Getty ImagesBefore the season started, one of the big questions in Philadelphia was whether Michael Vick had learned to be the kind of pocket passer that the Eagles’ coaches want him to be. After Vick threw four interceptions in the opener, it would appear that Vick still has plenty of work to do.
But Vick says the scrutiny of his passing ability is something he can brush off, because he doesn’t think the critics know what they’re talking about.
“I’ve always dealt with the things surrounding being a quarterback in the NFL and all the scrutiny,” Vick told USA Today. “It’s a part of it. And if it don’t drive you and motivate you, I don’t know what else could. It’s all just talk. It’s all speculation. It’s everybody saying what they don’t know anything about.”
Vick said he believes he has already shown what kind of quarterback he can be.
“I’ve been doing it [being a pocket passer] for the last two years, so what’s changed?” Vick said. “Throwing for 3,000 yards in a season don’t come from scrambling and throwing on the run. I’m not focusing on being a pocket passer. I’m focusing on being the best quarterback who can win the game when it’s all said and done.”
Still, after throwing a career-high 14 interceptions last season, starting this season with four interceptions is not a good sign.
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Michael Vick should get together with Tebow and swap stories about being “disrespected”.
When Vick retires he will still be ring less after not leading any team to a Super Bowl championship.Also there is no way the Vick lead Eagles will beat the Ravens this week.
When you are running backwards about to get hit and wing the ball in the general direction of a player 30+ yards down field it is called Farve-ing. The first sign there is a problem: denial.
How dumb of us to think 4 INTs is a bad thing.
Forget about his lack of hustle on this pick six. We don’t know anything about that! http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-videos/0ap1000000060895/Browns-defense-INT-TD
Typical Vick response. Before the season started he proclaimed he didn’t have to change his game. Last week he claimed he couldn’t make up his mind against Cleveland. Then he tells everyone how he’s working on being the best QB he can be. But he wont change to get there. But there’s one consistent thing with Mike Vick he keeps talking that’s for sure, he’s never seen a camera or reporter he didn’t like. Someone should tell him 3000 yards is for mediocre QBs in 2012. Elite QBs throw for much closer to 5000 yards. But there’s Vick bragging about a yardage total that was impressive in 1983. We will never win anything with this guy at QB.
Vick a pocket passer? He’ll never get the eagles where they want to be because of constant poor decision making, inaccurate throws and trying to do things by himself. Sorry eagle fan, just like cam newton, you’ll never see a super bowl with them at the helm, they’re just not smart enough.
i guess we wont know until the end of the year if he played bad or the cleveland defense is good
“Throwing for 3,000 yards in a season don’t come from scrambling and throwing on the run.”
Palmer threw for 3k yards in half a season coming off the couch, I don’t think 3k should be the QB’s goal anymore, 4k passing, 1,500 rushing should be the new benchmarks.
The herpes must be flaring up.
Vick ?
If you were as Intelligent as you think? You would sit down with Randal Cunningham who once he learned to be a Pocket passer really came into his own !! A QB can not be a running back first and a passer second ,Seek out Cunningham and maybe you will learn something !!!! And maybe? be as good as you think you are !!!!
After the Eagles cut him he very well could be the first player to get three $100 million+ contracts in his career… yet somehow he will still end up broke before he’s 50.
If Mike continues to throw into double and sometimes triple coverage like he did on at least one occasion against Cleveland last week I will be leading the cheers for the start of the Nick Foles era from my seat Sunday.I am hoping due to lack of playing time in the pre season it had a lot to do with his poor play Sunday….also throwing the ball 80 % of the time did not help the situation considering Shady Mccoy is one of the best backs in the NFL today
who cares about what kind of pocket passer he is or isnt. What matters is this: does he or does he not win games at the end of the day?
He’ll be a backup in two years.
You did attend film study of the week 1 game against the Browns, right Mike? Fugly, it was a Curtis Painter-esqe performance. I think we know what we’re talking about, you sucked last week.
The change Vick to a pocket passer experience has failed completely. He’s lost a step or two in age, so it is only a matter of time before A) he gets injured or B) the Philly fans will be calling for Nick Foles. Last Sunday was one of the worst performances I ever remember from a starting QB in a win. I think Vick holds himself in too high of an opinion.
