The pass/run ratio. Red zone efficiency. Third down conversion percentage.

These are all things that have been tossed around in an attempt to explain how an Eagles offense that was so dynamic one year ago has lain stagnant for much of the 2007 season.

Some have merit – had the Eagles converted more than 19 of their 42 red zone opportunities into touchdowns this season they probably wouldn't be fighting for their playoff life in Dallas on Sunday.

Others make little sense – no matter how much carping there has been about Andy Reid's propensity to throw the ball, the Eagles are right in the middle of the NFL rankings in run/pass ratio.

Whatever it is that ails the offense, the struggles are frustrating, not least of all to Donovan McNabb.

QB Donovan McNabb

The chic new theory to explain why the offense has sputtered suggests that it is McNabb's refusal to throw the ball deep that has grounded the passing game. On Sunday, McNabb completed an efficient 20 of 30 passes. On the season, he has completed 60.4 percent of his passes, which is very close to his 58.5 career completion percentage.

Unfortunately, he has only 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. The first number is undoubtedly lower than McNabb would hope, but now he is even taking heat because the second is so low.

When things were going well, McNabb was praised for taking care of the ball. Now that the Eagles are 5-8, he is criticized for not taking more chances.

"There are chances to take shots, but also you have to be smart with the ball," McNabb said. "In this situation, yes we're 5-8, but this isn't the time to just start throwing the ball up and seeing who is able to make plays."

The numbers really don't suggest that McNabb has been overly-conservative this season. In fact, they suggest that he really hasn't thrown downfield all that much less than he has throughout the rest of his career.

In the 11 games in which he has played this season, McNabb has attempted 38 throws that traveled 20 yards or more in the air. That means that on the average Sunday, he throws 3.5 deep balls.

Since 2000, McNabb averages 4.2 throws of over 20 yards per game – a difference of less than one full attempt.

In fact, following the 2000 season, McNabb finished as the runner up to Marshall Faulk in the league MVP voting, and that season he had attempted only 3.9 passes of 20 yards or more per game. In 2001, he attempted only 3.5.

On Wednesday, McNabb fielded questions about how much the Eagles offense has changed in the last eight years, but he said he really doesn't see too many differences.

"We're adding different wrinkles into it. Every week, you add something different into it to attack the given defense that you're playing," McNabb said. "Defenses have been trying to eliminate us from getting the big play, which we had a lot of success with last year and in previous years. That leads us to checking down to the back, throwing it to the tight end, working intermediate routes in the passing game."

While that may be true, again, the numbers don't suggest that the Eagles check down all that much more than they used to. Yes, last year's offense featured many more explosive plays, and while the 7.0 yards per attempt McNabb averages this year is not nearly as impressive 8.4 yards per attempt he had last season, it is still the third highest number of his career.

Before 2004, McNabb never averaged more than 6.7 yards per attempt.

After the bombs-away offense of last season, many teams are playing soft zones against the Eagles, and even though statistically McNabb is only marginally more conservative than he has been in the past, he said he will always take what the defense gives him.

"I believe that if you check it down, you give your guys an opportunity to make plays for you," McNabb said. "(Brian) Westbrook and our running backs and our tight ends can make a guy miss and pick up 15 yards, instead of just trying to throw it up there and see who comes up to get it."