This is why the Eagles signed Vince Young.
When Michael Vick went down, the Eagles replaced him with a six-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowler who kept their flickering playoff hopes ... uh, still flickering by leading them over the Giants.
I think he did a good job of keeping everybody focused and not being a distraction, center Jason Kelce said. Sometimes when your starting quarterback goes down, Ive been in situations like, What the hell are we going to do now? Vince did a good job of calming everybody down, letting everybody know, Hey, were going to get this done. Im here. Im going to play for you guys, just like youre playing for me, and were moving forward.
It was Youngs first regular season game since Nov. 21 of last year, he threw a tantrum during Tennessee's loss to Washington and was yanked. It was his last game with the Titans.
Last Sunday was Young's first shot at redemption.
He was a little bit more emotional last week, Kelce said. Part of that is because it was his first start coming back this season, and he was just happy to be out there with the guys.
The last practice we had going into the week, he broke it down. He was like, Guys, Im just thankful for the opportunity to get out there and play with you guys. And lets just get this win. If you make a mistake, screw it and move on to the next play. He was doing a really good job of taking control of the offense. And thats what we needed because when your leader goes down, Mike, you need somebody come up and take that spot.
NFL
Whats more, Young led the Eagles on an 18-play, game-winning touchdown drive.
Once youre into that many plays, it really comes down to whos going to give up, the offense or the defense, Kelce said. And the defense kind of folded over, and we were able to punch it in.
Young vs. Vick
Both Young and Vick are mobile, but Young didnt run much against the Giants. He gained five yards on six carries and was sacked only once. It was the only QB hit the Giants recorded.
He doesnt move around quite as much as Mike does, Kelce said. I dont know whether thats to help us keep him clean. I think hes a little bit taller (Young is 6-5, Vick is 6-0), so he can see over us better than Mike can.
A stationary QB is sometimes easier to protect because offensive linemen know where he is.
E-mail Andy Schwartz at aschwartz@comcastsportsnet.com.