Michael Vick Passes the Buck

There were many reasons for the Falcons downfall. Their defense, which was supposed to be a strength, basically sucked. While Vick had some good games throwing the football, the consistency wasn't there. If the same old "They don't have any receivers" talk is going to start up again, then when in god's name are the Falcons going to rectify that problem? As it stands, Vick ranks in the top 10-12 running backs this season. And it's always amazing how a guy like Mora can go from being considered a tremendous young coach one year to a bum on the chopping block a couple short seasons later. It's a fickle business.

posted by dyams at 10:57 AM - reply - flag:

Vick is a good Running back. But a HORRRIBLE QB. They should move him to RB and let him play the position he is good at. Then get a QB that can THROWN the ball.

posted by vipers-pit at 11:05 AM - reply - flag:

Just another primadonna that doesn't understand that there is no I in team.

posted by sickleguy at 11:11 AM - reply - flag:

A quarterback will always be judged on wins and losses, not his statistics. Look at some of the QB's in the league. The Marc Bulgers and Carson Palmers put up gaudy stats, but neither one is in the playoffs. Vick needs to look at his team and make it work. Its HIS job to get his players involved out there on the field. With that said, Vick...SHUT THE F*** UP! You're a good football player, but the key to taking the next step is using the talent around you.

posted by chemwizBsquared at 11:29 AM - reply - flag:

Vick's ranked 21 for rushing yardage, right around Julius Jones, Ahman Green and Tatum Bell. Though 1,000 yards is impressive for a quarterback, it's not the achievement it used to be in a 14 game season for a running back. How much would it cost for the Falcons to acquire a 1,000-yard rusher? Also, the hits he has to take when he runs are dangerous for a team's well-being. Here in Jacksonville, we're paying the price for a franchise QB who doesn't have the sense to avoid a hard hit. Leftwich is getting traded after several injury-riddled seasons and we have nothing to replace him. Until Vick can get a QB rating in the 90s or take teams to the playoffs consistently, Vick has to be regarded as a disappointment.

posted by rcade at 11:35 AM - reply - flag:

Maybe thats the reason they are not winning. There are too many "I" s on the team and not enough "Us"s. When people start looking at their own personal accomplishments to justify the teams position, it is no longer a team. Just a bunch of individuals playing for themselves.

posted by The Woj at 11:36 AM - reply - flag:

...that doesn't understand that there is no I in team. True, but there is an "I" in "win" and in "champion." Think about that one. Yeah, it's blowing your mind, isn't it? Yeah.

posted by NoMich at 11:44 AM - reply - flag:

...there is no I in team. But there is a "me," and I personally think that Vick is way overrated and it's gone to his head. If you look at his quote, there was an awful lot of self-promotion, and no mention of his team. He needs to eat some humble pie.

posted by wingnut4life at 11:51 AM - reply - flag:

How much would it cost for the Falcons to acquire a 1,000-yard rusher? The Falcons already have Warrick Dunn who was 15th in the NFLwith 1140 yards and Norwood who had 600 yards. In order for the Falcons to do well, Vick needs to throw more and run less. Like rcade said, the hits he takes can be dangerous for the team. Also, in four of the team's seven wins, Vick had a passer rating of over 90. In the other three wins, the opposing team averaged slightly over six points thus making Vick's contributions essentially uneccesary.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 12:47 PM - reply - flag:

I agree with vipers-pit. Vick would make a good running back, but he makes to many bad calls as QB.

posted by grampsw at 01:01 PM - reply - flag:

I'm not saying Vick is a bad person, but his actions probably shouldn't surprise us. He's a media darling because his handlers present him that way. But the uncertainty about endorsing a coach who's always stuck up for him, the egotistical Superman statements, and the finger incident give a different view of him. Maybe the only real difference between him and Marcus is the quality of the PR firm each employs.

posted by forrestv at 01:16 PM - reply - flag:

