Could Vick miss the opener?
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Could Vick miss the opener?
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
Michael Vick isn't out of the woods just yet.
While an x-ray of his ribs following Monday night's preseason game against the Patriots came back negative, the Eagles quarterback will undergo an MRI and a CT scan this morning to see if there is damage other than a fracture.
"He got a good shot there," coach Andy Reid said of the hit that New England linebacker Jermaine Cunningham delivered to Vick's mid-section. "The precautionary measure is to see if it’s involving cartilage there.”
Vick has been down this road before. On Oct. 3, 2010, he left a game against the Redskins when he took a blow to his rib area. He had an x-ray but the team did not release the results after the game. Reid said then that he had a "sore chest." A day later, an MRI revealed that Vick had injured the cartilage that connected his second and third ribs to his sternum, according to the Eagles.
Reid said that Vick had fractured his cartilage. Vick admitted this past spring that he fractured his ribs. Whatever the injury, he did not play again until Nov. 7. He originally said that he would miss probably only two weeks. But he sat out the next three games. A bye week followed so Vick may have returned earlier, but he did not play until the Colts game -- 35 days after the injury against the Redskins.
The Eagles open the regular season in 19 days on Sept. 9 at Cleveland. They have two preseason games remaining -- at the Browns on Friday and at home against the New York Jets on Aug. 30. Reid did not rule out Vick for Friday's game, but it is unlikely he will play in either contest even if his injury isn't serious.
Quarterback Mike Kafka won't play with a fractured hand, so rookie Nick Foles and Trent Edwards will likely split the Browns game. Foles performed well in relief of Vick against the Patriots. He could have the backup quarterback spot locked up.
Vick and the Eagles returned to Philadelphia from Foxboro, Mass. early this morning. A source close to the quarterback said he spoke to the quarterback when he arrived and that he sounded optimistic that his injury wasn't serious, for whatever that is worth.
Still, Vick can't seem to avoid injury. In the preseason opener he bruised him thumb when his hand hit the back of center Jason Kelce's helmet. Last year, he suffered a concussion at Atlanta, bruised his hand the following week against the New York Giants and broke two ribs in November against the Cardinals. He sat out the next three games.
The Eagles have tried to stress to Vick that he needs to do a better job of protecting himself. While the 2010 injury occurred when he was scrambling, Vick's last five injuries have occurred in or around the pocket.
Guard Evan Mathis took the blame for Monday night's injury. He was beat inside and Vick had to spin away from a defender and into the arms of Cunningham.
“Completely my fault,” Mathis said. “It’s something that can’t happen. Something we’ve got to work out. Fortunately, Michael is not too seriously injured, but it’s very concerning. It’s our job to keep him safe. To keep him off the turf. When the quarterback takes a hit and is laying on the ground, you feel it.”
Could Vick have done a better job of avoiding the hit? Should he have thrown the ball away when he saw that Mathis was beat? Reid said that Vick didn't hold onto the ball too long or make the wrong decision.
Whether it's Vick's fault, the line's fault, Reid or offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg's fault for trying to turn Vick into a pocket passer or all of the above, it is unclear. One thing is clear: Vick has been getting hurt way too often.
Amazing how many people are finally coming to their senses, that this guy never was,never will be the answer. He is a joke. He can't read defenses, and it is becoming his demise. The Eagles paid this guy $100,000,000 and this is what they deserve. Not one good thing has happened to this franchise, since they sold their soul for a few more wins. Their season is over before it even started with him running the team.— sackvicknow- I wouldn't mind seeing Foles start against the Browns.— gho_matt
- I'm more upset about his scramble on the first drive when he slid head first into opposing D, where they are now free to hit him. Slide feet first, D is not allowed to hit you, and you avoid injury. I thought he was lucky to not get injured on that scramble.— bpo_intheknow
- Vick should be in jail. He is undoubtedly being punished by God for being a dog abuser and just an all-around idiot. Vick, and all Vick fans, are worthless people.
Oh yeah, GO BIRDS !!!— Andy R - why isn't he forced to wear a flack jacket???? Preseason especially but the way he gets hit he needs to be wearing a flack jacket and coaches are idiots for not requiring that!— connorjr
- If a player is constantly getting hurt playing football, it's either because he is a smart aggressive player who sacrifices his body for the team. Or because he puts himself in bad position because of stupid plays. I think we all know which category Vick is in.— AreaMan
- its getting hard to defend Vicks play, thats a fact in the eyes of any objective fan. That being said, its just the preseason, he will have his chance to prove otherwise but its a long season in a tough game. As someone posted yesterday, once the gmen started to line up on his throwing side, other teams followed suit. Defenses can gameplan against him to a degree with success. I was never a fan of his in Atl, always thought he was beatable. I still think so. Im ready for a new era and season hasnt even started. And I defended him many times, not anymore.— peteike
- Time for Eagles to start persuing John Gruden. Would love to see him take over. I like Andy, but his approach is getting kinda stale. Also, who is the idiot who makes up the NFL preseason schedule ? Pats and Eagles play games within 4 days ? So we get to see games like last nite, no Brady, etc. And why schedule the same team, Browns, we open the season against ? Friday's game will be just as meaningless, playing 1's against 2's & 3's ...— mortt1956
the eagles didnt pay him hte entire 100 mil YET - and while they never planned to, i dont hink they planned on SAVING MILLIONS NEXT when FOLES BEATS HIM OUT AND HE JUST GETS dumped!! i like VIck fine but the ealges brass will draft a new kid, promote Foles and SAVE 5-10 MIL by leting vick go for a 6th rounder ... the biggest worry is that FatAndy now has HIS next meal ticket extension. :(— daveH- Vick is not the answer (although like AI he is ill suited to be the focal point of a teams success) unless the question which QB can run the fastest, throw the farthest and get hurt the most?
If you guys realize this team is a legitimate SB contender and has been for most of the past decade, you should also realize that the Eagles would be much better off with an above average QB who knows how to play QB in the NFL.
I am not sure yet if Foles is that guy but I am certain it is not Mike Vick. I am almost at the point where I just wish Vick WOULD get hurt so that the Eagles can move on that much faster. Either way, its his last year in Philly.— LJ14 - jeff,,Nick Foles is a breath of fresh air,,mike conVick looks like he is on the down side of his ringless career,bigred should have never gambled on the con in the first place he set this team back,,big red should have stuck with Donovan (a borderlin HOFer) he still had a few good years while Kolb was being groomed,now our only hope is this kid Foles comes thru,i've said from the Get Go that conVick would never take this team to the promise land while other diehards like (panpizza,CYO,tyrone,CHarmaine etc etc)thought he could walk on water lolol,,,MV=OSBs..book it!!...wolf.— wolf 4
- We need to pull an Indy. Tank the season to get a new coach, (Gruden) and a new qb (Barkley).— snakeplissken
Comment removed.- It seems that the Eagles would be far better off with #5 as the back up qb and Foles as a developmental third QB.Michael Vick will never be anything different than he is;he will make spectacular plays, get hurt 3 or 4 time per year and NEVER win anything important.— phillyfanincal
