Today, no one is talking about dog fighting. They’re not talking about jail sentences. No, today they’re talking about the MVP-like performance that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick put on last night on Monday Night Football. His stats were record-breaking: 333 passing yards, 80 rushing yards, 4 TD passes, 2 TD runs. In our standard-scoring fantasy league, he got me 55 points; I can’t remember seeing anyone that close to 60 since Shaun Alexander went crazy about five years ago. Vick’s was certainly the single-most dominant performance by one player in the league this year.
My partner (who made a rare appearance in front of the TV on Monday night) asked me last night, "So does everyone just forget about what he did with the dogs?" The easy answer is: No. Few people were as aggressive in their attacks of him as I was. But at some point, everyone deserves the opportunity to prove themselves and move on. By all accounts, Vick has been a fantastic teammate. And as a player on the field, he has certainly rehabilitated his image. You don't forget, you just move on.
Today, no one is talking about dog fighting. They’re not talking about jail sentences. No, today they’re talking about the MVP-like performance that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick put on last night on Monday Night Football. His stats were record-breaking: 333 passing yards, 80 rushing yards, 4 TD passes, 2 TD runs. In our standard-scoring fantasy league, he got me 55 points; I can’t remember seeing anyone that close to 60 since Shaun Alexander went crazy about five years ago. Vick’s was certainly the single-most dominant performance by one player in the league this year.
My partner (who made a rare appearance in front of the TV on Monday night) asked me last night, "So does everyone just forget about what he did with the dogs?" The easy answer is: No. Few people were as aggressive in their attacks of him as I was. But at some point, everyone deserves the opportunity to prove themselves and move on. By all accounts, Vick has been a fantastic teammate. And as a player on the field, he has certainly rehabilitated his image. You don't forget, you just move on.
What is making Michael Vick the most dangerous man in football is his sudden ability to make amazing plays on the run and in the pocket. When defenses have attacked Vick in the past, they focused on keeping him in the pocket where he felt less comfortable. Now that he’s making plays from there, defenses can’t just keep him in the pocket and drop linebackers into deep zones.
Right now, all the talk of dogs and jail time is a distant memory. Vick hasn't just become part of the NFL MVP talk, he's grab hold of it and run away with it. Think about these numbers. His QB rating is 115.1. He has thrown 11 TDs to zero interceptions. And he's run for 341 yards and 4 TDs. And that's starting just six games! His completion percentage is over 60 for the first season in his career.
Next weekend the Eagles get a visit from the New York Giants. The Giants have the No. 4 passing defense and the No. 3 rushing defense. We'll get a taste of just how good Vick is right now next Sunday night. I can't wait.
