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.
Why don't they just put Andy Reid in a Batman suit as quarterback? Problem solved.— neddyflanders- The Eagles Offensive Line needs to be a better friend and protector to Mr. Vick. Yes Mike is a true warrior, but he also needs to learn when to fold them and for God's sake, duck once in a while. Also, it appears that the Eagles will suffer through another year of the Ref's not calling shots on Vick, especially when they are late! Alos, last night the two roughing the passer penalties called on the Eagles were pure BS. The Eagle players barely touched the NE QB. Reid should instruct his players that if they are going to hit their QB and get penalized 15 yrds, by Jove, hit him with all they've got and plow them into the turf like we have seen Vick get planted time after time, and with no penalty called at all... Hmmm.— hbphillyfan
- This is no surprise to anyone who knows football. Signing him was such high risk-low reward. But now Lurie has a ready made excuse to bring back the Genius for another year after this 6-10 campaign.— Phils_World_Champs
- Why is Vick not wearing the maximum ribcage protection? WTH is wrong with their management to allow this to happen again. And again.— pres
- It still amazes me in reading most of the underlay in the comments, philly is still racially polarizing town.. lets see from Hoying to jeff garcia, then we want AJ Feely, then Kolb is the franchise ( not only can't he play he will be outta the NFL in 2 yrs ) well give me a Wh..te QB who can play— chalton harley
- has nothing to do with race all to do with toughness this kid got knocked down viciously close to the head i thought yet he still got up and worked his way down field bro he does a good job with the 1s and 2s he is tall he gets the ball out quick has good pocket presence all things i was hoping to see in vick but come on man for god's sake he slid head first man... if a play is on come one man that should be number 1. dude aint thinking bro — defroe
- blah blah offensive line blah blah foles took the hits and still moved the team down field and still scored people the kid is tougher than vick any day start foles give vick a clip board man let foles teach the vet how to do things. #folesisthefuture— defroe
- The Eagles would be Better Starting Nick Foles at QB this season and give him experience for the future. He is more of type of QB that we need in Philly, Good Arm, Smart, Good Size. He may bring a Super Ball to City down the road, Vick will never get there he is to small and takes to many hits, the only place he will go is to the Disabled List.— btsucceed
- has nothing to do with race and all to do with toughness and execution man. i mean come on man if any play deserves to be on monday night countdowns come on man it should be vick sliding... head first! come on man!!!! im sorry i was one the biggest vick defenders on here but if your not gonna learn from your mistakes if you cant see over the offensive line if you cant get the ball out fast enough and the rookie can sorry im with foles. foles took hits and still oved the ball down field still scored touchdowns still looked way better than vick these two preseason games. foles looks poised vick looks lost man dont make it about race. make it about winning and winning is not gonna happen with vick unable to move the ball and always getting injured. #folesisthefuture face it guy...— defroe
- Wow. Evan Mathis gets blown off the line, pocket collapses, he rides the defender to Vick and should get called for holding. Over on the right a rookie linebacker beats a double-team by a veteran right tackle and a tight end and the discussion is about Vick's IQ. Some of you shouldn't even be allowed to watch football because you know more about milking a donkey than you do ball.— Rawkus
- Makes sense now. Nick Foles looks good against a Patriots team playing absolutely nobody (and the Mudd's overrated o-line is getting spanked, by the way) and now Nick Foles is can't miss stud. Bring these idiots the trophy.— Rawkus
- Makes sense now. Nick Foles looks good against a Patriots team playing absolutely nobody (and the Mudd's overrated o-line is getting spanked, by the way) and now Nick Foles is can't miss stud. Bring these idiots the trophy.— Rawkus
- Makes sense now. Nick Foles looks good against a Patriots team playing absolutely nobody (and the Mudd's overrated o-line is getting spanked, by the way) and now Nick Foles is can't miss stud. Bring these idiots the trophy.— Rawkus
- Rawkus...an experienced QB should have been smart enough to recognize the collapsing pocket and thrown the ball away, avoiding the hit. Instead, Vick continued to roll left and right until he stepped into a freight train. While you might not think that dumb I don't see it as particularly intelligent.— 2ndNlong
- CYO,didn't i say conVick would be a bust,a bad move,set the team back,,even you know con is not what he and the bias media made him out to be,,panpizza will never admit i called the conVick will never win a SB from the Get Go (he had the young guns to do it),,,this kid Foles will add some years on to big red's coaching time with the eagles,Foles will be the starter by midseason book it...wolf.— wolf 4
