“Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained; a difficult problem”. That’s how the dictionary describes an enigma. That is what Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has developed into, this year particularly. The biggest question in this 2012 season after four games is why Michael Vick can’t hold onto the football. No one has the answer, not even Vick.
The ball has bounced Philadelphia’s way in their three wins this year but no one knows how the ball is going to bounce in this Sunday’s game against the Lions or the next game, or the game after that. Sports debaters and fans alike have predicted that at some point Vick’s eleven turnovers will come back to haunt Philadelphia, costing the Eagles a game.
Well, that time has already come as Vick’s early fumble against the Steelers this past Sunday in the red zone, a play that he could have scored on or kept the drive alive and a chance for at least three points (points that were the difference in the game) ended up costing them. Turnovers are directly related to the lack of scoring points, obviously. And scoring points productively, means wins (Verses scoring when you’re down 35-10).
Does Vick need to carry a ball around with him as some have suggested? Should he sleep with the football to try and establish a better, more intimate relationship with it? I say “yes” and “yes” if it’s going to help him hold onto it. Tom Jackson of ESPN reported Sunday night that Michael Vick has turned the ball over 52 times in his last 21 games which is a very disturbing statistic, atrocious in fact showing a pattern and more significantly, part of his skill (less) set.
The question now though is, how long do you wait to find out if his turnover habits will change? The Eagles quarterback has led the team to a 3-2 record and 1st place in the NFC East so far and there’s plenty of time to right the wrong… or is there? Chances are there will be more of the same. If coach Any Reid waits another week and things continue, it’s eventually going to cost him his job. How much loyalty do you have for the leader of your team when your own career is on the line?
Rookie quarterback Nick Foles, who is Vick’s backup, is obviously young and unproven but judging only by the preseason; has the tools to at least give it a good shot. If we end up 8-8 or 9-7 Reid loses his job anyway right? But is Nick Foles ready for the speed and pressure of the regular season? Can he deliver as he did for a team that is still in my opinion, contending for a Super Bowl? I’ve always thought so.
There’s a lot of football left and room for Michael Vick to improve, but how long does Reid wait? There’s an argument to be made concerning the offense line and they, perhaps, can cause problems for Foles as well. Another point to be made is that the defense didn’t come through when they needed to. I said to myself the entire second half that the defense needed to come up with a turnover which they haven’t done much at all this year. And someone must have voodoo dolls of the defensive line since there have been no sacks in two straight games now. There are going to be games though where the defense will have to bail out the offense and vice versa. It just didn’t happen Sunday.
But more than a fourth of the way through the season, a Super Bowl or Bust season, is it time to panic? The alternative is to build for next year. And we’re right back where we seem to keep starting. One problem is, if Reid goes to Mike now and Foles stinks up the joint, do you revert and go back to Vick?
Philadelphia will not, cannot win games if the turnover issue is not resolved and any chance of even getting to a Super Bowl let alone winning a ring, is non-existent. I’m an Andy Reid guy but… maybe it’s just time for him to pack it in and see what a different coach with a different mindset and vision has on how to use the talent on this team. I wonder what’s going on in the mind of owner Jeffrey Laurie?
Will the enigmatic MV7 figure things out? For now, it’s up to him to determine Andy’s next move by his play. Vick will have at least one more week against a Detroit team that has been perhaps an even bigger disappointment to their city. Another week, another game, another … turnover?
Shhh, listen… “And now, entering the game at quarterback, number 9, Nick Foles”. To be continued…
Only allow 16 points to the Steelrs at Heinz field, that enough of a defensive effort to seal it.Dont wanna hear about stops at the end of the game. Yeah they coulda made it but im not haning it on them and saying they failed us. Foles will wilt be pressured so much up the middle he’ll be a walking sack wating to happen. He’s straightened out the picks.Fumbles are just holding it high and tight.
If the Giants dont get Nicks back soon there dead in the water.Cowboys,stop. Skins…tough team but East champs.
The only thing that stops us is us.So its paramount to our quest for the division and only the division right now to stop fumbling.
And why wasnt the ball handed to Mccoy or Havili on that play. Dumb play call. Other teams go to the qb draw after a few attempts for the RB,not Andy…THATS HIS FIRST CALL!! Pathetic.
