Vick injured in Eagles' shootout loss
Falcons 35, Eagles 31
Vick injured in Eagles' shootout loss
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
“Michael Vick has a neck injury. He has been taken to the locker room for observation.”
-- press box announcement/annual refrain
ATLANTA -- They booed Michael Vick as he walked to the locker room, a doctor and a trainer and a security guy clearing a path. Vick acknowledged his taunters by pointing to the scoreboard, which showed the Eagles leading at the time. In a back-and-forth game, it was temporary consolation. The homecoming was short-circuited by more of the punishment that seems to be Vick’s destiny to endure.
The evening was bloodsport, nothing less, and Vick did not survive intact. The Atlanta Falcons came at the Eagles with a physical ferocity that danced near the line of propriety for much of the night, and which stomped over the line once or twice. Dunta Robinson, who gave DeSean Jackson a concussion last season with an illegal, head-to-head hit, clobbered Jeremy Maclin just as illegally last night. That was the most notorious act, but not the only one.
Vick was banged around and then banged around some more. The play on which he was hurt, deep into the third quarter, was more of the same -- thrown to the turf, kind of whipped around, his head maybe then colliding with teammate Todd Herremans. The result was the quarterback, laid out in a pile, and then unsteady on his feet, and then escorted to the sideline where he reportedly was spitting blood.
That was his night, then: booed by his former fans in his former hometown, then bloodied, then banished to a medical evaluation.
And with that, and the Eagles’ 35-31 loss to the Falcons, we are now to be consumed with the doubt about Vick that follows this quarterback like a shadow.
What now?
What, again?
Vick got hit too much last year, and he got hit too much last week against St. Louis, and he got hit too much against the Falcons. He missed four games last year and was less effective at the end of the season because he was so beaten up. He knows the issue, everybody knows the issue, but here we are again. Here we are, wondering if they can count on him being there long enough, and healthy enough, for them to win a championship.
This was going to be his night. The No. 7 jerseys came in two denominations and at least four colors: red, white, black and green. For all of the people wearing them in the Georgia Dome, and for everyone else watching, Vick meant something just a little bit different.
Hero, villain, victim, role model, convicted felon, reformed citizen; those are just some of the sociological labels that people will argue over for as long as Vick is a public man. That is a given. That is not the issue.
Because here is the other list: dynamic, fearless, reckless, careless, courageous, confounding. They are not about the man, but about the football player. That is the problem.
Vick is in his third season of his second professional lifetime, and we still do not know. He is at the beginning of a significant financial agreement with the Eagles at a critical point for the franchise, and we still do not know.
Breathtaking runner. Then turnover-plagued runner. Then fearless pocket passer willing to take a wallop. Then author of a brutal interception.
Red, white, black, green. Which?
And can he stay healthy?
This is more than about the ups and downs of playing the hardest position in professional sports. Quarterbacks make mistakes. Everybody gets it. The difference here is that Vick always seems to be on the high wire, always seconds away either from taking our breath away or leaving us to let loose with an anguished gasp.
Maybe the problem is that all of us watch the game through eyes accustomed to Donovan McNabb, who played a steady, predictable, effective style of game for years with the Eagles. That might be some of it -- because Vick is admittedly so jarringly different.
Whatever the reason, here we are.
Mike Vick has fallen off of the high wire, again.
