Reverse: Reid Names Vick starting QB for Eagles

[Ellis]

Watching Mike & Mike on ESPN... I didn't believe it at first but it appears Vick is starting for Eagles.

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/reverse-eagles-reid-names-vick-starting-qb/1123207

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick earned himself a starting job by being — of all things — a pocket passer.

Vick will take over as the Eagles' No. 1 quarterback, coach Andy Reid said Tuesday, a day after he announced he would go back to Kevin Kolb.

"When someone is playing at the level Michael Vick is playing, you have to give him an opportunity," Reid said. "This isn't about Kevin Kolb's play. You're talking about Michael Vick as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now."

Vick is considered the greatest scrambling quarterback in NFL history, but has now shown he no longer has a run-first mentality.

Kolb missed the past six quarters after sustaining a concussion, and Vick played well in his absence. Kolb was cleared to practice and was expected to run the first-team offense today.

"Kevin is fine. It's not an injury-related issue," Reid said. "It's not about judging him."

Vick threw for 175 yards and one touchdown and ran for 103 yards in a 27-20 season-opening loss to Green Bay. He had 284 yards passing and two TDs in a 35-32 win at Detroit on Sunday.

[pointyfootball]

I can understand this from a porous offensive line sense, and not wanting to get Kolb killed (which he would). But you can't wait another year to find out what you have in Kolb. So, unless they've already discovered all they need to know about Kolb, which means they knew all they needed to know months ago, the McNabb trade is looking pretty stupid.

[GoCommiesGo]

This is interesting, seems Reid may have seen some recent things in practice that made him change his mind. Also this is making the McNabb trade look terrible. Either way I'm very hopeful that Kolb gets his next start versus the Redskins.

[Ellis]

Some reports on television indicate it was the players who pushed Reid to start Vick.

Probably worth waiting a day or 2 for all the dust to settle before the real story comes out.

[dockeryfan]

There already is a thread on this.

Kolb will get the opportunity to start again this season, but it will be when the team is on the skids. Right now, the NFC is up for grabs, and Reid does not want Kolb as a starter. End of story.

So he'll play Vick (at the urging of Howie Roseman and Lurie it would seem. See SalPal column) try to get some trade value out of him I guess, and then go with Kolb down the line. Both QBs are on the last year of their deals, and neither knows what will happen.

Kolb. No one knows if he a big steaming pile or if he's any good.

Vick. People have seen his ceiling in Atlanta. Bottom line? Regular season wins. Post season failure. It isn't like the Eagles team is good enough to compensate for an average QB. They aren't.

It's a mess.

[Eagles_Legendz]

dockery,

I think Kolb has another year at $1.4 million and Vick is a FA. Drumming up trade interest for Vick is irrelevant unless they are planning on unloading him before the deadline, which I can't imagine would happen.

[dockeryfan]

dockery,

I think Kolb has another year at $1.4 million and Vick is a FA. Drumming up trade interest for Vick is irrelevant unless they are planning on unloading him before the deadline, which I can't imagine would happen.

You are right about the one year extension for Kolb. That puts him in Philly through 2011. (eaglescap.com didn't have that and I didn't remember)

October 19 is the deadline. It's a possibility.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Shoot.

That just made Week 4 all that much harder. Here's praying Vick goes down injured this week and they have no option but to put Kolb back in for the 'Skins game.

Hail.

[Henry]

Welp, I think Vick gives the Eagles a better chance to win now, no question. As a Redskin fan I'd rather see Kolb starting.

However, if you think Kolb has a chance to some day become a franchise QB you don't want him to be sitting, otherwise you'd have kept McNabb. As a Redskin fan I can only hope this all ends badly.

[SonnyJ]

It has always seemed to me that Reid is a guy that, at the very least, wants the perception that he has planned for everything. Juggling QBs while trying to get the hot hand is improvisational. I don't think Reid does improvisation. If Reid is doing this, I have to presume that he is committed to it for the foreseeable future. Scrap one plan and commit to the next.

If he starts just pulling the QBs in and out willy-nilly, then both QBs are done in Philly. Reid has to have a QB. Without one, he is done in Philly. I gotta think that his current plan is to ride Vick this year, then go back to Kolb next year. Barring injury, if he goes back to Kolb this season, then he can't go back to Vick again.

He's walking a serious tightrope here (try to imagine Reid walking a tightrope while wearing tights without making yourself cringe at the image). He's balancing, in no particular order: his own philosophy with pressure from the players and/or above, try to win now versus the future, the knowledge that he should have kept McNabb if he's going to go this route. It has to be somewhat unhinging for a control freak like Reid.

[terrifNick21]

I've heard from a friend that the Eagles are quietly taking offers for Kolb. They apparently want a first round pick, though. Just passing along what I've heard. I wouldn't put any stock into it, though.

[kiingspadee]

Man Cooley was onto something calling the McNabb trade one of the biggest bonehead moves of all time

[Conn]

Love it! Its all anybody will be talking about when we play them week 4 and McNabb has been lighting it up.

[Iced Coffee]

:ols:

[Stophovr6]

Anyone else think this has been the plan for a long time? Kolb, you have been Ramsey'd. Good luck.

[TheLongshot]

Anyone else think this has been the plan for a long time? Kolb, you have been Ramsey'd. Good luck.

