Donovan McNabb, the legendary Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, is dishing out both sympathy and some serious truth bombs toward Jayden Daniels after the Washington Commanders’ brutal 27-27 tie with the New York Giants last week. Daniels made a colossal late-game blunder, and McNabb totally gets that “deflated” feeling that comes with such a high-profile mistake. As McNabb told The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd, “You feel deflated, you just feel deflated. But still, you know you’ve got a job to do, because no matter what people on the outside are saying or what’s going on, it doesn’t control the path you set for yourself.”
McNabb’s Own Unforgettable Rule Blunder
McNabb knows this feeling all too well because he famously admitted he “never even knew” NFL games could end in a tie back in 2008. That Eagles-Cincinnati Bengals game wrapped up 13-13, and McNabb’s quote after the fact became instantly iconic. “I’ve never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book,” he said at the time. “It’s part of the rules, and we have to go with it.” Talk about a shocking revelation from a starting NFL quarterback! He emphasized his main point: “the quarterback is supposed to know the rules.” McNabb added that his “safe haven” was knowing that everyone goes through adversity, and the key is who can overcome it and move forward positively. He had to refocus and move on, despite the Philadelphia fans bringing up that tie “week after week.”
Daniels’ Late-Game Collapse and the Communication Chaos
Daniels had the Commanders in prime field-goal range late in overtime against the Giants, staring down a game-winning opportunity. But instead of spiking the ball or throwing it out of bounds, he snapped it, ran around, and took a sack. They had no timeouts left. Ballgame. Tie. Daniels’ explanation after the game? A full-team communication breakdown. “We’ve just got to communicate that, that’s the whole thing,” Daniels said. “It starts with me, communicating to the whole offense in the huddle. And I think everybody will say that from the top down.”
McNabb saw the same thing from his couch. To Dodd, he said it “just seemed like they were out of whack” without anyone knowing the situation or trying to communicate. “No one knew what the situation was. Even if you look across the board, the offensive line didn’t. Receivers were kind of jogging back. The timing of everything just looked bad. They were in the huddle with 50-something seconds left.” While quarterbacks always get the lion’s share of the criticism, McNabb made it clear that “in that situation, it’s shared between quarterback, head coach and (offensive) coordinator.” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn even took responsibility, stating the blunder falls on him because he needed to make sure Daniels knew to either spike the ball or throw it out of bounds.
McNabb did get a bit of a pass for his own tie-game gaffe because the Eagles didn’t really get close to winning in overtime back then. They never ran a play in Cincinnati territory, and the Bengals missed a 47-yard field goal before McNabb’s last-ditch pass from his own 37-yard line fell incomplete. Daniels, though, had Washington right there, ready to try for a game-winning kick. The stakes were clearly higher.
So while Daniels’ miscue stings right now, especially for Commanders fans still reeling from a tied game they had a real shot to win, McNabb’s advice boils down to classic sports wisdom. “I mean, Michael Jordan missed however many shots that could have won games,” McNabb told Dodd. “You think he harps on that? No, he takes the next.” It’s about overcoming that adversity and moving forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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