I watched the Falcons/Jaguars game last night and, aside from Jacksonville rookie Matt Jones’ sensational one-handed diving catch, I saw something else of interest: the same old Michael Vick. Many feel Vick is nothing more than a SportsCenter highlight and a fantasy football tease, and from a purely statistical standpoint, that’s certainly a valid point. But when it comes to Vick, I’m not so sure that statistics tell the entire story.
Vick threw for 2,313 yards and 14 TDs vs. 12 interceptions while running for 902 yards and an additional three TDs in 15 games last year. Of course, everyone latches on to the impressive rushing totals, which is certainly understandable considering he ranked 23rd in the NFL in rushing yards, ahead of running backs Priest Holmes, Marshall Faulk, Julius Jones and Duce Staley. But when you add up Vick’s total production, you’re left with 3,215 yards and 17 TDs, hardly gaudy numbers compared to those put up by guys like Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Trent Green.
But when analyzing Vick, the only stat that really matters at this point in his career is 11, which is how many wins the Falcons had last season. Vick may not match the statistical output of Peyton Manning and Daunte Culpepper, but he’s not the same kind of quarterback. While opposing defenses only need to worry about Manning beating them with his arm, Vick’s athleticism gives defensive coordinators nightmares because, quite frankly, he’s the most dangerous guy on the field. Sure, he makes poor reads and, occasionally, even worse throws, but he can also turn a 10-yard loss into a 30-yard run, and that kind of playmaking ability can’t be ignored.
In this fantasy football era, fans have become obsessed with statistics, and since Vick hasn’t taken a giant statistical step forward in his NFL career, many of these fans are quick to label him as a failure. But the NFL is about winning, not about compiling stats, and considering the Falcons were one win from the Super Bowl last year, I’d say Vick is doing everything right, even is his numbers may suggest otherwise.
Wow, good point. It’s almost sad how these days all everyone cares about are stats.
Stats don’t win you SuperBowls, just ask Tom Brady.
In the real world, I think Vick is a good and dangerous QB. It’s true that he’s fallen out of favor with the fantasy community, but they’ve got every right to pass on him given his statistical performance compared to his average draft position the last few years. Of course, they’re the ones that gave him those bloated expectations in the first place. He’s just going to go out there and continue to win games. If he wins a Super Bowl, he’ll get the respect he deserves.
Vick is better than his stats show, but I doubt he will ever win a Super Bowl. First, his running style will lead to more injuries. There’s a reason that running backs usually have such short NFL careeers – they’re always getting hit! Vick is a great athlete but he’s not as strong as most running backs so he’s very prone to getting injured. Running quarterbacks are just not a recipe for winning in the NFL.
Also, he’s just not polished enough at this point in his career. He makes too many mistakes. Sure, he’s a human highlight film, but that doesn’t win championships. Vick had a solid year last year, but he benefited from an excellent Atlanta defense and a very good running game.
He’s a good guy so I’m rooting for him, but I don’t see him as a championship QB.
It takes a team to win a Super Bowl, so to take so much of the credit for Atlanta’s success last season away from Vick and hand it to Atlanta’s defense and running game is a bit unfair. Fist, Vick is an integral part of that running game, and while he may not have thrown for 4,000 yards or 30 touchdowns, he still made plays to help his team win games and advance to the NFC Championship game. And if they got that close last year, how can you be so sure he won’t win a Super Bowl somewhere down the road? What happens if the Falcons finally give him one or two capable receivers to throw to or, even scarier, what if Vick fully figures out the West Coast offense? Steve Young loves the guy and thinks he’s going to become a superb QB one day, and considering Young was once a running quarterback who needed time to grasp the game and his offense, I’m tempted to believe him.
That said, G, you made an excellent point regarding Vick’s long-term outlook. If he keeps gaining 900 yards on the ground every year, he won’t last past 30. But if he develops more as a pure quarterback rather than an athlete playing quarterback, those rushing numbers will go down as the passing numbers go up. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when it’s all said and done, Vick will be remembered as one of the game’s best QBs. He’s got a lot to learn, of course, but so did Steve Young at one point.
JEC, it’s funny you mention Young, because that was who I was thinking about when reading G’s post. The key to running QBs is avoiding the big hit. Young was a master of burning your for a 25-yard run but he’d slide or duck out of bounds before anyone could lay the wood. He was fortunate to have several years in SF before being thrust into the spotlight and Vick is just starting in the WCO. I’m not a big fan of Jim Mora Jr., but with the state of the NFC right now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see ATL in a Super Bowl in the next five years.
I am not convinced that Vick will pick the West Coast offense and become a real leader of the West Coast offense. Even if he makes progress, he runs way to much to avoid the big hit.
I also think the comparisons to Steve Young are WAY off. There was never any doubt after his stint at BYU that Steve Young could be a force in the passing game. Yes,he was a great runner, but he did not rely on that skill as much as Vick has. Vick has phenominal running ability, and that makes him a force. He also has a strong arm. But I don’t think he’ll ever reach Steve Young’s level.
Remember, the NFC is a joke. The Falcons went far last year, but we’ll see if they can keep this up.
If there’s one guy who can be a successful running QB in the NFL, it’s Michael Vick, but I don’t think that’s a recipe for success in this league. I think he’s going to get hurt again, and he’ll never be a great passer.
I mentioned Young more because of his thoughts on Vick and less because I think Vick compares favorably to Young. That said, I think there are some parallels that can be drawn. Young relied more on his legs when he first became a starter but, once he picked up the offense and gained some experience, he ran less and threw much more. While expecting Vick to develop the way Young did is certainly excessive, it is reasonable to assume that Vick will also pass more and run less as he gets more comfortable in the WC offense. He’ll never be considered a pure passer, of course, but I bet there will come a day when teams will have to respect his ability to throw the ball almost as much as his ability to run.
I saw Vick on Sports Center claiming he’s the best in the business. I think he’s smoking something.
To give you an idea of how far Vick has fallen from fantasy grace, I just picked him up in the 8th round of a 12-team league. This is a guy that was going in rounds 2-4 just a year ago.
I Agree with everything that JEC said about Mike Vick AKA. Atlanta Falcons, Thats what Football is about, teamwork, and he never takes advantages of Duckett or any other person on the team usually, I think That he is too fast for a quarterback and to Weak for A Runningback