Given the state of the OL of theirs, it might be the smartest move to sit him for a bit and let Vick's athleticism adjust for the lack of protection. The last thing you want to happen to a young QB is to have him get the yips and have him hear footsteps every time he drops back. Course, it could be as well Reid feeling like he needs to win now to justify shipping McNabb out before his job starts becoming at risk.

[hoskins]

Given the state of the OL of theirs, it might be the smartest move to sit him for a bit and let Vick's athleticism adjust for the lack of protection. The last thing you want to happen to a young QB is to have him get the yips and have him hear footsteps every time he drops back. Course, it could be as well Reid feeling like he needs to win now to justify shipping McNabb out before his job starts becoming at risk.

Yeah, I think this actually makes sense because of the state of the O-line.

Plus, the division is legitimately up for grabs now with Dallas being somewhat of a cluster****.

[redskins55]

I've seen a alot of comments relating to the O-line being the reason Vick is starting.. So laughable!

The Eagles listened to their players in the locker room and Vick the unanimous choice. He was amazing last week vs the Lions. I watched the entire game on Sunday Ticket. I mean the way he threw that ball accurately and escaped potential sacks was unreal. He looked like Vick from 2004 with pocket presence.That's a scary thought folks.. This is not the same Vick from last year and the Eagles know that.

[RiggosMohawk]

Given the state of the OL of theirs, it might be the smartest move to sit him for a bit and let Vick's athleticism adjust for the lack of protection. The last thing you want to happen to a young QB is to have him get the yips and have him hear footsteps every time he drops back. Course, it could be as well Reid feeling like he needs to win now to justify shipping McNabb out before his job starts becoming at risk.

Sorry, I just hate this as an excuse. Sucky OL, then get a more elusive QB? AR needs to adapt his gameplan, which he's never ever ever done. If you're breaking down in protection, then keep a TE and HB in for help. Actually run the ball so playaction will work. Instead he's going to crush "his guy" in order to trot out a poor man's McNabb.

[War Paint]

Honestly, Vick has played great the last two games. However, I think as more teams prepare their game plan around Vick, he can be contained. The Packers were probably just thrown off guard when Vick came in, since they didn't game plan for him and the Lions are the Lions.

I'm pretty shocked by the Kolb deal. That was super fast. Crazy.

[GhostofSparta]

Good. Let them start Vick and trade Kolb. Who's currently 3rd string? Because if they trade Kolb that guy, or whoever else they bring in as a backup, will be starting when Vick gets injured by week 8.

[brianm23]

I've seen a alot of comments relating to the O-line being the reason Vick is starting.. So laughable!

The Eagles listened to their players in the locker room and Vick the unanimous choice. He was amazing last week vs the Lions. I watched the entire game on Sunday Ticket. I mean the way he threw that ball accurately and escaped potential sacks was unreal. He looked like Vick from 2004 with pocket presence.That's a scary thought folks.. This is not the same Vick from last year and the Eagles know that.

You know what's laughable? This is.

I watched the entire game on Sunday Ticket. I mean the way he threw that ball accurately and escaped potential sacks was unreal. He looked like Vick from 2004 with pocket presence.That's a scary thought folks.

This is the type of typical Michael Vick fan I speak of when they talk nonsense. Pocket presence? You mean the same pocket presence in 2004 that allowed him to accumulate the following stats:

2,313 yards passing

14 - TDs

12 - INTs

46 sacks taken

56.4% completion percentage

78.1 QB rating

7 Fumbles lost

WOW!! Talk about a incredible QB with pocket presence. You are right, sure sounds scary!!! <---sarcasm

Let's show the real stats that say he has no pocket presence and he has a strictly "run first" mentality.

902 yards rushing.

You know what Vick excels are truthfully? Selling jerseys and putting people into the stands to watch his highlights. He's always used his legs to make the plays, and very rarely his arm (if ever). It's something he's relied on since he stepped on the field, and chances are it's not going to stop. Well, until he gets seriously hurt because he's too stupid to run out of bounds.

I'm not trying to offend you or talk down to you so don't take it as such.

[augster]

http://footballoutsiders.com/cover-3/2010/cover-2-simple-lessons

Scroll down to the detailed analysis of Vick.

Here's a teaser:

The story that's lost in all the controversy is how well the Eagles' coaching staff has prepared Vick to do the little things all great quarterbacks do, and how well they transitioned their expectations from the quarterback who was falling out of step to the guy with the hot hand. Was this the first time Vick has received functional NFL coaching? Cosell said that it was, and it showed against the Lions.

"I thought Vick played the best game of his NFL career," he said. "Michael Vick was not a great quarterback in Atlanta -- he was a SportsCenter quarterback. Nobody in the NFL is a great quarterback because of the way they run. And in this game, there were opportunities where he could have run in response to pressure, and he did not. Perhaps the best example I can remember was the third-and-9 play in the second quarter, where he spun away from an unblocked defender to his right as the defender came from his blind side. He actually stopped, set his feet, and threw the ball to Riley Cooper. I mean, that was NFL quarterbacking. There was space in front of him, and the old Vick would have run. That may have been the single most interesting play that spoke to the new Vick. I'm not one who likes to make bold judgments based on one game, but he played the position the way it needs to be played to be consistent in the NFL."