It has been 13 years since Josh McCown caught an NFL pass, but he was ready to do it last night. Due to a little bad luck (and some poor contingency planning), the Eagles were down to two wide receivers after the first quarter against the Giants when Alshon Jeffery left the game with a foot injury. Those two receivers (J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and Greg Ward Jr.) only had 13 career catches between them coming into the Giants game. Not a good spot for a desperate team like the Eagles to be in.
McCown told reporters after the game, "I was ready to go". The team had replaced his helmet and given him a radioless helmet, which is probably why he ended up halfway on the field during almost every offensive huddle.
In the end, McCown did not have to come in and play wideout. The young receivers came up big, but to me the big thing to take away from this is that he was willing to do it in the first place. Nobody would have faulted the 40 year old quarterback for saying no, but he didn't. Be it love for the game or love for the team, Josh McCown was willing to come in and play wide receiver in the teams most desperate hours. It shows that players on this team haven't given up, they still believe in each other. That belief could help the Eagles end the season with a playoff birth.
I will say, I would've loved to see the Wentz to McCown connection play out. How much seperation could McCown get against Julian Love or DeAndre Baker? I don't know, but it would have been fun to watch that unfold.
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