We talk all the time about the Eagles offensive line and the progress that they need to make, but still the key to the Eagles season is the progress of Michael Vick. He was on 97.5 The Fanatic yesterday with Mike Missanelli and he talked about his progress in reading blitzes and getting the ball out of his hands to his receivers.
The talented quarterback readily admitted that he struggled on Sunday with reading the Rams blitzes and getting rid of the football. Vick talked specifically about Quintin Mikell’s blitz from his blindside that led to a fumble and turnover.
He said he suspected Mikell was coming on the blitz but he got greedy and was hoping he could still get off a deep throw despite the blitz. Vick should have gotten the ball out of his hands and taken a short gain rather than holding the ball and waiting for the big play. He’s got to be willing to be patient and stay away from plays which can wind up being turnovers.
He also doesn’t need to take off running with the ball himself every time he feels the pressure. Letting one of his teammates run with the ball is a better option which will keep him in one piece for the entire season.
Vick has to realize that getting the ball into the hands of talented running backs and receivers with short throws can wind up being big plays. These guys know what to do with the football when they get it in their hands, so Vick must be more willing to get the ball out of hands with short throws when he anticipates the blitz.
Vick said Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg continuously emphasize that he must keep his eyes downfield on the defense and anticipate what they’re going to do. They want him to take the easy way out, get the ball out of his hands when he feels pressure from the pass rush.
Vick is taking the blitzing personally. He is intent on making defenses pay for blitzing him. The Eagles quarterback wants to be so effective against the blitz that teams are afraid to come after him. He’s got a ways to go to get to that point, but he wants to reach that goal before the end of the season.
The coaches appreciate Vick’s competitiveness and his desire to make defenses pay, but he can’t be too eager to look for the big play. He must be willing to settle for short gains, so that he doesn’t risk getting sacked or unnecessarily hit after he throws the ball
How does that Aerosmith song go again? “Dream on…dream on…dream on….”
a dump off in a blitz situation could lead to big play if Vick would just take what the defense gives him and not get greedy unless its a clutch situation where we need a big play now….
Vick needs to show and prove that he will make the right play consistantly so teams will stop blitzing him altogether… teams dont even bother blitzing the best Qbs anymore because they have already proven that to be a risky thing to do…
Vick will get there, but he has to start by taking what the defense gives, especially in a situation like the one where he was hit and fumbled last week
vinnie… actually the one for you is “dude looks like a lady”.
what i liked about the o this week.
* ran the ball at the right time. Andy must have heard me through the tv.
* shady had HUGE vision as he moved around the backfield to make plays.
* vick actually slid to stay inbounds and keep the clock running.
and not so much.
*lots of drops
*need to hit TE’s more.
Thats a nice write up dude. I agree.There were some runs were i wanted him to dump it and not take the hit or use the wheels.
Its just a matter of time(1st half of season i say) before he masters the decison making of when to throw on the turbos or dump it to a skill guy.Im incouraged by his play Sunday and he did point out in the pressy he busted his a$$ this offseaosn to be in top notch game shape. You could see that.
And it’s not all on Vick, the receivers must look quickly for something short, dump pass
Erock if he hasn’t mastered it yet, let alone even get a handle on it, what makes you think he will over the next seven games?
An important part of being successful in beating the blitzes is the ability and awareness of the WR’s breaking off their routes to get open quicker and to help out.. This is an area where D-Jax/Maclin/Cooper all have to improve on too.. Avant and Smith (during his time with the Giants) have proven to be able to adjust routes when in time of need..
I think Vick actually saw the blitzes and tried to get rid of it a few times (I am thinking the two attempts to Schmitt and one he over threw Avant) he just missed the target – those will come.
Glad Vick acknowledged to the world that he and the team knew that the backside DB was blitzing, it was Vick (not the O-line, the coach, the WR etc.) who got greedy – maybe we can stop beating the ‘is Vick going to make it through the season’ horse –
I did love the slide (I think he did it to keep the clock moving vice not get hit – smart football) but have ZERO problem if he just runs OOBs!
Because he’ll continue to do it “in game ” and get a better feel for it. He’ll improve with practice. He will get a feel for how teams are gonna come after him from week to week.Get a handle on your x’s and o’s son.Your acting liek he should have that mastered alreay and cause he doesnt its gonna cost us.Bottomline,if he stays posied in these games (Rams are a nice D) then he will only get smarter about when to drop the hammer and go and when to loft it to a back for a big gain.
