How long can Vick survive this?
The Michael Vick breathwatch has begun. The question is simple: when will the last gulp of air be forced from his body by another hit?
How long can Vick survive this?
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
The Michael Vick breathwatch has begun. The question is simple: when will the last gulp of air be forced from his body by another hit?
It was the overarching question for the Eagles on a disaster of an afternoon in Arizona. During a game where very little went right, in any phase, Vick was pulverized by the Cardinals’ impressive defense. If the Eagles’ quarterback wasn’t hit 20 times during the Eagles’ 27-6 defeat, the number was in that black-and-blue neighborhood. And if he survived this day, and he did, he cannot survive many more.
Easily half of the damage was self-inflicted, hits that could have been avoided if Vick were willing to throw the ball sooner. That isn’t to argue that there were tons of people open -- Jeremy Maclin did not play because of a hip injury and, yes, it did matter -- but Vick’s continued insistence on hanging on and then hanging on some more in the hope that something good might happen is borderline masochistic at this point. He really is hurting himself.
The other half of the hits could be blamed on an offensive line re-jiggered because of injuries, and on pass-first play-calling in the first half despite all of the punishment being absorbed by Vick, and by the fact that the Cardinals’ defense is very good. But the total punishment was the total punishment, and two more Vick fumbles were two more turnovers for the league leaders in that department.
The one on the last play of the first half was the game-sealer, when Vick was hit from behind on a blitz by Arizona safety Kerry Rhodes, causing a fumble that was picked up by James Sanders and returned 93 yards for a touchdown. If Vick can get the Eagles in there -- or if DeSean Jackson hadn’t been stood up on a reception just short of the goal line before the dreadful sequence began -- the Eagles would have been trailing by 17-7. Instead, it was 24-0. Oh, and one more thing: with no timeouts and only a few ticks remaining in the half, Vick has to be aware of that pressure and just unload the ball.
We’ve all been talking about this for the better part of two years. Sometimes, it is a narrative in search of some facts -- because it isn’t always like this, not every week. But it is the games such as these that no one can forget. Down the stretch there in the first half, it was fair to wonder if Vick had been clocked once too often. It was entirely appropriate to be concerned about his health, and about the long term -- because, no matter how frustrating this is, the best chance the Eagles have this season is for Vick to end it upright and on the field.
And, now, it is hard not to wonder.
How much more can he take?
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This comment has been deleted.— The DooDooFresh- I thought Andy Reid was Ugly, but this game was Ugly times Ugly. Not surprised they lost, but never thought it would be this FUGLY. — Voytas
- Reid should have had Vick throw more I thought. — hipdaddy
- Reid should have had Vick throw more I thought. — hipdaddy
- When many were celebrating last week, I posted the following:
• Posted 4:09 PM, 09/18/2012
Our offensive line was terrible in pass protection. Vick was getting hit before he could set-up or look downfield, and he got hit on nearly every pass play.
At that rate, he won't last 8 games (unless he successfully runs for his life).
I was blogging during the game and people were saying Vick did this and did that, but that's not what I was seeing.
Even on the called fumble at the 1-yard line, Vick was hit before he could survey the field, and some were blaming him for holding the ball too long. What he supposed to do? Throw it away as soon as it was snapped?
It was a bone-headed call. Reid did the same thing last year (remember Ronnie Brown) until the 10th game, when Reid FINALLY gave Shady the ball in the red zone and Shady delivered every time.
There is definite improvement on defense and a new ferociousness, but if the o-line doesn't improve, it won't matter who's quarterbacking, he simply won't last.
— Lonewolf11
- -- Wolfie- - Glad to see you haven’t thrown out your old “I told you so” sweatshirt.
By the way that rank smell isn’t team spirit!— Laughingaloud123 - Yes Wolf, the snap for Eagles O-line has become a jailbreak. Can Mudd save this season? Is there enough talent left to work with? Does Mudd have another miracle left? Can someone save Vick from himself for holding the ball too long? Can Marty run an offensive game plan to take the pressure off this weak offensive line? Too many questions. The defense has improved and can keep us in games, and maybe even win us a few, as long as we stop the turnovers. Stop the turnovers, stop the jail breaks! — OverFiftyYears
- deja vu— warbiscuit
- Wait till the ground freezes and he takes 20 hits.... — hipdaddy
- Wow....Kolb completely outplayed Vick....Kolb's QB rating 127...Vick's only 64...LOL— phil500
- Much like the game Kolb played with the Eagles against the Falcons a few years ago, the Cards had a game plan designed to beat an aggressive pass rush (short, rhythmic passes, couple with runs/screens/draws, etc).
The Eagles, on the other hand, called slow-developing plays, disregarding the porous offensive line, the injuries, and everything else.
I've seen this act time and time again: Reid calls 50 while McNabb plays on a broken ankle, sports hernia, broken ribs, etc.
I've been saying it for years, Reid is a QB killer. That's why I had to laugh when people were calling him a "guru."
There's a lot of realism to "putting players in a better position," and Reid is unable to do so. - Yowzaaa!! - can it get any uglier? Mike - I've taken out a life insurance policy on you with me named as beneficiary. Good luck with the rest of the season!!!— bigdaddyG
- You can blame McNabb, Vick, Castillo, McDermott, the offensive line, the wide 9, the GM, the scouting department, play-calling, and even the owner (until last season), but Reid is the one constant.
Regardless of whether you think Kolb is better, who demoted and traded him?
Castillo, who promoted him?
Wide 9, who approved it?
And the list goes on . . . - We're going to the Super Bowl! NOT!!!! time for Fat Andy to be shown the door. He thinks he knows more than the rest of the league but in reality he is in the bottom third of coaches. The day he leaves is the day I will start to follow the Eagles again.— Daddio
