What is it about Michael Vick’s abilities as a quarterback that always seems to draw a controversy? Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper have fallen into criticism for their game throughout their careers, but none of them hold a candle to Vick’s disparagement.
As part of the ongoing NFL training camp coverage that ESPN.com has been constructing, columnist Jeremy Green wrote an article about Vick and the Atlanta Falcons coaches not being on the same page.
Vick looks extremely confused in the system. He does not have the quick trigger to deliver the ball on his three-step reads and often pulls the ball down, disrupting the rhythm and the flow of the offense. Once he leaves the pocket, the receivers need to scramble and find open areas. While Steve Young had some success with this approach, it is really not the way to operate a West Coast system.
First of all, Vick can deliver the ball on three-step reads, because he did it in 2002 when Dan Reeves ran the Falcons offense. Check Vick’s stats, he nearly threw for 3,000-yards, had 16 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
And if anyone says that Reeves ran a vertical passing game, then you’ve never fallen asleep watching Reeves’ three-step and throw a 10-yard out offense.
Getting back to the subject, it’s truly amazing how Vick’s playing style is often debated. It seems to be a black and white debate every time, with hardly any gray area.
He runs too much; he doesn’t run enough. He’s always hurt; he’s always making plays no other quarterback can make. He’ll never win a Super Bowl; he’ll always give his team a chance to win.
To say that Vick isn’t on the same page as his coaching staff is just ludicrous. His coaching staff has been trying to adapt their offense to Vick since they took over the Falcons in 2004. Vick knows that and just wants to win as much as the next competitor.
My opinion? Maturity. Vick has not matured as a quarterback or a player in the National Football League. He has been so used to winning on just athletic talent all his life that he never fully dives into other aspects of the game.
Don’t tell me that it’s his receivers, because he got it done in 2002 with Brian Finneran and Trevor Gaylor. Atlanta’s rushing attack in 2002 wasn’t what it has been the past couple of years either; so don’t play that card.
He’s had more quarterback coaches in his five-year NFL career than O.J. Simpson had lawyers in his murder trial. He has not decided to take it upon himself to mature and that’s the real issue.
Vick is small for a QB and does get hurt a lot. But in the NFL, that can happen in or out of the pocket. Just ask Carson Palmer. To take away Vick’s mobility is to take away why the Falcons drafted him in the first place.
My prediction? 2006 will be the showcase year, good or bad, for Michael Vick. One side of the black and white debaters will eat crow after this year, barring a 2003-type injury to Vick.
He’s got a solid quarterbacks coach in Bill Musgrave who is being meticulous in working on Vick’s footwork to improve his accuracy. He’s got Jim Mora and Greg Knapp trying to implement shotgun formations to clear a path for his throwing lanes, which should help his height shortcomings.
He’s also got a wide receiver in Roddy White who is ready to emerge, as a full-time starter and the latest rumors circling is that T.J. Duckett may be heading to Denver for Ashley Lelie.
All Vick has left is himself. It’s up to him to stop reading the headlines and watching the highlight reels, stop relying on what won at Virginia Tech and start maturing in the game of football like Steve Young did in the 90s.
Word is that Vick was in camp weeks ahead of when the Falcons opened their doors, working with White and another young wide receiver Michael Jenkins. That’s a sign of maturity and humility because Vick has never done that before.
Vick is great for the NFL, great for Atlanta, the Falcons and his teammates. Now he just needs to stop being such a great piece for critics and supporters to debate.
