Eagles' season ends with uncharacteristic mistake

In the end, the man who has said and done everything right this season made a mistake. In trying to bring the Eagles back against the Green Bay Packers, Michael Vick did what many of his critics expected all season - he reverted to the Michael Vick of old.

Vick admitted that he got "greedy" and tried to win the game on one 27-yard strike to Riley Cooper, who was covered in the end zone. Vick forced the throw. He knew he should have checked down to LeSean McCoy, to work within the Eagles' system, but with four receivers running vertical routes, Vick could not resist the temptation. He could not be patient.

As he said afterward, Vick went down swinging, but the way Vick had led the Eagles back from the dead so many times this season - most recently against the New York Giants - the fact that he went down at all was surprising and crushing.

Vick had been so good late in games, and this mistake was so bad.

After Packers cornerback Tramon Williams intercepted Vick's pass and inexplicably ran out of the end zone before falling to the turf, Vick walked ever so slowly to the Eagles' sideline. With a 21-16 loss to Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs, it was over, this dream season that started against the Packers but with Vick in a vastly different role.

Vick did not lose the game for the Eagles. There were plenty of culprits, starting with David Akers, who missed two field goals in a five-point loss. Point a finger at the defense, too, which couldn't stop the Packers on third down or inside the red zone, and one at the offensive line that couldn't protect Vick.

But Vick did not win it, either.

He was stoic, critical of himself, and clearly disappointed afterward. Vick was not ready for this ride to end, not yet, not at Lincoln Financial Field, where his last postseason - in 2004 - was cut short by an Eagles team that was headed to the Super Bowl.

That was Vick's goal this season, even when he was Kevin Kolb's backup. That assignment lasted one half of the season opener against Green Bay. After Clay Matthews concussed Kolb, Vick took the football and didn't give it back - except when he was hurt. With the exception of the Minnesota game, Vick was spectacular all year.

Against the Packers on Sunday, Vick's numbers reflected a lack of the sharpness that he had shown most of the season. He completed 20 of 36 passes for 292 yards, with one touchdown and one interception and a passer rating of 79.9 - well off his regular-season mark of 100.2.

"This one hurt more than any one, any of my previous seasons that I played a full season and had an opportunity to play in the playoffs," Vick said. "Like I said, I just didn't finish."

Vick literally almost didn't finish the game. When the Eagles had to redo their two-point conversion attempt with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the game, Vick slipped and rolled his ankle with A.J. Hawk bearing down on him. Vick hobbled to the sideline and got his left ankle taped.

Although Kolb warmed up on the sideline, there was never any question that Vick would return. During the broadcast of the game, an announcer said the trainers were trying to take Vick's helmet from him, but two team sources said that was not the case. Vick was in pain but not so much that he would hurt the team.

After the defense forced Green Bay to punt, Vick got the ball back at the Eagles' 34-yard line and immediately threw a 28-yard strike to DeSean Jackson. Four plays later, on first and 10 from the Packers' 27, Vick threw the pick, and the game was over.

"I thought we were going to win the game," Vick said. "I had an upbeat feeling about myself. I felt like I was in control. I felt like everything that had happened up until that point happened so that, in the end, we could be victorious."

Instead, now Vick must turn his attention to an uncertain off-season. There is no labor agreement, and he is scheduled to become a free agent in March. He deflected a couple of questions about his contract situation. But when asked whether he expects to be back, Vick said: "I hope so, but in this business, you never know."

No, you don't, but the most likely scenario is that the Eagles will use the franchise tag to bring Vick back and pay him the average of the top five players at his position. That should be in the neighborhood of $20 million.

What then becomes of Kolb, who has one year left on his deal? His trade value will never be higher, and there are plenty of teams in the NFL that need a starting quarterback. Surely the Eagles would love to keep him around as the backup, but that will be a tough sell to Kolb.

"I love it here," Kolb said after the game, "but I'm ready to start."

Obviously, Vick is, too.

Both players will have plenty of time to ponder their situations. And because he made such a big mistake - and an uncharacteristic one for him this season - Vick will think a lot about this one and about what might have been.

"It was a great season, but the ultimate goal is winning the Super Bowl," Vick said. "It was a great season, but that's not enough."