Burkholder: Vick 'absolutely fine last night'
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was “absolutely fine last night,” after suffering a concussion in Sunday night's loss at Atlanta, head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said. He will go through the NFL’s concussion protocols to determine when he will be able to practice or play.
Burkholder: Vick 'absolutely fine last night'
Daily News staff and Les Bowen
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was “absolutely fine last night,” after suffering a concussion in Sunday night's loss at Atlanta, head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said. He will go through the NFL’s concussion protocols to determine when he will be able to practice or play.
Vick is resting today and Burkholder said he had not seen him yet, as of Andy Reid's noon news conference. Burkholder said he would check with Vick as to whether he would have an MRI exam today, potentially see a neurologist and have Impact testing, all of which has to occur before he practices.
“Rest is one of the vital things we can give him,” Burkholder said. “We try not to tax his brain or anything. We will go through protocol … We have it outlined. We have done this before. This is not our first go-round.”
As to when he might be ready, Bukrholder said, “We’re not guessing … I’m not going to be back here tomorrow and tell you that’s he’s cleared.”
“I can’t give you a timeframe on this,” he said. “That’s foolish on our part, medically, to put that out there. Everyone wants to know (a) timeframe. Everyone wants to know whether Mike is going to play. We’re going to go through our protocol and when Mike’s ready to practice, I will turn him over to coach and he will make the decision when he’s ready to play. I keep emphasizing, we’re 13 hours post-injury. There’s a lot that has to go on between now and then to make that decision. For me to sit up here and guess on that, it’s not fair to Michael, it’s not fair to coach, it’s not fair to us, the NFL, anybody.”
Burkholder said concussion testing in the locker room showed Vick was very close to the line of whether someone has or does not have a concussion.
The Eagles host the Giants Sunday. Reid seemed to hint that given the complexity of the New York defense, it would be a good thing if the QB practicing Wednesday was the same one starting Sunday -- a possible indication we will see Mike Kafka instead of Vick.
Reid said he spoke with Vick at length after the game. “He remembered everything,” Reid said. “He recalled everything. I tried to quiz him and see where he was at. He was frustrated that he wasn’t able to finish. He had a vested interest in finishing.”
“The test is what it is. If he’s injured, he’s injured. I know that he wants to play.”
League concussion protocols say: "The player should not be considered for return to football activities until he is fully asymptomatic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to play by both his team physician and the independent neurological consultant."
If Vick is unable to play, Reid said he has not decided who the starting quarterback will be, either Vince Young or Kafka. However, Reid said Young, sidelined the last three weeks with a hamstring problem, is not quite 100 percent yet. Given Young's lack of recent reps in the offense, it would be a surprise if he were to start ahead of Kafka Sunday, but Reid might find it useful to create an air of mystery. And as Burkholder noted, it is premature to assume Vick won't play.
“We’ll see how all that goes,” Reid said, when asked his preference between Kafka and Young. “I haven’t gotten to that point. It was a long night.”
Reid said he has confidence in both quarterbacks and will be talking with both of them. “The one thing we know is it’s a complicated defense and they run a lot of things at you. … On the other hand, Michael has played a lot of games against them and they have given us about every look possible in the last couple of Giants games. That is something I will have to weigh when we get there.”
Asked whether he will consider bringing in another quarterback, Reid said, “I’ll take care of that in the next couple of days and evaluate that. I’m not there yet.”
Reid said he faulted himself for being “way too conservative” after Vick left the game and Kafka came in.
“I sent a message to our team and not a positive one,” Reid said. “That is something I don’t do, in particular given how much trust I have him … I’m kicking myself in the trail for that right now.”
Asked about Kafka, Reid said, “I would have never traded Kevin Kolb if I didn’t have trust in Mike Kafka. I didn’t show that last night. I would never have done the Vince Young deal if I didn’t have trust in Mike Kafka. I didn’t prove it to you last night until the last series.”
Reid said the biggest lesson was to be aggressive with a lead.
“When you have a lead, you have to get after it and stay aggressive,” Reid said. “Again I didn’t set the tempo from that. We’re going to learn how to finish here, starting with me and the coaches and the rest of the guys.”
In other injury news:
· Brent Celek has a low back strain and is "tender today," Reid said.
· Trent Cole has a strained tendon in his hand. “He should be fine,” Reid said.
· Juqua Parker has a high ankle sprain. “I can’t tell you how severe it is right now,” Reid said. “He’s got to get through today here and we’ll have a better idea.”
· Darryl Tapp has a pectoral strain and is healing, Reid said.
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To read our earlier post and to make your grades for Eagles-Falcons, click here.
If we lose next week, there could be a problem. We need to get at Eli— flyfightinbullies- seems like every year we give up at least one maybe two games to the admitted fault of the coach. Seems odd that it is allowed to continue. Brutal— dpell
- The Eagles lost a very winnable game last night, and a very long season is now upon us. The Giants are coming to Philly, and I estimate a 31-17 Giants win or thereabouts. At least thank God the Andy Ried swan song has now begun, and a winning coach will finally be on the horizon.— bust6711
- sackvicknow = IDIOT!— RAVEN6
- Hope you all read that sweet article about Vick today in The Sporting News. Many people give this Journalist props for writing this cause its true.— MRD
- vick should see a neurologist for the rest of his miserable life.— bucky95
- Police picked up two rotweilers and a pit bull making book on whether vick could return.— Graves
- more seriously this game high lited the weakness shown in the first game. the line can't defend Vick. In the first game he was quick enough on his feet to compensate but he can't do that every week. This week he didn't and the result was, vick was out.
Proving Andy -wheeze- reid can't learn he is going down the exact same road that he did a decade agon with McNabb- a QB who can run too and when the line doesn't protect him you get a bump in the turf shaped like an eagle's QB. After mcNabb broke his leg, his spirit never really recovered. Vick still hasn't hit that wall but unless AR can shield him better he will. and we'll be left with reid glowering at reporters and growling out the same nonsensical answers— Graves - Dang braindrains could you be anymore jealous of the man. The man wanted to come back in after the hit...he will be ok and there will be another miracle at the meadowlands. Next 3 games are all home and all wins. I especially love the way defense lines up now...heads down and looking at just the ball. And Vick is excellent in the pocket and when he scrambles he is dangerous. I doubt Vick will miss a game this year. The schedule is so dang easy. Sunday = Eagles 34, Giants 10.
— Showtime226 - One more thing they without a doubt better give DeSean Jackson his due. He save a touchdown and ran that player back...did you see that!! "SHOW HIM THE MONEY, PULLEZZ"— Showtime226
