Eagles Staff Is Confident They Will Get Better Play Out Of Michael Vick

Jim Mora Sr. the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts called Michael Vick a “Coach Killer” because he shows flashes of brilliance to get the media and fans all hyped up, then underperforms and gets the coach fired.  So far, Mora and been right about Vick.

At the start of 2013, Vick added Andy Reid to the list of coaches who believed they could find a way to help him play better.   Dan Reeves and Jim Mora Jr. had been shown the door because they believed in Vick and the team underperformed.

Now Chip Kelly and his staff have become the next staff to place their faith in Vick. They may be delusional, but Kelly and the Eagles believe they can make Vick a better quarterback.  I know there’s a chance that Kelly is making the same mistake which the other coaches have made.  He’s focusing on Vick’s skills and not his poor decision-making.

 “What I look at is skill set, first and foremost”, Kelly said. “What he can do, how he can throw the football, how he can beat people with his feet. There are a lot of different factors he has. And you have to look at the landscape for other quarterbacks.

“I guess the best way I can put this is I agree there is a change of scenery going on here. For Michael Vick, there is a change of scenery, but not a change of address.”

Back to the decision-making, Vick was asked to do a lot do that by Reid and his coaches, but that won’t be the case with Kelly and his staff. 

Last year with the Reid, Vick’s task began with listening in to the speaker in his helmet, then calling the play in the huddle, which had so much verbiage that it took twelve to fifteen seconds to get out.  Then he would walk to the line of scrimmage and try to decipher what type of defense front and coverage he was looking at. 

Next up he was asked to make whatever changes were needed in the play or the formation.  Of course all of this was done with the clock running, then he had to take the snap and execute the play.

 

I can guarantee you that Kelly and his staff aren’t going to ask Vick to do any where near as much in the area of decision-making as Reid and his coaches did.  They believe they can make the game simpler for Michael, which will allow him to unleash his skills.

The brilliance of Kelly’s system is the fact that it’s much easier to learn.  Vick and his teammates will take much less time to get comfortable with the new system.

“We just really believe he wants to do what it takes to win,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. “He’s got the skill and ability that it takes to do it. I don’t know if it’s rebuilding. I think it’s going to be very new from what he was trained to do because systematically it’s going to be different. But I think it’s something that we’ll teach it in a way where he’ll be able to pick it up quickly and get out there and do what he does.”

“What I do know about Michael is this: He’s got an outstanding skill set. He’s an extremely tough player and he’s won football games,” Shurmur said. “So we’re looking forward to working with him.

Notice Shurmur emphasizes the simplicity of the system and developing an offense which will be tailored to the abilities of the players.

“I remember going to training camp at Furman when we were at the Falcons and having a chance to see him do things on the practice field”, said quarterback coach Bill Lazor. “I saw him do some things I hadn’t seen people do in person very much, so I know what Michael’s skills are.”

“So, first, I know he could be successful. I haven’t watched every single game from last year but I’ve watched enough to know that he’s a talented guy, that there are a lot of positives and that he can do it.”