Donovan McNabb looks to improve for Vikings

Minnesota’s Donovan McNabb wasn’t just a football star at Syracuse. He played basketball too.

The Vikings have seen McNabb throw his share of bounce passes this season. Now, they want to see him rebound.

Even though Minnesota won last Sunday for the first time this season, McNabb was booed by the home crowd for his lukewarm performance. He completed 10 of 21 passes against Arizona, and ricocheted more than one pass off the turf. He ranks 27th in the league in completion percentage (56.8) and yards passing (849).

“There were obviously some throws I wanted back,” he said after the 34-10 victory over the Cardinals. “But those are things you do every week. It’s not just one week. You try to clean that stuff up for the up-and-coming weeks because you know some teams are going to try to duplicate what other teams have been able to do against you.”

If McNabb’s shaky play continues, the Vikings could be turning to rookie backup Christian Ponder, a first-round pick, or Joe Webb soon.

In the meantime, McNabb can take solace in the fact Sunday night’s game is at Chicago, his hometown, and a place where he has had a lot of success as a pro.

“I just love coming home and playing at home,” said McNabb, who has won five of his seven regular-season matchups against his hometown team, the latest being a 17-14 victory over the Bears when he played for Washington last season.

The Vikings are hoping it’s that old McNabb who shows up. They have lost three in a row to Chicago.