Donovan McNabb went 6-of-11 for 40 yards in his first game in a Vikings uniform Saturday night, and both of the series he played ended in punts. But McNabb sounded satisfied afterward.
“It felt good,” McNabb said. “I thought we had a great flow with the offense. Our timing and chemistry was where we needed to be.”
McNabb has been criticized at times for having a slow tempo and not hustling enough on the field, so it was interesting that he made a specific point of saying that he thought the Vikings’ offense moved at the right pace.
“I thought as an offensive unit we were in and out of the huddle in enough time to make checks if we had to,” McNabb said. “That’s where you want to start in the preseason.”
When McNabb left the game, Joe Webb came in and struggled as a passer, going 4-of-8 for 45 yards and an interception. But Webb picked up 33 yards running and led the Vikings’ only scoring drive in their 14-3 loss.
After Webb came rookie Christian Ponder at quarterback for the Vikings. Ponder went 8-of-13 for 84 yards, and he was sacked three times.
With all three quarterbacks, the Vikings’ passing game consisted of short passes almost exclusively. McNabb threw downfield only once, and the one deep ball he tried, to Bernard Berrian, was incomplete. If the Vikings’ offense is really going to get where it needs to be, McNabb is going to have to average more than the 3.6 yards a pass he averaged in the preseason loss to the Titans.