Erock I somewhat disagree. If we can chastise Vick for turning the ball over, then we can chastise our defense and its coaches for not getting the needed stops to hold the lead. I don’t know of any sb winning team or fans that don’t expect their defemse to “step up” when it counts. If your offense hands you a lead going down the home stretch, it is a “given” expectation of “winners” to hold the lead or create turnovers’ or get stops.
Here’s a game we played last year. Its called “guess which one is Vick”. We’ll look at the stats of the QBs who plaed the Bird’s opponents, and you guess which one was Vick.
I put them in order from what I think was the best performance to the worst….
Cleveland
comp att % yrds td int fumb
24 31 77% 318 3 1 0
22 35 63% 208 3 0 0
25 37 68% 259 3 1 0
28 46 61% 356 1 1 1
29 56 52% 317 2 4 2
QBs to choose from: Vick, Dalton, Fitzpatrick, Flacco, Eli
Baltimore
28 41 68% 335 1 0 1
22 32 68% 371 1 2 1
25 52 48% 320 0 1 0
22 37 59% 221 0 1 0
12 18 67% 124 0 2 0
QBs to choose from: Dalton, Vick, Brady, Wheedon, Cassel
Arizona
comp att % yrds td int fumble
28 46 61% 316 1 1 0
26 41 63% 431 1 2 1
7 21 33% 124 2 1 0
18 34 53% 153 1 1 0
17 37 46% 217 0 0 2
QBs to choose from: Wilson, Brady, Vick, Tannehill, Bradford
NYG
22 39 56% 307 3 1 0
19 30 63% 241 1 0 0
22 35 63% 291 2 2 0
15 28 54% 243 2 2 0
16 30 53% 242 0 3 0
Qbs to choose from: Romo, Freeman, Newton, Vick, Wheedon
Pitt
comp att % yrds td int fumb
19 26 73% 253 2 0 0
24 34 71% 209 3 1 0
20 30 67% 175 2 0 3
10 27 37% 138 1 0 0
QBs to choose from: Manning I, Shanchez, Palmer, Vick
Frankly…I think its a fun game trying to match up the names with the stats. Its a pretty easy game.
Anyway, we find Vick at or near the bottom of 3 of the lists…and the 2 he’s higher his competition is….shall we say…..less than stellar. Even I’d take Vick over Wheedon, Newton, Sanchez or Cassel.
it is lunacy to talk about switchinh qbs when the team is 3-2, Vick is not good right now, although he did put together two winning drives that we have never seen from the qb before, I still doubt he will get much better, but to scrap the season and go with a rookie, now way in hell will Andy make this change, there is no guarantee Foles will be that much better, we know what we have with Vick, for better or worse we have to ride out this season, you never know…
Play was OK and Vick tried to protect the ball but it still came out
They gave the ball to McCoy 3 times the week before on the coal line for naught
People have short memories
I think they should have faked it to McCoy to the right and have Vick roll to the left and into the end zone
can’t we get off this. Vick is our QB this year, he may be AR’s last QB during his tenure in Phil but he is the QB — like him or hate him. I believe he is a middle of the road QB, nothing more nothing less– i can easily name 12-15 QB’s i’d rather have and about 8-10 that i’d rather not have over him.
we have talked about his style of play, turnovers, winning drives ad nauseum however none of us make any decisions– he is the eagles QB for the year unless disaster strikes and 3-2 with a shot to win in pissburgh is not a disaster- it doesn’t even warrant a discussion for replacing him
Another one of these dumb ass articles? Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
They should have lined Landri up in the backfield and let him smash it in…problem solved.
People that are already so biased against Vick that anyone else reading dismisses their comments probably shouldn’t reply to articles like these. Vick probably re-injured the thumb on his throwing arm…hence his inability to keep a decent grip of the ball in contact situations, but he’s not going to mention that and he’s not going to want to come out for thumb issues. As much (deserved) criticism as the O-Line taking right now it’s a better O-Line, in my opinion than the line that opened the season. Vick is getting hit too much and the coach(es) are calling way too many roll-out plays and the O-Line can’t stop defenses long enough for Vick to get an opportunity to set-up on those. DeSean Jackson is lined up on the right side of a left handed QB far too often still. Virtually every time they do actually play him of the left side he makes a play, because he’s targeted. The obvious solution is to keep DJax on the left side and eventually he’s going to start smoking people…particularly late in games. The Eagles still need to call McNabb and Burress if they want insurance for the season and to get better respectively.
