For Andy Reid, staying with Michael Vick is staying in character
Andy Reid felt it necessary to pop his head out of the bunker on Wednesday morning and say that Michael Vick is still his starting quarterback.
For Andy Reid, staying with Michael Vick is staying in character
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
Andy Reid felt it necessary to pop his head out of the bunker on Wednesday morning and say that Michael Vick is still his starting quarterback.
Maybe it was DeSean Jackson going on the radio to say he supported Vick but, hey, that Foles guy doesn't look so bad, either. The last thing the Eagles need right now is more tumult, even if unintended, so Reid decided to tell everyone to calm down.
Staying with Vick is staying in character for Reid. Changing quarterbacks at the moment would be either a sign of panic or resignation, and Reid is fond of neither.
As I wrote in this column: "Somehow, that doesn't seem like the choice Reid would make. His history is to try to punch his way out of setbacks, and Vick represents the best chance to do so. The next eight opponents have losing records at the moment. If the defense emerges from its fog, the offense can be tweaked to allow Vick to work better behind an offensive line that is barely semipro right now."
The whole Is-Mike-Out thing was overblown from the start. It was the result of Reid being asked at his press conference Sunday whether he would consider a change at quarterback. Reid said he was going to go back and analyze everything, meaning everything about the whole team. He didn't give a specific answer, which is one of his specialties.
When Vick took the podium shortly after, he was told that Reid was contemplating a change, or hadn't ruled out a change, or whatever was necessary to put the question in front of Vick without coming right out and saying Reid hadn't done much more than shrugged. Vick took the high road and said he'd support whatever decision the coach made and, well, that started things rolling downhill.
Reid isn't changing quarterbacks for the very good reason that the quarterback isn't the problem. He hasn't been great, but he isn't the biggest problem.
In his first 81 pass attempts this season, Vick threw six interceptions and, yes, that is beyond awful. In his 185 pass attempts since, he has thrown two interceptions and that is very, very good.
Much of the difference is that Vick has learned not to trust his offensive line and he is getting rid of the ball quicker. If the coaching staff would like him to stay in there a little longer and pop a few down the field, Vick might invite them to try it for themselves.
This season, Vick led the team to three wins – that would be all of them – with fourth quarter drives, and turned a fourth-quarter lead over to the defense on two other occasions, only to see the defense squander it. In the other two losses, the Eagles trailed 24-0 to the Cardinals and 14-0 to the Falcons because the defensive script apparently isn't any better than the offensive one.
The offense is far from perfect, but Vick is still the best quarterback to lead it. He'd be better if Reid would let him take off and run more to keep defenses honest, but that's an old complaint. The head coach, in a week when nothing is changing, isn't changing that, either.
Very good, very honest, and very objective article. Thanks Bob Ford for being reasonable.— Eaglemaniacle- DUMB ARTICLE... Vick has been an awful 11-15 over the past THREE YEARS....Vick leads the entire NFL in TURNOVERS...Vick has now LOST THREE GAMES IN A ROW...you don't reward Vick for this awful production by starting him on Monday Night Football...any other coach would have sent a message to his team that poor play will not be tolerated and would have BENCHED Vick. — Bob112
- Thanks, Eaglemaniacle ... I totally agree with you and Bob Ford ... you aren't the only reasonable fan around .... of course, none of this means Reid won't be gone or that following the current script will turn things around -- also doesn't mean it won't work .... but it is a balanced, rational look at where the Eagles stand today. — Texas Edit
- Thanks, Eaglemaniacle, but you have no place in this comments section. They will eat you alive.— Bob Ford
- I'll have my Eaglemaniacle with mushrooms and onions.— tommy_the_k
- I would love to see the change, but Mr. Ford was dead on. You have to give Vick another chance. He will never be the guy that has great pocket awareness, top-notch ability to read defenses or be the most accurate, but, he is the leader of the team and needs to be in the game. I could see a similar event to the McNabb benching in favor of Kolb in Baltimore. My expectation is a HUGE game from Vick and the Eagles.— Clt Philly Fan
- Bob, do you have an answer to why Plaxico Burrus was never considered by Reid and co.? I like Maclin, but I don't see him as a possession WR or a true #2... I think he's better suited for the slot.— Eaglemaniacle
- At last some writer on the site that has some sense. Anyone else read the other article that claimed the "season may well be over"? What a joke. Who hires this slime? Thanks Bob Ford for being a voice of reason. Thank God they don't let the fans run the team.
— brewnami - Reid, players, writers, posters. Doesn't matter, it's Groundhog Day all over again.— drenner
- Wrong decision..again....Vick is an awful 11-15 in his last 26 games over the past THREE YEARS when he even had Jason Peters and a very good O line, plus the most explosive offensive weapons in football in Jackson, McCoy, Macklin , Celek and Avant...now Vick has the Eagles LAST IN POINTS SCORED in NFL...Vick has LOST THREE GAMES IN A ROW..Vick leads NFL in TURNOVERS .Wow, that's awful...yet Vick is rewarded with starting on Monday Night Football...any othet QB would have been BENCHED already.— Bob112
- i was just wondering if you're aware that there's a whole team of guys out there playing, not just vick? idiot
— AlexSp - Eaglemaniacle is on the money. Bob is hitting all the nails on the head here. Vick has had his moments of mediocrity and made some head-scratching mistakes, but the bottom line is, if the D could have done their jobs against Pittsburgh and Detroit, the Birds would be 4-2. Vick is inconsistent, but he has been consistent in one aspect of his game this season - if he has the ball in his hands with the game in striking distance at crunch time, he is finding a way to get it into the end zone. He can't go out and stop the other team's offense at the end of the game.— eaglesphreak23
- Reid gave the loser Vick an insane $100 million contract...now Reid is stuck and has to stay with Vick or he will look like the dumb moron he is.— Bob112
- Vick is lucky he had some easy interceptions dropped or Eagles would be 0-7.— Bob112
- Bob you need to do a better job of putting yourself in positions to write articles. Thank God he's going with Vick again because it assures another loss and we need a few more of them so Andy can be fired. I long for that day.— power808
