Kevin Kolb is probably starting to feel some of the pressure of being an untested third year quarterback going into a game which is surrounded by four All-Pro quarterbacks, Donovan McNabb, Jeff Garcia, Michael Vick and Drew Brees.
How do you think he’s going to feel running out there with McNabb, Garcia, Vick and Brees standing on the sidelines watching him? He can’t be distracted by that, he’s got to focus on each specific play and what exactly he must do to make it successful.
If Kolb doesn’t feel the pressure now wait until he shows up at the field that morning.
I feel for him just like I do for all the youngsrters I see in the Eagles lockeroom every time I walk through it. They could be out of a job in a heartbeat.
I tell them your career is going to go by in jet-like speed, so be prepared every time you step out on that field. That’s what Kolb must do on Sunday.
How much time will Kolb have on Sunday to get things going if he starts? How much time will Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg give him to get in a rhythm and how much time will the Philadelphia Eagles fans give him to get his feet wet?
Kolb could be looking at the end of his career here in Philadelphia after nine plays. Three, three and outs and he could be history.
He might be given three series or five series or eight series. There’s no guarantee on how much time he’s going to be given. Every time he walks to the sidelines, he could be tapped on the shoulder and told, that’s enough, Jeff’s going to take over.
He’s got to focus on what specifically he has to do. He can’t take his eye off the ball by looking across the field at Drew Brees and attempt to emulate him.
Brees may be the best in the business right now when you consider his production and the cast he’s working with.
Trying to stay up with Brees isn’t the thing to do. If he tries to do that he’ll start forcing things and making mistakes. He’s got to run the offense, take what the defense gives him and be efficient.
Focus, focus, focus and don’t get caught into the big picture. He can’t do anything about the big picture, but he can control what exactly he does and that is all, so that’s what he must focus on.
I hope Sean McDermott and the Birds defense comes ready to play even better than they did last
Sunday because Brees is likely to start firing darts before he gets all the way out of the tunnel.
He might start throwing the ball aboard the bus on his way up I-95 while coming from the airport. Kevin Kolb shouldn’t even look at the Saints offense when they’re on the field.
He must focus on the Eagles offense and the Eagles offense alone.
If the Saints get in the end zone early and often it’s going to make the situation tougher. This will turn up the pressure on Reid but Kolb can’t let it turn up the pressure on him. He shouldn’t let whatever is going on when the Saints have the ball blur his focus on what he must do.
He must block out the fans and the big picture and focus on his job and his job alone.