I was only going to comment on the lame title of this article until I saw your comment Butch007. I haven’t taken a side on this issue, but I will say that you are so pro-Vick that you can’t even admit when he contributed to the loss. You are blaming his fumbles on a phantom thumb injury? Yikes.
Even the Vick fans might be a little concerned over this….Has anyone else noticed that Vick can’t seem to run away from anyone anymore?
Its because he can’t (I brought this up in the offseason btw)
One reason Vick’s QBing foibles are becoming more pronounced, is that he can’t run like he used to.
Vick was always an inaccurate, turnover machine, but that was somewhat compensated by his running ability.
Except that’s finished.
Its probably a combination of age (how many RBs drop off a cliff at 30-32?) and injuries, but Vick is a shell of the runner he once was.
His career yrds/rush average is 7. This year he’s at 4.6. He’s never had a year where he’s averaged less than 6/carry. That’s a precipitous drop.
In fact, there’s only one game this year where he’s above 4.5. And 3 games when his average is below 3.5.
This isn’t just this year either. The drop began around mid-season last year.
In his last 9 games, Vick has only come close to his career rushing average twice. For 7 of the last 9, his average is about 3.5yrds/carry.
He has a whopping 2 rushing TDs over his last 18 games.
Now…normally, I would think this is a good thing, because running QBs do not win in the NFL (mobile QBs do, but running QBs don’t, and Vick was a running QB).
But the problem here is that Vick is a bad traditional QB.
Calls of “let Vick be Vick” Let him run are misguided at this point. He can’t run anymore.
For a guy in the bottom 3rd in comp %, leading the league in turnovers, and who’d hit 20 passing tds just 2x in 10 years (and is on pace for 19 this year) this doesn’t bode well.
One of the hardest things in sports is for an athlete (and those around him) to recognize decline. Vick’s running ability is currently in rapid decline, yet no one notices, and he keeps getting QB draws called for him.
At his current pace
Rushing 102 atts for 471 yrds 2 tds 26 fumbles
Passing 346 for 592 (58%) for 4227 yrds (a record!) 19tds and 19 ints
I suspect he doesn’t come close to either the rushing or passing #s (well, maybe the turnovers)
@Vinnie, Vick hasn’t really tried to run away from anyone anymore…However, in the Giants game I do recall 13 and 18 yard gains.
Hahahaa..you are getting so desperate now, that you are complaining about Vick not scrambling? I thought you said that’s not what QB’s do?
The most popular man in Philadelphia is always the backup QB after a loss. Eagles win this week and there won’t be any anti-Vick articles……..until the next time they lose.
It was the same song and dance with McNabb. I’m over it.
i dont get it… with all the pressure comming up the middle… with all the dropping back of the other 5 Non blitzers…. why are we not hitting the flats? Why are we not running vick on bootlegs? why are we not on the phone trying to build an Oline?
Sit Vick- Play vick- i really dont care either way. But if we think we are wining anything without an Oline…. we are fooling ourselves.
Eagles make a nice move today and relaease LB Moten and pick-up
back-up/SPecial Teams Jason WIlliams from the PAnthers
I have followed this player for 2 Years and think he will be a great addition to the LB Corps and especially SPecial Teams.. He’s 6-1 244lbs and a very physical Tackler who is a natural inside LB.. Good Move by Eagles for more LB/ST Depth
I think the O Line has played pretty well the last few weeks. Some players more so than others…but breakdowns happen from time to time. Especially considering all of the injuries. The Eagles have been going to more 3-5 step drops to take some pressure of the O Line. Which we all know teams are doing against our defense. I will say the O Line is impacting the Eagles screen game, these guys just can’t get out (not all of them, Bell in particular) and up field to setup blocks. But the Eagles screen game has been mediocre for few seasons now.
Improvement can be made on all sides of the ball.
Special teams, has not produced. Kick coverage or in the return game. Boykins seems hesitant and is not hitting the hole the way you should. DJ, not doing a good job all the way around on return! In regards to LB Moten, I recall him getting trucked on a block on a ST play on Sunday = his release.
