McNabb knows now.

Here's a little more knowledge for Super Five: Confidence, in fact, isn't high. This season is over. That 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals, a team with one win all season, ensured that the Eagles are going nowhere. The playoffs? Forget about it.

In case McNabb didn't know this either, in all likelihood, his reign here in Philadelphia is just about over. That's not a lock, because Andy Reid is a supremely stubborn and loyal man. But with the Eagles at 5-4-1 - such a 1970s record if there ever was one - we probably are entering the final six-game slate of the McNabb era in Philadelphia.

Given how he helped resurrect this franchise, McNabb's tenure shouldn't end this way - ugly and unsatisfying - but it probably will anyway.

If the Eagles miss the playoffs for the third time in four years, and there's absolutely no reason to think that they won't, someone has to go. Given the tight relationship in the front office, it's unlikely that Jeffrey Lurie will fire Joe Banner or Reid. Reid won't let go of offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Maybe the triumvirate sacrifices general manager Tom Heckert, but really, what would that accomplish or whom would that satisfy?

The likely scenario, despite Reid's undeniable bond with the man he selected out of Syracuse with the second pick in the 1999 draft, is that the Eagles will say thanks and goodbye to McNabb.

If they haven't already, the whispers will begin soon enough. Have you watched this Kevin Kolb kid? He sure looks good in practice. McNabb? He never did recover from that knee injury. Have you seen how reluctant he is to run?

And so it will begin.

For all the preseason talk about how strong he felt and what great shape he was in, McNabb hasn't exactly done much to prevent his exit. He hasn't orchestrated one of those come-from-behind fourth-quarter drives. He hasn't led the Eagles to those wins they should have gotten against Chicago and Washington. He hasn't overcome faulty coaching or bad play-calling.

Since the bye week, McNabb has been horribly erratic, completing just 53.8 percent of his passes in the last four games and throwing six touchdown passes and five interceptions. That 2-1-1 record since the bye week has not helped.

The first quarter? Forget about it. McNabb essentially has been a no-show this last month. Maybe the script has been bad, but McNabb hasn't been much better.

Against Atlanta, McNabb started 5 of 14, and the Eagles' first five drives ended in punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt. Their first five possessions against Seattle? Zero points, four punts. After a quick touchdown against the Giants last week, McNabb misfired on seven of his next nine passes, with four lost possessions.

Yesterday's start against a team that had the league's 20th-ranked defense wasn't any better. McNabb started 1 of 5 against the Bengals with zero first downs and one fumble.

All the Eagles' offense really had to do against a team with shaken if not shattered confidence was start quickly and bury the Bengals early. But they couldn't do it. Receivers dropped passes. Brian Westbrook got few opportunities. The Bengals hung around, and the defense got bolder with every possession, batting down McNabb's passes, stepping in front of three for interceptions, and forcing him to throw on the run.

The Bengals could have intercepted more, but in the end, it was enough. McNabb's numbers: 28 of 58 for 339 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. It was the third most attempts in Eagles history and four shy of Randall Cunningham's record of 62 set in 1989.

Three of those attempts came on third-and-1 plays, which certainly wasn't McNabb's fault. It wasn't his fault, either, that Reid and Mornhinweg played for the tie when they elected to punt on fourth and 1 with 90 seconds left in overtime.

But history, the Eagles' history, will forget those details. It will remember that after the game McNabb said that, from the offense's perspective, "the confidence is high," which was hard to believe after so many drops, turnovers and missed opportunities. It will remember that McNabb wasn't crying for a sense of urgency. Rather, he stayed true to form, even-keel as if the ship wasn't sinking.

It will remember that, although there had only been 16 ties since the NFL went to a sudden-death, 15-minute overtime format in 1974, McNabb didn't know that games could end in ties. He wasn't alone - count Trent Cole, Omar Gaither, Quintin Mikell and Tra Thomas in McNabb's category - but he's the quarterback. He should have known.

"Maybe a lot of the guys haven't been in the league seven years," cornerback Sheldon Brown said, "but I know the rules."

Told his quarterback didn't know the rule, Mornhinweg said: "Yeah, um, yeah, but, uh, I don't know what to say on that one."

Say thanks, and say farewell, because this season, like the quarterback's career here, is over.

Ashley Fox: Forgettable and Regrettable

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb completed 28 of 58 passing attempts for 339 yards and one touchdown in the 13-13 tie in Cincinnati yesterday. He threw three interceptions and fumbled once. His quarterback rating was 50.9.

First Quarter McNabb was a dreadful 1-for-5 passing, for 0 yards, and lost a fumble after being sacked.

Second Quarter He threw two interceptions in Bengals territory, killing drives. He did however, complete a 44-yard pass to Correll Buckhalter that set up a David Akers field goal.

Third Quarter McNabb completed his only touchdown, hitting L.J. Smith for 4 yards after Hank Baskett's 57-yard catch-and-run.

Fourth Quarter McNabb twice couldn't convert a first down late in regulation. Starting from his own 40 with 2 minutes, 44 seconds left, he missed Kevin Curtis on a third-and-1 play with 1:56 left, forcing a punt. Incredibly, the Eagles got the ball back with 1:25 left, but McNabb threw three straight incomplete passes, forcing another punt.

Overtime Starting from his own 13 with 1:50 left, McNabb again threw three incompletions, forcing another punt.

Contact staff writer Ashley Fox at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.