Michael Vick His Own Worst Enemy by Matt Lombardo

Michael Vick will never learn.

No bruised ribs, concussions, broken thumbs, thumb contusions, offseason programs or infinite years playing under Head Coach Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg it seems will ever successfully get the message thorugh to the Eagles $100 million quarterback that in order to succeed both personally and professionally, he needs to change his game.

Three years in Philadelphia and two plays on Monday night prove without a doubt that Vick will never make the necessary adjustments in order to take himself and this football team to the next level.

All offseason ad nauseam there were two topics that replayed on talk radio airwaves and on the blogosphere more than any other when it came to the Eagles and Vick; He must learn to slide, and, in order for the Eagles to make and advance to the playoffs this season Vick must stay healthy. Well, after two preseason games, number seven and the Eagles like a cat with nine lives have averted catastrophe thanks to the same tendancies that have cost Vick 27 games in his 11 year career.

Everything the Eagles have done over the last two offseasons, all the talent assembled, all of the draft picks acumulated are for naught if Vick cannot stay healthy. There’s simply no denying that fact.

“It’s been a low percentage process with Michael Vick [staying healthy],” ESPN NFL Analyst Ron Jaworski said. “Right now, people have to be thinking ‘Oh my God, he’s down again,’ but the good news for Philadelphia is that Nick Foles came in and did an outstanding job. They have to find that backup quarterback because it’s highly unlikely you’re going to get 16 games out of Michael Vick.”

Yet, for the second time this preseason, Vick left early and spent more time in front of an X-Ray machine than he did on the field. Luckily for the Birds, his X-Rays were negative on his ribs, which is good news for the Birds. Except for the fact that the regular season opener is just 20 days away and Philadelphia’s franchise quarterback has already suffered thumb and rib injuries before the most important season in recent franchise history even began.

The issue of Vick’s health is an issue mostly within his control, because of the fact that despite his injury riddled career, he simply refuses to play the quarterback position in a conventional manner and abandon his reckless abandon style. The two plays on Monday night were a microcosm of his past issues that led to injuries.

In the first quarter, on the team’s first drive of the game, Vick looked downfield and when there were no open receivers tucked the ball and scrambled for a first down by diving headfirst for the yard marker and took a legal hit from Patriots defenders.

All ofseason ad nauseam there were two topics replayed on talk radio airwaves and the blogosphere more than any other when it came to the Eagles and Vick; He must learn to slide..

Even President Barack Obama put in a good natured request for Vick to learn to slide this season, and yet in a meaningless preseason game, after a complete offseason program and Training Camp, Vick’s instinct was not to slide and give up, but to dive for the extra yardage and put himself right back in harms way.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the 5’11 215 pound Vick got up favoring his arm and shoulder.

“I think Michael Vick is always going to get hurt,” ESPN Football Analyst Cris Carter said on Mike and Mike In The Morning on ESPN Radio on Tuesday. “By his style of play, he constantly puts himself in harms way. and also, he’s a small guy and he’s always been hurt. It was a relatively easy play early in the game when he was just trying to slide he almost hurt his elbow.”

“In their style of offense, quarterbacks have to hold the ball so their receivers can get downfield so that means Vick will have to hold the ball. So, Michael Vick is always going to be hurt.”

Then, later, on the play that ultimately sent Vick to the locker room and second visit in as many weeks to the X-Ray Machine, he showed that he clearly hasn’t progressed in recent years.

Be it competitive stubbornness, frustration under pressure or just plain stupidity at this point in his career, Vick is all to reluctant to give up on a play. On the play where his ribs were injured Evan Mathis got beat on a block and the pass rush quickly got to Vick. The quarterback spotted the pressure, swiveled away, but instead of either throwing the ball out of bounds when he saw the broken play, going down to the ground to take the sack, or run out of bounds, he stepped up and spun, heaving the ball as hard as he could down the field to DeSean Jackson and took a crunching blow to his rib cage courtesy of Jermaine Cunningham’s helmet.

Pure stupidity on all levels.

In a regular season game, that pass could have easily been intercepted and because he had no defense for Cunningham’s hit. Lets say he throws the ball out of bounds or eats the ball for the sack, he doesn’t take the hit, doesn’t visit the x-ray machine and doesn’t add to his lengthy career injury list during a meaningless preseason game.

If Vick would simply learn to give up on plays, rather than try to squeeze every possible yard out of every possible run or pass or broken play, he and this team would be much better served. If Vick ever wants to take the next step as a quarterback, or carry this team to a Super Bowl, it starts with staying healthy. But the question is, if after 11 years he still hasn’t learned these lessons, will he ever?

Vick is clearly the most important piece to a very high powered Eagles offense. However, there if the Eagles first two preseason games have proven anything, it is that there is more than enough talent on this team for it to succeed without a playmaker such as Vick at quarterback.

In Vick’s absence, Rookie third round draft choice Nick Foles moved the ball and was very impressive with his poise and pocket presence en route to a 217 yard 2 touchdown 1 interception performance on 18-28 passing. Granted, Foles’ success came against a mostly skeleton Patriots defense, but keep in mind that it is the same defense that held Vick to 5 yards passing in his two series’ of work before being knocked from the game with his injury.

This isn’t to say that Nick Foles is ready to step in and become the Eagles starting quarterback today. But, there is something to be said for the fact that the offense looked fluid, and moved the ball efficently with a quarterback who stands in the pocket, surveys the field and can make tough throws on nearly every route. Even the offensive line looks steadier without Vick scrambling in and out of the pocket.

So, in more ways than one Michael Vick is his own worst enemy. The Eagles have the opportunity to walk away from his latest $100 million contract after this season without a hefty cap hit, and they just so coincidentally may have stumbled upon a more than capable quarterback of the future in the 6’6 243 pound Foles. The lesson for Vick appears to be clear; adapt his game to stay healthy and productive while possibly leading this team to a Championship campaign, or continue to play with reckless abandon risking further injury and derailing a season with a deep and talented roster two years in the making and possibly end up on the unemployment line by year’s end.

But after 11 years and a laundry list of injuries, you have to wonder if Vick will ever learn?

 

Matt Lombardo is the Lead Writer for Taking It To The House. Matt is also a Producer for 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia and a Contributor to the Sports Journey Broadcast Network.  Follow Matt on Twitter @MattLombardoPHL or Email him MDLombardo@yahoo.com