Who would you want right now if you were starting a new team today? S.F.s Smith or Atlanta's Vick? I'll take Smith. Drop back passer with an ability to roll out vs. a running QB with marginal passing skills. Vick's time has come and gone sad to say.

posted by mikemora at 01:54 PM - reply - flag:

Vick passes the buck. He will be a coach killer for the Falcons, until they get smart and tell him you need to play another position! He is a great runner,but doesn't pass well. Put some bigger pads on him either use him as a running back or as a wide out. Then please go back to the drawing board and get a true quarterback. Until then they will be like so many other nfl teams that make the playoffs by luck of the schedule. Until this happens they will continue to implode yearly.

posted by robi8259 at 01:56 PM - reply - flag:

Vick thinks he's Superman minus the cape. Ya! Right. He's the Bobby Douglas of this football generation. Like Dougles, he can throw a football at the side of a barn and hit it but it would be way over on the edge.

posted by BlindAlvin at 02:01 PM - reply - flag:

Falcons fire head coach Jim Mora Jr.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:29 PM - reply - flag:

Whatever you think about Vick, it could be worse! You could be stuck with David Carr, as us Houstonians are! We wish we had someone like Vick.

posted by nflhou02 at 03:33 PM - reply - flag:

I'm a Panthers fan and even though we sucked this year, I want Atlanta to keep Vick for as long as he wants to play. He's great for us.

posted by carolinared at 03:36 PM - reply - flag:

But the uncertainty about endorsing a coach who's always stuck up for him ... I don't think Vick should be faulted for refusing to defend Mora, given Mora's problems since the radio interview. Jumping in to that fracas could have been taken as an insult to the team's owner.

posted by rcade at 03:42 PM - reply - flag:

I don't think Vick should be faulted for not endorsing Mora either, but I do wish he wouldn't be so passive aggressive about it. He's not a bench QB and he knows he's the face of the franchise, so, if he didn't want Mora to return, he should have just said what he felt. As much I hate T.O for doing that kind of thing, at least I respect his general animosity toward everyone not named Terrell Owens.

posted by forrestv at 04:02 PM - reply - flag:

Vick would make a good running back I don't see it. Maybe a WR/ returner, but he's too tall and thin to play RB. He doesn't seem to have the frame for a RB.

posted by yerfatma at 04:12 PM - reply - flag:

Vick would make a good slot reciever or number 2 flanker but i agree with yerfatma too thin and tall but if he put on thirty pounds or so it'd be OK. If i was his coach he'd ride the pine pony for a while then use him for the slot and the ability to use him for trick plays off of reverses is aluring and almost predictable. And like nflhou02 hes better than carr, but i wouldnt want him either.

posted by chad at 05:05 PM - reply - flag:

yerfatma and chad got it right, Vick would not make a good, dangerous or durable RB. He is too tall and thin. WR or DB, depending upon his hands would be a better choice, though that will never happen. He gets yards because he runs when the chance opens up, not because he is given the ball to run in predictable situations. Just a question, if anyone knows the answer, because I am not sure (and too lazy right now to look it up): Does sack yardage lost count against rushing totals for QB's?

posted by urall cloolis at 05:40 PM - reply - flag:

Whatever you think about Vick, it could be worse! You could be stuck with David Carr, as us Houstonians are! We wish we had someone like Vick. I know that quarterback rating is not the end all and be all, but Carr's QB rating of 82.1 this season ranks him 15th in the NFL to Vick's 20th (at 75.7).

posted by holden at 07:10 PM - reply - flag:

Just a question, if anyone knows the answer, because I am not sure (and too lazy right now to look it up): Does sack yardage lost count against rushing totals for QB's? According to wikipedia (standard caveats apply):

In the NFL, yards lost on the play are added as negative yardage to the team's passing totals; however, the quarterback's individual passing total remains unchanged. Before that change in records-keeping was made, the tackling of a player behind the line of scrimmage resulted in a loss from that player's passing (passing) statistics, even if it was fairly obvious a rush play was intended. NCAA college football continues to subtract sack yardage from individual rushing totals.

