Micheal Vick Has His Best Day At Training Camp

Michael Vick has been stepping up his game at training camp.  Yesterday was his best practice and this was after having a good day on Monday.  Still this didn’t give him an upper hand in the battle for the starting quarterback spot because that’s going to be decided by the preseason games.

He made quite a few outstanding passes by throwing the ball early and putting it on target in a place where only the pass receiver had a shot at it.   He usually waits until he is sure the receiver is open before letting the ball go.  He’s not normally an anticipation thrower, but he was a number of times, yesterday because he seems to be getting used to some of the plays. Vick had a number of passes dropped or his completion percentage would have been higher.

One time he faked the handoff in the read option and came off the corner like he was shot out of cannon.  I’s sure Chip Kelly noticed it because I think the time he commits practicing on the read option shows that he wants to run it and Vick is the one who can run it.

I thought yesterday was Vick’s best day at camp and it contrasted with bad days by both Nick Foles and Matt Barkley.

“When the pads come on, it’s almost like game simulation,” Vick said. “I feel like guys around me have potential to hit, and it’s more like live action. I try to treat it like a game, try to approach it like a game, like there’s a lot on the line. I approach practice with a different mind-set.”

Vick made a great throw to the back shoulder of DeSean Jackson for a touchdown on the last play of practice.  It was fitting end for Vick on his best day of camp.  Still it was just one day and one day doesn’t a great camp make. Vick also hit Jackson on a deep pass earlier in the day when he beat rookie Jordan Poyer.

All the quarterbacks talked about how the like the way Chip Kelly is seeing what plays they’re most comfortable with, so that he can tailor the playcalling to them when they’re in the game.

“To have the opportunity to run the plays that you like, to make suggestions, it only gives you comfortability – the ability to put the team in the right situations,” Vick said. “That’s the relationship that Chip is developing with all the quarterbacks. We embrace that. We don’t take it for granted. We understand if we’re asked a specific thing to do or that we like, it’s imperative that we make sure we’re 100 percent right on it all the time and we know we can get it done. It’s part of the growth process.”

Foles was picked off yesterday by safety Colt Anderson because the quarterback got tunnel-vision in looking at the running back who was running an option route on a defender.   He beat his man inside and Foles let the ball to complete the pass.  There was only one problem.  Anderson was free in the middle playing centerfield and waiting for the throw.

Like Vick, the former Arizona signal caller likes the way Kelly listens to them regarding what plays they would like to run.

“I think in different situations, there are plays that you lean on and coaches want to call plays that we’re comfortable with because they know that if we’re comfortable and we’re good at running that play then there’s a better percentage that we’ll perform in a stressful situation, say two-minute (offense), or the clock’s coming down and it’s fourth down-and-8 or something,” said Foles. “They want a play that we know is our bread and butter. So it’s great when a coach asks you what you like in those situations. It’s very refreshing.

Barkley really struggled yesterday.  His completions were rare and his best asset, accuracy was missing.  The rookie said he’s not that concerned about incompletions because he’s not working with the top receivers.  Many times his group of receivers have trouble getting open.

“I’m not worried about numbers; I’m worried about accuracy, making sure the ball is in the right place,” Barkley said. “And even the final product is going to be different, because [the receivers] are not going to end up where DeSean [Jackson] would be on a play like that.”

I’m still not crazy about the quarterback play.  Vick still pulls the ball down and is looking downfield with the risk of making an ill-advised decision.