A year ago, an injured McNabb struggled through the worst season of his career. He endured a bitter feud with Terrell Owens and played through a painful sports hernia before he finally succumbed to season-ending surgery.

Happy and healthy now, McNabb is off to the best start in his eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback leads the NFL in yards passing (1,602) and touchdowns (11). His rating of 107.2 ranks third and he's thrown just one interception.

Add in Philadelphia's 4-1 start and McNabb is an early-season favourite for MVP.

``It's too early for that conversation and that's not my focus anyway,'' McNabb said Wednesday. ``My focus is to try to get to the Super Bowl and winning. Individual accolades, I don't pay any attention to. It's all about team success for me.''

Besides, McNabb knows how quickly it can turn around. He led the Eagles to the NFC championship game three straight years before reaching the Super Bowl in 2004. Still, one bad year fuelled the doubters.

While many who follow the team closely expected McNabb to rebound from his miserable season, some questioned his leadership skills and his ability to lead the offence without T.O. or an another top receiver.

But McNabb's sensational start has silenced the skeptics.

``We all know they can talk about how great you are one week and then the next week, talk about how bad you are,'' McNabb said. ``So, I don't get involved in that. I just try to block it out and focus in on what I need to do in order to continue on with what we've been doing, trying to get better each week.

``You're not going to be perfect and you're not going to be great every week. There are going to be some times where you have to overcome some adversity and you try to use any little things through the course of the game to try and change it into something positive and try to come out with a win. And that's what I'm trying to do.''

Led by McNabb and all-purpose running back Brian Westbrook, the Eagles lead the NFL in total yards (417.8 yards per game) and are second in points (155).

They've become a quick-strike offence, with eight touchdown drives lasting fewer than 90 seconds. They have five scoring drives of fewer than four plays and 12 that have lasted less than five plays or 2:30. Overall, they have 33 plays for at least 20 yards.

Even McNabb acknowledges he didn't envision the offence having this much success so early.

``We spent a lot of time together. We were all on the same page through the pre-season,'' McNabb said. ``I didn't expect us to start the way we've been starting this season, but we've been improving each week.''

With Owens gone, McNabb no longer has one go-to guy. Donte' Stallworth was on the verge of becoming McNabb's primary target (12 catches, 248 yards, two TDs), but a hamstring injury has forced him to miss two of the last three games.

So far, the Eagles have had a different leading receiver in each of their five games. Stallworth, L.J. Smith, Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett have been taking turns leading the team in yards receiving.

``Donovan is off to a tremendous start,'' said Baskett, who had an 87-yard TD catch in Sunday's 38-24 win over Dallas. ``What he's doing is unbelievable. The way he's spreading the ball around, you can't ask for more than that.''