better use of the tight end. McNabb is now the team's leading rusher.

Arms and legs aside, McNabb's unflappable demeanor might be his best attribute. There's a quiet confidence about this guy. Very few second-year players command the respect of veteran teammates like McNabb does.

McNabb still has plenty of room to improve, but not only is he much closer to a finished product than Smith, but he's closer than the quarterback Cleveland selected first overall.

WEEK 13 MATCHUP

Joe Horn vs. Dre'Bly

In the spirit of the holiday season, we'll use a Thanksgiving metaphor to break down the Saints' offense. Prior to the season, the team knew that RB Ricky Williams was the main course, the turkey. However, the Saints also knew that turkey by itself makes for a rather bland, dry meal. That's why they went out and got WR Joe Horn in free agency. He would be the dressing--the perfect complement to spice things up.