His accuracy really impressed me Sunday as well. The td 10 almost had was a perfect pass. Good stuff.
Yeah, I agree with Erock – Jake – reps and rythym come with more game time and that will give him a chance to improve. It’s the reason athelets practice – even good ones. What makes you think he won’t improve over 7 weeks of playing football?
So 100 rushing from the QB isn’t making defenses apy ?
vick should run as a supplement to the pass, take off if he sees a lane when the receivers are covered but if his most productive play comes from the run, as in running for his life to avoid pressure, the eagles are in trouble, and up to now he has not effectively mnaged the blitz, read gcobb’s numerous postings about this over the off season and the above article, this is a major concern, but you guys think he will majically figure this out over the next several weeks
As much as i love the Eagles they arent gonna win a superbowl with this IDIOT. When will he learn you cant go for the big play all the time against the blitz? He did this at the end of the season everytime they blitz and he kept getting knocked around, but he claims the hits dont hurt, i saw other wise at the end of the season.
This team will not win a superbowl with Vick. He is to stubborn and stupid. He would rather risk a career ending injury trying to make a big play instead of just taking a short pass.
CAM NEWTON IN HIS VERY 1ST GAME DESTROYED THE BLITZ THROWING 400+ YDS(YES A ROOKIE) Vick has been in the league 10 freaking years and still cant read the blitz an he’s getting worse. As much as i hate to say this big mistake trading Kolb. Vick is what he is after being in the league 10 yrs he isnt going to get any better he peaked out last season.
some people on this site seriously need a new hoby. Im not sure what you guys expect- perfection on every play?? Yes- vick needs to grow. Ani trully think he will. I thought the birds had a good game plan for Vick this week and I think he did a nice job with it. Yes, there were a few passes off- yes there were LOTS of drops. But…. Vick ran when he felt he needed to and thats why he;s here right? Does anyone remember screaming at the TV when McNabb would not take off even though he had 15 yeard open field in front? Now we have that. I dont care how he gets it done. The key is…. he gets it done. Get a life.
stevo, get a brain, we aren’t talking about taking the run if you see a lane and the receivers are covered, its about blitz recognition, making adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and as supabud states, stop trying for the home run on every play, and now that he has gotten paid, Vick will never change, in fact he has all but said he won’t, its a high wire act, and what has he gotten done?
Jake- your not talking about the run?
” vick should run as a supplement to the pass, take off if he sees a lane when the receivers are covered but if his most productive play comes from the run”- Jake
hmmm- sounds like you were talking about the run.
im fully aware of what you are talking about jake and i dont think they did a bad job at this on Sunday. Yes Vick got hit with a blitz but i think he also got the ball to his targets pretty well. He dumped it off and took off when he needed to.
Gary-“He (vick) is intent on making defenses pay for blitzing him.
yes Gary- thats the point. if a team is going to send 8 guys, you HAVE to be able to make them pay for it.
we agree that it cant ALWAYS be on a deep play but sometimes it SHOULD. Thats y we have these WR’s. and Vick.
On Sunday MANY times Vick got rid of the ball fast and these guys dropped it. I thought overall the O did a nice job of making the plays against a very good blitzing team.
Supabad, Are you serious? This is only the 3rd year Vick has ever had someone to coach him and his 1st coming in as a starter, Vick in Atlanta was like Cunningam here, He wasnt coached and was told to just go out there an make plays, if their wasnt a loackout this wouldnt of been an issue, by mid season Vick will be unstoppable, and please dont forget he’s suppose to be getting help picking up the blitz from his center, how is that working out so far with a rookie? again, by mid season we should be fine.
Why bother even arguing with dumbasses….gotta be if you say things like “big mistake trading Kolb”….
duh, because Vick is better than Kolb will ever be, hands down…next issue…
Realtalk. We get it. You’re a young guy. A VIrginia guy if I remember. You were probably a young teen when Vick came out of Tech all gangbusters. So exciting. The world on fire. Probably had the poster on the wall and the Ron Mexico jersey to go with….
So I understand its difficult for you to believe what your eyes clearly see. Guy is a mediocre QB…..
