I Know He’s Trying But Michael Vick Must Avoid All Those Hits

We’re finally here. The lockout is but a distant memory, and the first game is in this books. While there were some who predicted that the Eagles’ first test would be a close contest and could even end in an upset, the game on Sunday afternoon was anything but, as the Eagles were able to pull away from the Rams for an 18-point win.
In this 31-13 win over St. Louis, Michael Vick was the star of the show.

The guy just flat out made some Houdini plays out on the field, turning something into nothing at crucial times. But for all the deep bombs and scrambles Vick made, and for all the rushes he escaped; for all the sacks he eluded, it looked like Vick had his mindset on playing in a more conservative manner than he usually does but I think he needs to go further. He didn’t take many chances of getting hit when he ran with the football and he only made a throw or two that was in danger of being picked off.

Mind you, Vick is still a phenomenally, dangerous game changer, who can take off at anytime from the pocket, so a more “conservative” style for him is different than it is for any other quarterback in the NFL. But nevertheless you could sense the battle going on in Vick’s mind between trying to give each play time as he waited in the pocket, while at the same time not forgetting his ability to run with the football.

He had to avoid the temptation of running on every play when he considered the group that was playing in front of him. The Eagles’ offensive line is young and inexperienced and we have already talked in length about how Philadelphia’s pass protection would be very suspect come the regular season.

Vick has learned during his time in Philadelphia that the easiest way to deal with pass rush pressure is by getting rid of the ball early. This is an area of his game, which the quarterback has truly been trying to improve on from a year ago. He goes to the line of scrimmage wanting to read the coverage or blitz and get rid of the football.

When the blitz came for Vick yesterday, he looked first of all to get rid of the football but when he saw that wasn’t a good option, he took off on the run. Even though Vick ran 10 times in the game, he turned down some opportunities where he had a lane open to run but he instead stood in the pocket and stayed aware of the play’s progression.

The Eagles must make an adjustment in their blocking on the right side of their line. The quarterback and his coaches must find a way for him to see that defensive back blitzing from his blindside. Former Eagles safety Quintin Mikell forced him to fumble on one backside blitz, and he was run down another time with a similar blitz.

Still, I want to see Vick get more conservative with his approach. I want to see him get his run attempts down under five per game, if the line is doing a decent job. I don’t want him to be a statue back there because he could easily get hurt in the pocket, but I want him to stay away from taking hits and avoid turning the ball over.

Their defense is better than it was a year ago, so they don’t have to score 30 points a game. Most of the time if they reach 20 to 24 points, they’re going to win. Vick can and must keep himself healthy and stay away from turnovers.

Last year, Vick wore himself down by taking off out of the pocket and getting hit week after week, play after play. This year he needs to get better at picking up the blitz and reading blitz schemes, so he can get rid of the ball and stay healthy.

When Michael Vick throws the football, it’s a beautiful sight. He does it in such an effortless manor that the power with which the ball is actually thrown is deceiving. Vick made some great passes yesterday with that left arm, none greater than his TD pass to DeSean Jackson, but he missed his fair share of passes as well.

No player is perfect, and no player will ever be perfect in a game, but even though the score does indicate a big win by the Eagles, I was looking for Vick and the offense to capitalize more on what seemed to be a soft St. Louis secondary, but I’ll take a win and a healthy quarterback.

14-out-of-32 got the job done today, but against Atlanta, Vick will surely have to turn his game up. Next week Vick is going to hopefully cut down on the errant throws downfield and turn it up on the strikers which are on the money to his receivers. But for now though the Eagles quarterback can take his bow and be satisfied because he made the plays necessary for his team to win and he left the game healthy, that is what is always most important.