posted by holden at 07:13 PM - reply - flag:

To urall cloolis:Yes they are minus as w/anyone else! Atlantas' defense does kinda suck,but Vick has proven time and again he can't handle the big one!Our QB in San Francisco is the same & has happy feet!

posted by mdavidsf at 07:32 PM - reply - flag:

To urall cloolis:Yes they are minus as w/anyone else! I respectively disagree. See the wikipedia link above, noting that in the NFL (as opposed to NCAA), sack yardage lost counts against the passing game totals. See also this recap of a game where the Houston Texans had negative passing yardage for the game:

Carr finished 7-of-14 for 32 yards, failing to complete a pass in the final 32 minutes. He was sacked five times for 37 yards, leaving Houston with negative-5 yards passing.

posted by holden at 08:02 PM - reply - flag:

Thanks to holden for the reference. I appreciate it. I knew sacks counted against something yardage wise,. Does that mean that Ron Mexico would have gotten less than 1,000 yards if he were considered a RB.? Just food for thought.

posted by urall cloolis at 08:12 PM - reply - flag:

Whats lost in all this is Atlanta already has a good QB. Of course his name isn't Vick, it's Schaub. He has looked good nearly every time he's played. I think a blockbuster Herschel Walker style trade to get some decent players in exchange for Vick with Matt Schaub put in to learn the West Coast offense they desperately want to run would equal some bountiful years in Atlanta.

posted by Ricardo at 11:13 PM - reply - flag:

I too think Atlanta should deal him. It just seems that both parties would benefit from a fresh start - though I do not think that includes turning Vick into some Cordell Stewart-esque mixed position. He's a better QB than that, but obviously needs some different team conditions to realize it more fully. I'm no expert - but the alternating running on busted plays or long-bombing it strategy - doesn't seem to work, much. I'd like to see him work in a Denver-style offence. Bootleg, bootleg, bootleg!

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 08:15 AM - reply - flag:

He's not a bench QB and he knows he's the face of the franchise, so, if he didn't want Mora to return, he should have just said what he felt. If he did that, the criticism would have been enormous. The proper response to the question "should the coach return?", for any pro athlete, is always "my focus is on helping this team win. I don't make that decision."

posted by rcade at 08:39 AM - reply - flag:

Good point rcade. I wish he had said that. And I guess I'm even more curious now about what Vick meant when he said "I'd have to give it some thought and really evaluate what went down and what happened."

posted by forrestv at 10:56 AM - reply - flag:

If he did that, the criticism would have been enormous. The proper response to the question "should the coach return?", for any pro athlete, is always "my focus is on helping this team win. I don't make that decision." exactamundo. You should also answer that question IMMEDIATELY rather than thinking about it for 30 seconds like Moss did :-)

posted by bdaddy at 01:55 PM - reply - flag:

It's no coincidence that this discussion continually happens to the quote athletic QB's. The fact that your QB is running around the field bodes terribly for a team. Funny McNabb was like that and then when he got hurt, Garcia turned the Eagles team into a contender again. Culpepper was like that but it took Brad Johnson to get the Vikings on a winning track. New Orleans had Aaron Rodgers and went from dismal to the playoffs with Brees. Vick is just another in a long line of QBs that think the position is all about their athletic ability. QB's that win in the NFL make the highlight reel by throwing the ball or simply running a balanced offense with a decent ground game. If your QB is carring the ball for that many yards, you have got problems which can only lead to his injury or a loosing season. Don't be surprised when the same scenario replays itself with Vince Young. Sure its exciting for awhile but in the end the hopes and dreams of the team will die when they carry him off the field, or the defenses just force him to play quarterback. If as a quarterback you rely on your athleticism to make plays, it tells me you would be better for your team at a different position. Even John Elway proved that winning comes not when you are young and athletic but when you master the job the position of quarterback is supposed to do. Leave the running to the more durable backs and emergency situations and use game generalship, to lead the team and throw the ball. Its is really the main difference between pro and college ball.

