Some weeks there just isn't much to say about the game. The Eagles dominated a listless Jaguars squad in every phase of the game on Sunday. The defense limited Jacksonville's only legitimate weapon, allowing the front four to tee off on the quarterback, while Michael Vick played mistake-free football, only taking the big plays that were there to be made. The result was never in doubt.
We're not going to learn a whole lot about the Eagles from dissecting this one. The fact is they should have won with ease, and did. Vick is supposed perform against defenses that don't have the personnel to cover his array of weapons, much less pin him down. This week will serve as a better example of his progress as an NFL quarterback.
Until then, let's humor the Vick crowd.
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Michael Vick just played, in my opinion, his best game of the season so far. His completion percentage wasn't as high this week as the previous two, which might be a warning he will regress closer to his career average in that department. However, he seemed much more decisive with the football. He got rid of the rock faster, and he was willing to turn it loose down the field when the match-ups dictated he take a shot. There were no turnovers, nor was he ever really in danger of coughing it up.
Again, this is the Jaguars we're talking about, so we probably shouldn't get too excited. Still, with the exception of a handful of harmless incompletions, Vick appeared to have come a long way as a passer in a relatively short timespan. If this trend continues—a big if—how does that impact the state of the Eagles' quarterback situation for the future?
It may seem like a stupid question, but even if Vick sustains a Pro Bowl level of production throughout the course of the season, there is an inherent risk in giving him a long term contract. For starters, the man remains on probation. As we witnessed during the off-season after a shooting took place at his birthday party, even the slightest involvement by Vick in criminal activity will prompt an investigation, and could easily land him back in prison, or at least suspended by the league.
Had his role in a despicable dog fighting ring been the extent of the quarterback's wrong-doing through the years, this might not be as much of a cause for concern. Unfortunately, Vick has turned up on the wrong side of the law with some frequency. There's no reason to draft a list in this space, but those incidents, although in the past and many of them alleged, can't be treated as irrelevant or like they never happened at all.
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Do I believe Michael Vick is a changed man? That's not really important. The reality of his situation is it only takes one miscue before he has everything taken back: one drink too many before getting behind the wheel of a car; one joint or dime bag left lying around; one physical altercation. These are not a stretch for any professional athlete, much less Vick. The difference is he might not get another second chance.
What's the back-up plan then?
The Eagles are walking a thin line with Vick. Kevin Kolb was either going to be a good NFL quarterback, or he wasn't, and the front office would simply move forward as everything unfolded.
If Vick continues to shred opposing defenses the way he did in Detroit and Jacksonville, can the Eagles make a commitment to an athlete with a sordid past at one of the most important positions in professional sports?
Conventional wisdom seems to scream, "No," but I think we may be way beyond that.