Hey, I once felt the same way about Cunninham. He was the “ultimate weapon!!” SI said so. But over the years I watched, played, and coached more football than you’ve ever seen and realized the improvisationsal scramblers don’t cut it in the NFL when the games count.
You’ll come around one day. I say by about mid season next year.
Schiller….”What makes you think he won’t improve over 7 weeks of playing football?”
Ummm….what makes you think he will improve after 10 years of playing in the NFL?”
Love your enthusiams Schiller, but statements like yours are just fliers….nothing to hold them up but blind faith. Sorry to disappoint, faith might serve you well in matters of…..faith. But it doiesn’t do as well when looking at QB metrics.
Is there a fly in the room? I think I hear something…but can only make out blah, blah, blah…..
To the fly in the room…
what was your logic for having so much faith in Kolb last season? talk about Schillers statements, focus on yours…If Vick throws for 300 yards this weekend with a QB rating greater than 100…..I guarantee we won’t hear from the fly for a week..
Vinnie- we get it. You’re a clueless guy. A hater if i remember. You were probably a teen when Kolb was rooting for the cowboys.. all hillbilly. So exciting. Texas on fire.
seriously son- he’s gone. Blindly hating will not get him back. It was clearly the smart move. I dont support vick. Dont like what he has done. Dont care about any of these people honestly. They are pawns in a game as far as im concerned. Once in a while one uses his fame to do something big…. like nnamdi. As a youth minister Ill hold that up. Say its important. But to blindly follow a guy… or hate a guy, is stupid.
Kevin had his shot here Vinnie…. and he did….. ok. had a few moments…. had many bad ones. Had his BIG shot last sept. Ended up running for his life. Couldnt read the blitz. Couldnt complete a pass. He had all offseason knowing he was THE MAN. And he couldnt do anything with that. Vick has earned this spot…. he said all the right things for 2 years. He was a good teammate. Over and over said he was the #3… than the #2. On the field he took a bad eagles team and made them pretty good. So far this year we are 1-0 with him. he played well. im sorry about Kolb… i really am. I supported him from Easter till he went down last sept. But he’s gone.
Stevo. I don’t hate Vick. He’s just a bad QB. I did not like the decision to keep him around as the starter. because I’ve been following the team for a very long time and am annoyed I’ll probably hit 50 before they win a championship.
As for….”Clearly it was the smart move…” Why? ‘Cause you said so? You don’t know jack about whether it was the smart move or not…..neither do I, but I have a pretty solid hunch.
Perhaps the smart move would have been to trade Vick when his value was at an (clearly overrated by media etc) all time high. Its what I would have done. At least 2 firsts I figure. Perhaps DRC and a 1st and a 2nd.
As for faith in Kolb. Said it before…4 year college starter. 60% comp % in college. etc etc. These metrics aren’t perfect, but do a pretty good job of forcasting pro success. Go read football outsiders – they’ll explain it better than I have the time for here….but I must warn you, there’s a lot of math involved.
Hey Real…if he drops another 55% under 200 yrds performance….will we hear from you? More excuses?
you could watch, coach play football all you want….what does that mean, still dont mean you know what you’re talking about…Now it is all making sense…you’re scorned, you must of been the slow kid, the kid that had pretty good fundamentals but no athleticism, who watched from the sideline, while the more athletic kid shined…I get it, you are bitter…
No matter what happens, Vick could go on a 3 game roll, passing for 1200 yards 8 TD’s no INT”S and you’ll still be here talking about how his game is gonna decline….The same hopes you had back in your day, watching the younger more athletic kid shine while you were on the sideline…I get it, and I’m sorry you didnt get your shot…
If you know so much about football, help enlighten some of us with football knowledge, not just that of ridicule of the QB…there are bigger things this team has to worry about besides our QB, that is fact! you’ll be singing a different song in the near future, when the Eagles are raising the Lombardi!
But pick what side you get on the band wagon wisely, cause if i’m by the entrance you’ll get your assed tossed off with quickness….
Fly in the room
Lets do this..your so confident Vick is a bad QB right? lets make a bet…on this weekends game…if Vick throws for less than 55% completion percentage and less than 200 yards, you’ll never here from me again….But, when (if) Vick throws for better than 55% and more than 200 yards, we never have to hear from you again….
Whats good? step up to the plate….