In a league where 3 QBs passed for over 5000 yards, this guy is trumping up 3000 yards like he’s a pocket passer.
Eagles fan here. Getting more and more sick of Mike every sound bite.
I’m sick of hearing about Mike Vick. He’s had his chance and has failed.Nick Foles time
I say again, when you drop back to throw 60 times in a game and your offense has no balance, you make it easy on the defense. That’s exactly what Andy and Marty did. That’s not on Vick and if you don’t understand that then he is right, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
I’m not sure what the problem is in Philadelphia. It seems like none of their QBs actually want to improve (at least the starters). McNabb had the tools, but got fat and lazy. Vick has the tools, but doesn’t want to change his game. The only one that I had a ton of respect for was Jeff Garcia. Hopefully Foles doesn’t fall into the same crap McNabb and Vikc have.
you can’t be a pocket passer when you are 5’11.arm strength does not matter when you can’t see where you are throwing.just be yourself….run around,take unneeded shots and play in 11 games just like always!
He as many other athletes given the opportunity will try to showcase themselves instead of a team plan. His ego is huge and he will always revert back to his old MO when he feels the need.
vicky is a very gifted athlete , but a mediocre qb at best. can’t make good presnap reads, dumber than dirt . hope the g-men’s D line knocks this punk into retirement.
He is barking up the wrong tree if he thinks he will become a pocket quarterback
Oh the stupidity of the people who comment here. Silverbleedblack, 1500 rushing yards for a qb should be a benchmark? 1000+ yards has only been done ONCE!! Vick in ’96 Learn some facts before you come here and make yourself sound lke an idiot.
Hey Mike I went to Cleveland and watched that garbage you (and the rest of the team) put on the field for a couple of hours. Leaving the stadium surrounded by Browns fans they were like you don’t look like your team just won, we’re used to it. That “effort” that was put out last Sunday will not fly this Sunday. I don’t expect to beat The Ravens this week but just don’t embarrass everyone at the home opener.
Much like books, Vick still hasn’t learned to read defenses.
I remember when 3000 yards from a QB meant something. Well, I vaguely remember; I was still in high school.
He’s fooled the masses for a long time, the guy has always been a gimmick.
Nothing more.
Baltimore should win on Sunday!!!
Their QB, set of weapons, and secondary are much better than Philly’s and when Andy Reid does not allow the media to attend practice when better teams have media sessions for longer periods then he had them for that is a sign of emotional fragility. Fragile teams crumble in the NFL and the Eagles will do so against the Ravens.
Years ago all the talking heads gushed over Vick and his passing completion percentage was always in the low 50′s but he could run. He has had every opportunity to be a QB and can’t stay healthy either. I am not a Tebow fan, but why were all the talking heads screaming about Tebow not being able to pass, but they used to fall all over Vick? It is dumb founding to me that these so-called experts priase one guy like Vick for years, who could not play the position, and trash another guy, Tebow, who can’t play the position.
These are also the experts that said Blaine might have more upside than Cam. (and I am a Jags fan)
Is it time for some new “experts”?
Sounds like a bunch of haters on here. Keep hating on Vick. Nevermind the fact that the Eagles won their last 9 consecutive games….
Will the marxists at nbc stop limiting free speech!
If his talent and brains equalled his high opinion of himself, we would already be multi-Super Bowl winners, along with the Falcons!
They DON’T, and they never will.
Bring on Foles!
Vick if your not hitting 4,000 yards at least, then your not doing much, I’m going to need for you step it up this year.
If Vick was half as good as he thinks he is, the Eagles would have already won a ring, and he’d be a Super Bowl MVP. The only person that sounds like an idiot is Mike Vick. He will NEVER be an elite QB and the Eagles will NEVER win a Super Bowl with him.
The Eagles are 1-0, that’s it. Mr. Vick, you better play much better Sunday or Baltimore will clobber you.
Could someone please teach this guy about conjugating verbs!