On the defensive side, I think the play calling can improve. Gotta remember this is Castillo’s 2nd season, he still isn’t experienced, he’ll have his bumps and bruises making in game adjustments. The zone defense, players gotta do a better job of covering their areas, at times too slow or hesitant, split second late can equal big plays.
Of course the QB has to fix his turnover issues! I have no explanation for it, either. Just hold onto the rock!
Real- no. They have not. Vick is getting killed back there. This is not an excuse for his turnovers at all…. but he’s running for his life. One major reason they dont look down field is because he doesnt have the time.
As was in the Philly papers the other day, pro football focus has tabulated all the thimes Vick has been “under pressure” this year.
The number they have is 100x over the 5 games.
Last year it was 199x over his 12.5 games.
They also said:
Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick takes an average of 3 seconds between his snap and his pass release, which is the highest in the league.
Look for Eagles’ pass blocking to magically improve when Vick leaves.
Vinnie that is trash statement.. Under pressure also includes blitz! There’s more to blocking against the blitz than the O Line. But as for the progress Vick has made dealing with pressure, see below!
Philly dot com
The Steelers blitzed Vick 17 times on 36 drop-backs. When they came with extra rushers, he completed 11 of 15 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
The week before against the New York Giants, his numbers against the blitz were equally as good – 8 of 12 for 125 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. Vick’s combined numbers against the blitz in the last two games computed to a 136 passer rating.
1st – being blitzed does not always mean being under pressure.
2nd – those numbers, (and I read them) don’t add up.
Pitt blitzed 17 times and Vick was 11 of 15. Ok. What happened those other 2 blitzes? 2 fumbles. Good times. 2 TDs vs the blits – 2 fumbles. Its what he does.
Of the 33 blitzes…3 excellent results (TDs)…. 16 good results (comp)…10 bad results (sacks and ints)…and two terrible results (fumbles)
So, as is the case in all of his career, he makes excellent plays, follwed by an equal amount of terrible plays.
Beautiful bomb to Desean to set up a FG. Sack Fumble to set opponent up for a FG. Bootleg for a TD. Pick 6 for opponent TD.
Week 1 and 2 ints…week 4 and 5 fumbles. Week 6 and 7 injuries. Week 9 10 picks again weeks 11 12 fumbleitis returns…..
Wash rince repeat. The song remains the same with this guy.
The master of keeping both teams in the game. Good times!
As I stated your only complaint about Vick now is fumbles!!!!
My point against the blitz was especially delivered because you say “Vick can’t read blitzes, Vick is horrible against the blitz”…You can’t even deny the improvement he is making, its that simple….ALSO NEWSFLASH – BLITZES ARE COUNTED AS AN UNDER PRESSURE STAT, so if those numbers aren’t included in what you read, you are only getting half the story…If your O Line of 5 men, can’t block a def front rush of 4 or 3, its the QB fault?
Also with the injuries to the O Line, you are going to sit here and deny that breakdowns happen and Vick has not been pressured due to a Lineman, not sustaining his block….Again a double standard, would not apply that same logic to other QB’s in the league…
Google: Mike Check: Vick Shows Progress Vs. the Blitz
(and you’ll get all the details you need, plus reasons as to why the numbers don’t add up..Throw aways, sack taken (every QB in the league gets sacked or throws the ball away)….
As I stated your only complaint about Vick now is fumbles!!!!
Your words. My continuing complaint about Vick is neither fumbles, not interceptions. Its about stupidity, and that is still in grand supply.
From: Mike Check;Vick Shows Progress Vs. the Blitz
Speaking about the Steelers game
I counted three passes that Vick threw away. Those are not reflected here. On passes that he actually intended to be caught by a receiver, he was 20-for-27 (74.1 percent). As you can see, Vick had a lot of success on the short and intermediate throws, going 19-for-23 (82.6 percent) on passes within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage.
The stat I find interesting is the 19 of 23 on intermediate throws…again a type of throw that you said Vick has trouble on, because he isn’t accurate….80+% pretty good…Again, keep talking about the fumbles, when those are gone, Eagles get on a win streak led by Vick’s play, no one will hear from you again…