Stevo….2 weeks ago VIck said that no D co-ordinator can design a D to stop him….is that one of those “he’s said all the right things” moments.
Why always the assumption that the Birds were a bad team that Vick made good? That no one else could have guided them to 10-6 and one and done in the playoffs?
Kolb gone. Fine. That doesn’t dismiss the fact that you guys are amazingly gwenerous and forgiving to a guy who dropped 44% this past weekend. Or fumbled….again. Or admitted today that he knew blitzers were coming, but decided to “make something happen”.
@realtalk, stop wasting your time with that canadian. He doesn’t know anything about the Eagles, much less american football.
@Realtalk, he’ll never make that bet. I did something similar a while back in which I offered the same bet (never to be heard from again) if VIck threw LESS than 25 tds and LESS than 3000 yards — he wouldn’t take it. Chump.
@Birdo
you’re probably right…I would love to help get rid of this clown from GCOBB, for good…
Jeez…against atlanta…..putting me behind the 8 ball. I think I have a great aunt who could hit 50% against the falcons
How’s this instead. Do you think Vick is better than Jay Cutler? I think you do….So lets use him as the baseline…..
Vick better than Cutler vs atl and I’ll go away….Vick worse and its you. Vick is the superstar right?? You have the advantage here’s don’t you?
Cutler was 69% 312 with 2tds and one turnover. Throwing to the likes of Roly Poly Williams, Johnny the superstar Knox, Devin go route Hester and Matt Forte….
Vick can beat that can’t he?
Hey real you better get some help man, you are now conversing with a fly about the eagles
even better idea….
Why don’t we use Kolb’s game last year as the base….brilliant!
23 of 29 for (79%!!!) for 326 3 and 1….
those are some big #s….you have faith in your superstar? Kolb vs Vick – ultimate showdown!
And real and birdo, the owner of this site has repeatedly posed the question under debate about Vick, his ability to get a handle on the blitz
Vick better than Cutler, hell yeah! totally different situation…I dont need Vick to throw for 300 yards against ATL…how many rushing yards did Cutler have? Are you going to take that into account?
Give me some numbers with Vick as an individual, no comparing him to what another QB did against a team…
Totally different system than the Bears, not enough short passes like Cutler….
but if you want we can go 60% with 250 yards passing….300+ yards of total offense
Supabud gave his opinion, “he’s too stubborn and stupid”‘ that’s some real talk
dumbass! Kolb vs Vick showdonw happened last season…Vick won the job! you are a dumbass! I’m done talking to you…take my last offer or leave it…
As for your 3000 yrds bet birdo…I thought about it, but you do realize that 2/3 of nfl QBs threw for 3000+ last year don’t you…I’m a gambler, but not at those odds.
So real…Kolb vs Vick vs Atl?? Same dismal o-line…Kolb had advantage of being at home, but Vick is a 10 year vet….gotta count for something…..
It’s more than one way to skin a cat…YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME…..
do whatever is needed to WIN….
Real….Matthews vs Rolle happened this year…Matthews won!!
Ridiculous arguemtns. Reid makes terrible decisions with LBs and O-line, but great ones with QBs….
Come-one…Kolb vs Vick. I’ll even let you add Vicks scrambling on to his yardage totals….
This site would be alot more interesting if people said something different
Same dudes Same argument day after day
and NO I AINT GOING NOWHERE…lol
Lets see…Cutler had 69% for 312…Kolb had 79% for 326….Rodgers had 86% for 336, Brees had 71% for 302 (I could keep going) against this shitter Falcons pass D
But you want me to accept some ridiculously low 60% 250 for your alleged Superstar?? Where’s your faith. Thought he was unstoppable.
You realize the average completion rate for NFL QBs now well over 60%. Average.
Give me some numbers that mesh with what other QBs drop on the dirty birds and I’m in.
Com’on now.
This is how you know a guy is not a fan…offense was dummied down for Kolb, short passes galore…With Vick its a totally different offense…looking for longer pass completions…more aggressive play calling…more plays becomes runs….
you said 55% and under 200 yards earlier…and was confident, you’re the one changing it up…so how bout we use the same numbers, instead you pick a different team on the Eagles schedule….your pick, any team
how bout we make a bet, that none of the QB’s you mentioned will gain over 50yards rushing this upcoming weekend….