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I can't believe the Eagles don't have anybody who can cover Tony Gonzalez. He must be 85 years old. I can remember when he played centerfield for the Phils back in the sixties.— Bud Dry- Folks, neither Maclin nor Kafka lost this game. The Eagles lost it in the 4th quarter when then could not stop Turner, or, for that matter, Matt Ryan. Turner looked like a Maserati burning down a European test track. Is there anyone on this team who can stop the run? I don't think it's Casey Matthews and Co. Can Andy Reid ever draft a real NFL linebacker? Can we kidnap one from say, the Green Bay Packers? Yeeeesh ....— NM Eagle fan
- Two fumbles and an interception that led directly to 2 Falcons touchdowns. That's the difference in the game. Get used to it, Eagles fans. That's what Vick does for you. I still can't believe anyone was dumb enough to hand $100 million contract to a soft player who wimps out after every hit and MIGHT play a full game 8 games out of every 16. Eagles gambled it all on Vick. Question is, "Why?" He is a turnover machine. Glad they gave Vick the start. That's why the Falcons won the game. Had the Eagles started Kafka, based on what I saw, the Eagles probably would have won. How about Michael Turner whuppin' that Eagles defense for 114 yards?— mburton
- Team will never win anything. Vick is an injury risk year in and year out. DeSean Jackson will be gone next year.— gordon7
Good point gordon7. I think there is a very real possibility that this is DeSean's last year. With the performance of Maclin tonight, the brass will use that against Desean and we also have Smith. And of course they'll trot out Hall again next year. I am also getting very worried for Vick. No way he lasts, just no way. Our no. 1 offseason priority should have been to provide the protection for our most valuable asset. So what do we get? 2 rookies - a sixth rounder and a guy who only played for 4 years. That is typical Reid. Afterall, he's smarter than everyone.— gelang- What is this "still do not know" business? Vick has been in the league since 2001. His game hasn't changed much, if at all, over that time. How can one "still not know?"— jtj06
- I thought it was a very entertaining, hard hit game tonight. That being said, Kolb went out in game 1 last year, Vicks out in game 2 this year, so obviously the offensive line is still a problem. There are a lot of so called "stars" on this team, but also a lot of holes that good teams in the NFL can exploit. And how about that stat that the Eagles are last in the NFL in challenges since Reid became coach. His in game decisions don't help either.— watsonmr
Comment removed.- Why are people angry at Vick? He took a hard blow to the head, show some decency. This loss is mainly on the defense. If you're up by 20, not being able to stop the run isn't such a glaring problem. When you're in a close game in the 4th quarter, it becomes a huge issue. Casey Matthews cannot shed a block. On that crucial 4th quarter drive when the Falcons were running it up the middle, Matthews was getting shoved out of the way with little resistance.— p-diddy
- The Eagles have never learned how to effectively protect the QB. Same thing with McNabb, though people couldn't see it through their blind hate for the man. And I certainly wouldn't call this a bloodsport. Vick collided into your guy on his own and there was not a soul in this stadium who wanted Vick harmed--and that's the pure truth! I was at the game and I can assure you, Vick is still loved in this city.
I think the Eagles expected to be able to push the Falcons around once again but this one was gonna be earned. Go Falcons!! Maybe we'll meet again in the winter?— atlsouth - I hope we're not gonna get into another round of, "Why can't Vick stay healthy?" Those hits and that injury were all on the line. The pass protection was terrible, and the run blocking was worse. I've been watching all season to see if I can see even one play where the Birds offensive linemen blow off the ball and really push the defense back. Haven't seen it at all. No knock on Herremans or Peters, who are generally really good, and even Brent Celek has done ok on pass protection, but I just don't see that push. On pass protection these guys get overwhelmed in a heartbeat.
And finally, the officiating was ridiculous. Vick took so many hits after he released the ball, it was just nuts. And I've noticed that the defenders are really trying to piledrive Vick into the dirt. How many times have you seen Vick being flipped over or whipped over, and driven face-first into the ground? And yet nobody calls it. I'm waiting for the time somebody spears Vick 3 seconds after he releases the ball, then horse-collars, face-masks, and piledrives him into the dirt. Then I'll see if they actually call anything.— bluetooth2kus - No O-line can protect Vick because you never know where he is going to be or if he is going to release the ball on time. We saw it all in Atlanta. Eagles had a great team and why any team would want a prima dona who has multi turnovers in every game and can't follow the playbook...I don't know. Falcons signed him because the Falcons SUCKED and he put bodies in the seats for a while. Thought prison may have toughed him up. Nope. Guess the prison poundings just toughened up the herpes blisters on his backside. — mburton
- Tyrone7, learn to spell. The Eagles will be fine.
— Tetonreds - Kafka was a lamb to the slaughter, and Vick didn't play that badly. He played like Michael Vick, the guy we have all come to know and love. The defense sucked. Period.
— Tetonreds - Kafka was 7 for 9. Should have been 8 for 9. More importantly, zero turnovers. Vick had 2 fumbles AND an interception. Kafka put Vick to shame. If Kafka had played the entire game, Eagles run away with this one. Vick turnovers gave us Falcons 14 points. Mike Vick and his turnovers is what cost you the game. Kafka played much better than Vick. Kafka also showed he can take a hit and not have to run away. Pretty sure I saw some teeth on the field. — mburton