posted by Atheist at 03:02 PM - reply - flag:

Couldn't you find a way to show where Randall Cunningham and Doug Gabriel were replaced by more effective white players?

posted by yerfatma at 03:24 PM - reply - flag:

Gee I really was speaking in terms of athletic ability. John Elway did not change colors but as he lost some of his physical abilities, he actually became a better more winning QB. I suspect the same may hold true for McNab. I don't judge QBs on their color, just on the style and quality of their play. All my examples were basically just showing where a very athleticly talented player was less successful than their replacement which in all cases were older and certainly less athletic players. The fact that the latter played quarterback more successfully with basically the same surrounding cast, only demonstrated my point. Especially since in every case the younger more athletic QB was replaced by an aging veteran.

posted by Atheist at 03:50 PM - reply - flag:

Except you have Vince Young collapsing in the future for no good reason except he looks like other players. To you. Hoping for good ol' Kerry Collins to make a comeback? Couldn't think of any athletic white QBs who didn't make it?

posted by yerfatma at 05:41 PM - reply - flag:

New Orleans had Aaron Rodgers and went from dismal to the playoffs with Brees. I assume you mean Aaron Brooks who really isn't all that mobile, but he his black so close enough.

posted by tron7 at 06:03 PM - reply - flag:

I agree with some of both sides that were brought up. There have also been white QBs who fell into the "Ron Mexico" category. Rich Gannon was a waste at QB with the Vikings for many years, due to an innate sense to run when not comfortable in the pocket and not enough knowledge of the pro game, not enough comfort for the speed of defenses. I think a lot of QBs with speed fall into that category, unfortunately most of them happened to have been black. I think that is a positive quality, not a negative. Steve McNair is a good example- one who relied on a great arm plus speed and agility. Having been stripped of much of his agility and speed to injuries, he has done a great job with the Ravens. Not due to his lack of speed and agility- but his comfort with the speed of the game, his own abilities and his LEADERSHIP. As far as Garcia- he has done a great job, but is not in the same class as McNabb. The team stepped up to make up for DMacs loss, not necessarily had a better QB lead them as some would make it appear. Vince Young could go either way- I see a lot of potential for failure and a lot of upside as well. He has leadership, a great arm and some legs. He also doesn't read defenses well, doesn't audible and seems to rely on legs more than his arm at critical points. Only time will tell. Eli Manning has all the tools as far as prototypical QB, yet doesn't have the speed or cunning to get out of situations that are crowding him. Does that make him a better QB? I doubt it and I am a lifelong Giant fan. I think that Vick has had his chances, but not taken advantage of them. He is a "me first" type of player. He was almost granted Hall of Fame status before he ever took a snap in the NFL. He has not adjusted to NFL life well. Only time and maturity will tell for most of the young QBs, white or black.

posted by urall cloolis at 10:58 PM - reply - flag:

Vick was the headline photo on the TMQ article today, which I was excited to read to kill time on my overnight shift. Except now it's nowhere to be found. Anyone see the article? What did he say? Any idea why it disappeared? Did he say something controversial again?

posted by Bernreuther at 02:42 AM - reply - flag:

If you wanna know why they aren't still playing just listen to Vick, Vick sold out his teammates and he is right where he should be at home watching TEAMS play in the playoffs.

posted by Clevelander32 at 06:00 PM - reply - flag:

Another thing is I'm tired of hearing Vick should play RB or WR, you just don't do that whether or not he could, plus he would be a terrible running back, plus the falcons are paying $100,000,000 for him, he wouldn't last.

posted by Clevelander32 at 06:03 PM - reply - flag:

Monday, January 01, 2007

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