PHILADELPHIA -- Tim Couch has done it. So has Daunte Culpepper and Akili Smith, and Cade McNown and Shaun King.

Each member of the Class of 1999 quarterbacks has had a breakout game except for one -- Donovan McNabb.

McNabb, the second quarterback selected and No. 2 overall pick last year, had his first 200-yard game Sunday in a 33-18 loss to the New York Giants. But 177 of his 214 yards came in the second half after the Giants took a 20-3 lead.

"Donovan did some good things, and there are some things that he could take out of this and work on," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "It was a little bit here, and a little bit there, good and bad, and he knows it. He's very realistic about this thing and we'll get that worked on."

	Donovan McNabb has lead the Eagles to a 1-1 start.

The Eagles are 3-5 in McNabb's eight starts. His best performance came against Washington last season when he was 16-of-28 for 172 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for 71 yards in the game, a 20-17 loss.

McNabb had three touchdowns in a 38-31 victory over St. Louis in the regular season finale. But the Rams, with their playoff spot already locked up, played their junior varsity in the second half and McNabb was only 15-of-32 for 179 yards and two interceptions.

Until he proves he can beat teams in the air, defenses will continue to focus on shutting down Duce Staley and daring McNabb to throw.

"I love it," McNabb said. "It's a challenge."

McNabb might eventually prove to be the best of the group. He has all the physical tools, including a strong arm and excellent speed. He also has the intangibles, such as a solid work ethic and tremendous poise and maturity.

But it hasn't translated into a really big game yet. One of his problems is finding open receivers.

"There were times the receivers and I weren't on the same page," McNabb said in the aftermath of the loss to New York. "There were times when we were on the same page, but they were covered."

The other young quarterbacks haven't had quite as much trouble.

Couch, the No. 1 pick in '99, had a three-touchdown, no interception game against New Orleans, and a 19-for-35, 262-yard, two-touchdown game against Tennessee last season.

He was 19-of-31 for 259 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland's 24-7 victory at Cincinnati on Sunday.

Smith, the No. 3 pick in '99, started just four games last year while battling injuries. Even though his 55.6 rating was the lowest among the six new quarterbacks, he did have a 25-for-42, 221-yard, two-touchdown, no-interception game against the Browns.

McNown, selected 12th overall by Chicago, had a three-touchdown, 272-yard performance against Washington and a 255-yard, one-touchdown game against the Eagles among his first six starts.

He was superb in the season opener against Minnesota. McNown threw for 290 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, and rushed for 87 yards and one touchdown.

Culpepper, who did not take a snap last season after going to Minnesota at No. 11, is 2-0 as a starter.

He beat Chicago on the ground by running for three touchdowns in the opener, and beat Miami in the air with a 355-yard performance on Sunday.

Even King, who was selected in the second round and 50th overall by Tampa Bay, has had more success than McNabb.

King had a two-touchdown, 297-yard game against Detroit last year and threw a game-winning touchdown to beat Washington in the playoffs.

For all McNabb's struggles, Reid still believes he will develop into the franchise quarterback the organization expected he'd become when it passed on several trade offers and selected him with the second pick.

"He's better than he was at the end of last year. And he will do nothing but get better as this thing moves on," Reid said. "He's a competitor. He'll work on his game. Sometimes he's trying to make too much happen. I've seen that before. He'll learn, and he's going to get better. He sees this as a challenge."