The Eagles giving this clown $100 mil:
Comedy GOLD
Ron Mexico is as good a passer as he has ever been.His record of championships and clutch play speaks for itself.(BTW this bum couldn’t carry Randalls jock)
I almost (that’s ALMOST!) feel sorry for Vick, because in my view the primary source of his struggles is not one that can be fixed: He’s profoundly stupid. In today’s NFL, QBs have to process a tremendous amount of information at a very rapid rate and then make the wisest possible decisions. QBs like Peyton, Brady and Brees aren’t anywhere close to the most physically gifted QBs in the league, but they’ve been so consistently successful for so many years because they happen to possess extraordinarily high football IQs and an ability to process information more rapidly and effectively than most. I realize this may not be politically correct, but I honestly don’t think Vick’s innate lack of smarts is something that can be fixed. I think he’s already hit his ‘ceiling’ with that thick skull of his.
Every QB is criticized. You’re either a System QB, Game Manager or Scrammbler. Those labels mean NOTHING. Just worry about winning and not escaping with a win because the other QB played worse.
Vick’s days are numbered. For the first time in his career, Andy Reid is legitimately on the hot seat and can’t afford to have a turnover machine at QB. It’s not like Vick is coming off a great season last year. Nick Foles will be the starter sooner rather than later. The Eagles closed practice to the media this week. Probably didn’t want them to see that Foles is getting more snaps with the first team.
Michael Vick should get together with Tebow and swap stories about being “disrespected”.
This makes zero sense since Tebow has litterally never complained about the criticism he receives.
Replace Tebow with Cutler and you’ve got a rational post.
dolphins4 says:
Sep 15, 2012 8:13 AM
When Vick retires he will still be ring less after not leading any team to a Super Bowl championship.Also there is no way the Vick lead Eagles will beat the Ravens this week.
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worry about your team bro.. #LOLFINS
“Vick says critics of his passing don’t know what they’re talking about”
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Critics of his passing say Vick doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
The simple fact is that we are a decade into his career, and MV has NEVER come close to being a pocket passer. Sorry, it’s too late for him to develop into that now.
They should teach him how to slide
I’ve never bought that Vick’s troubles over the past year have been about intelligence or lack of accuracy. While I was never a fan of his in Atlanta (on the field or personally), he undoubtedly turned both aspects around when he got here to Philly.
It’s my belief that what made him so good in 2010 has now gone too far. The Eagles took one of the greatest athletes to every play QB and coached him to keep his eyes downfield–to be an actual quarterback, to stick in the pocket more, etc. When those things came together, we got games like the Washington game, where Vick was absolutely unreal.
But now, I think they’ve gone too far. He cannot be a pure pocket passer. They’ve got him holding the ball too long and worried about running/getting hurt. He’s playing more tentative. We don’t see the Vick that takes over the game as much (see Miracle at the New Meadowlands game). We’ve also got Marty M calling 56 pass plays a game when he has arguably the best RB in the league.
So really, I blame the coaching. I say let him take what he’s learned here and be Michael Vick.
How about Vick doesnt throw off his back foot or across his body and we probably wouldnt be saying anything bad about his throwing
Vick says critics of his passing don’t know what they’re talking about
___________
EVERYBODY else is wrong but not him.
Look for Ed Reed’s interception yardage to go through the roof this week. I hope Vick tries taking off in Lewis’ territory, he’ll miss the next month if Ray gets one solid hit on him.
gallaghedj311 says:
Sep 15, 2012 9:12 AM
Sounds like a bunch of haters on here. Keep hating on Vick. Nevermind the fact that the Eagles won their last 9 consecutive games….
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Bringing up legitimate facts is not being a hater. It’s an objective look at his game and he is just not that good. He’s one IQ point ahead of the smartest monkey you can find and even that’s a stretch.
Just a quick note for the haters – at the end of the day, the
birds are 1-0. They will be 2-0 by the end of tomorrow. And if anyone thinks that Joe Flacco will be successful against the monster pass rush that is the Philadelphia Eagles defense, you are sadly mistaken. Check out the Ravens’ road record. You’ll see. You bums.
Eagles fans are seeing what we true Falcon fans saw his last 2 years in Atlanta. An amazing athlete that just didn’t get it. We lost to sorry Cleveland and Detroit teams in the midst of a playoff run because Vick tried to do it all himself. There 10 other guys tat need the QB to be in tune. Vick is not.
This guy has as big of rabbit ears for criticism as his predecessor McNabb did. It never does a guy any good to acknowledge this stuff publicly.
