Despite All The Additions This Training Camp Was All About Michael Vick

Amazingly despite all of the acquisitions to the roster, the best thing about this preseason has been the play and leadership of Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.

Head Coach Andy Reid was asked one question about Vick’s training camp performance yesterday and he started talking and kept talking and talking. I told you before that Vick has looked like another quarterback in camp because of the way he’s thrown the ball with tremendous accuracy and the way he has dealt with the blitz.

“He’s doing an excellent job”, Reid said. “He’s really upped that part of his game. Last year he was thrown in there without a lot of reps here at Lehigh, with [QB] Kevin [Kolb] taking most of the reps, and all of the reps with the ones…. I think he’s putting pressure on himself to be a better football player”.

Looking at Vick scan the defense before the play and quickly identify the blitzer then change the blitz pickup, I couldn’t help but believe that he has spent a lot of time during this off season learning from his mistakes of a year ago. In many way it’s hard to believe that he’s the same guy.

“Michael made a huge jump last year,” said offensive coordinator Mornhinweg. “He’s always been one of the great dynamic players in the game, but he made a big jump last year. There’s one more step he needs to take, one more step, and that part that you mentioned with the blitz recognition is part of that step.”

Vick appreciates the fact that he’s getting most of the reps this training camp.

“You start getting comfortable as time goes on with everything that you’re doing,” said Vick. “I’m just trying to get to a level where I can just go out there and react and not have to think about what I’m doing, where it comes naturally. And we’re getting to that point.”

Reid and Mornhinweg have put more time into getting Vick ready to recognize the blitz and make the proper adjustments, than anything else this training camp. Remember that the vulnerability to the blitz was the only thing that slowed down the offense last season, but it stopped the explosive offense in a major way. That won’t be the case this time around. Vick and the offense are ready for teams to try to blitz them.

Vick has also taken his leadership to another level. No longer does he just play and have the guys play along with him. Now I hear him saying things to the wide receivers and the offensive line when the quality of play drops.

“I think he’s putting pressure on the guys around him to be a better football player and at the same time rallying them to try to bring out the best in them”, Reid said.

He’s developing more of a touch on his short throws. His fundamental technique of having his feet balanced with a slight bend of his knees when he throws the ball, has become something that he doesn’t have to think about. The verbiage which Vince Young has struggled with at times, is something that Vick doesn’t even have to think about any more.

He quickly gets the offensive unit in and out of the huddle with ease and confidence. Yes, confidence is much higher with Vick. He thinks he’s going to make the play and the rest of the offense thinks he’s going to make the play.

Mornhinweg says he’s got a few additional things for Vick to work on when they get back at the Nova Care Complex.

“There’s several other things, I’m not going to get into too many details, that are involved with taking that last step to become, possibly, one of the great, great quarterbacks in the game”, Mornhinweg said.

There’s a lot on the line and Vick knows where he must take this team in order for the season to be successful. I think he’s ready to go.