Vick should be the poster boy for the United Negro College fund.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Well if he had a mind to start with.
gallaghedj311 says:
Sep 15, 2012 9:12 AM
Sounds like a bunch of haters on here. Keep hating on Vick. Nevermind the fact that the Eagles won their last 9 consecutive games….
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Here’s a “hater” stat for you:
1) last 4 games of 2011 were against teams with sub .500 records
2) Vick had 12 snaps in preseason so those 4 games were won by Nick Foles and Trent Edwards
3) Vick threw 4ints to the Cleveland Browns last week almost 5 had Fort not dropped the pass to him in the endzone
Some people need to stop loving Michael Vick so much, Madden football isnt real life Sunday action
Andy Reid could be on the ‘HOT SEAT’ this year, ask yourself why, if the Qb play is your answer, who gets fired?
@gallaghed did you just count preseason games as part of a win streak?? the same preseason that vick played like 5 snaps
@bleedgreen more worried about rice running wild and leaving demeco ryans in the dust out of the backfield. Monster pass rush can be neutralized if Flacco keeps dumping it over their heads, and running draws thru gaping holes.
Castillo is still in charge and is still overmatched
back on topic Vick should just shut up.
Don’t worry about the critics Michael, just run.
Truth is….school is still out on Mike. One rusty game doesn’t mean he can not be productive enough to get us to the playoffs. However age has caught up to him and he will never be a pocket passer. The fact that he is barely 6′-0″ doesn’t help. Bottom line is that he has a lot of weapons and if he improves, we will be in the playoffs.
He will never get it apparently. Some of his critics are HOF players. Sounds more like mike don’t get it.
You do all realize that Cleavland’s coaching staff are all former eagles staffers. They knew all the plays , formations ,shifts and hot reads. Had an entire offseason to prepare and still lost. I’m no Vick or Eagles fan but I like to gamble a bit and that was the easiest play on the board for me.
Kordell still > Vick
It is shocking the stupidity of many, many NFL fans.
The hatred of Michael Vick is based on one thing: Fear.
You are scared of Michael Vick. You saw what he did in 2012, when he was RUNNER-UP MVP. I will repeat that, RUNNER-UP MVP. Only one player in the entire NFL played better than him, and Vick only played in 12 games.
He threw 4 INTs against a top pass defence. So what? Tom Brady has thrown 4 INTs in a game, so have other elite quarterbacks, it happens.
Michael Vick is a winner, plain and simple. He has a 70+ percent winning percentage for his career. His best receiver in his career has been Brian Finneran (Maclin is mediocre and Desean is just not good at all).
Vick is the same player he was a year and a half ago. And you are all scared.
Clicking thumbs down is your admission of fear.
Vick welcome to the down side of you career.
Vick sounds like your average Raiders’ fan. Always saying people are “haters” when they present them with the honest facts.
str8up12:
You do realize that the name is spelled “Cleveland”.
“Cleav-land” is the other name for Dolly Parton’s theme park.
But good job starting your opinion off with a misspelling of a major US city. That helps lend a degree of authority to your points.
Randall Cunningham basically had one good year with the Vikings……and it didn’t hurt him that he had Randy Moss and Cris Carter to throw to.
Landing in the most QB friendly system has proven without a doubt Mike Vick sucks.
tedesco47 says:
Sep 15, 2012 11:55 AM
It is shocking the stupidity of many, many NFL fans.
The hatred of Michael Vick is based on one thing: Fear.
You are scared of Michael Vick. You saw what he did in 2012, when he was RUNNER-UP MVP. I will repeat that, RUNNER-UP MVP. Only one player in the entire NFL played better than him, and Vick only played in 12 games.
He threw 4 INTs against a top pass defence. So what? Tom Brady has thrown 4 INTs in a game, so have other elite quarterbacks, it happens.
Michael Vick is a winner, plain and simple. He has a 70+ percent winning percentage for his career. His best receiver in his career has been Brian Finneran (Maclin is mediocre and Desean is just not good at all).
Vick is the same player he was a year and a half ago. And you are all scared.
Clicking thumbs down is your admission of fear.
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We are 1 week into the 2012 season correct? So how can you claim he’s runner up to MVP. If you’re claiming the 2010 season, then ok.
Your fear point is moot because most of the people talking negatively about Vick are people from Philly or Atlanta that watch or watched him every sunday.
Vick is inconsistent at best. Teams have realized that putting a LB Spy on him all game actually makes him mediocre at best.
No one fears an aging scrambling QB who’s lost a step or 2 and cant consistently complete passes.
If the Eagles beat the Ravens nothing he did against the Browns will matter anymore.
I’m rooting for him, it doesn’t matter what the outside world thinks as long as his teammates believe in him and he believes in himself the Eagles are going to be alright. I have the Eagles winning this game and shutting all the detractors up.
Eagles 23
Ravens 13
Who is surprised that a sociopath can’t see his own flaws? You idiots in Philly get what you deserve. Keep buying POS “me first” players like Owens and Vick, ignore that it takes a TEAM to win a Superbowl, and the rest of us in the NFC East will continue to bask in your misery.
Considering we have QBs throwing for 5000+
3000 is Alex Smith territory.
Yeah Vick throws a very catchable pass. Sincerely, the Browns defense.
Yall all leave poor Ms. Vicky alone. She does the best she can and struggles with her own little battles. She is, once again, about to light up the entire NFL, prove all the “stoopit htt8rs” wrong and she will retire in style with 3 SB rings and HOF credentials. Yall still b hatin on here.
The critics may not know what they’re talking about, but Mike Vick rarely does about anything under the sun as well. Especially when it comes to becoming a real NFL QB.
let me get this right.. Vick has a Career High 14 Interceptions.
When Eli Manning threw 16 last year and 25 the year before that lol.
So if Vick just makes the Clutch Plays He Basically there with Eli.
(without the rings of course)
Just didnt know his season high Pick total was 14.. sounds low compared to most
“Winning is all that matters”. Is that the 2012 Eagles motto? NO! That was actually the 2011 Packers motto. It works every time, except the last time.
I was at the Iggles opener at Cleveland and, in his defense, in that particular game he had nowhere to throw the ball. Nobody was open and he was getting hit after almost every throw. Perspective is different at the game than on the tube.
Michael Vick has the ability and talent to be an above average quarterback. Unfortunately, he does not have the head to be a sixth grade quarterback. He makes the same mistakes over and over and over again. And he does it year after year after year. He is not capable of learning from his mistakes.
Pappert. The problem with your assessment is that Eli always throws the ball well over 500 times. Vick has only thrown more then 400 times twice his whole career.
Yeah, Mike Vick… run… because I think there are at least 5 Cowboys defensive starters that are faster than you right now and one of them is Demarcus Ware.
“Just didnt know his season high Pick total was 14.. sounds low compared to most”
It is, but then again so season high pass TD number (21. Last year he threw 18).
I have a feeling that Michael Vick will beat his career high in interceptions. The main reason for his sudden jump in int’s is because the Eagles are trying to force him to be what he is not, a pocket passer. As long as Andy Reid keeps pushing Vick towards being a pocket passer, the more interceptions we’ll see. If the Eagles want Michael Vick to succeed, they’ll let Vick be himself, the playmaker, the league’s best scrambling QB, the winner. Until then, expect to see more stories about how Michael Vick is a troubled passer and how the Eagles were so close, but not close enough to win it all.
His season high of 14 picks sounds low….but consider he only plays 7 games per year.
Ah yes, the circus is in full force here in Philly again. Shame it’s gonna end this year after the ringleaders (Reid, Roseman and Vick) are all given the hook after the season.
BTW, I wouldn’t be shocked if Vick gets benched tomorrow for Foles (who I’m not sold on just yet). After all, Reid did bench McNabb during the Baltimore game for Kolb 4 years.
@pappert Yes, he doesn’t have many interceptions. But I remember when he got out if jail Baltimore radio hosts were saying how his completion percentage was lower then Kyle Boller’s. While it has gotten better, its just too little, too late.
pappert says: Sep 15, 2012 1:53 PM let me get this right.. Vick has a Career High 14 Interceptions.
When Eli Manning threw 16 last year and 25 the year before that lol.
So if Vick just makes the Clutch Plays He Basically there with Eli.
(without the rings of course)
Just didnt know his season high Pick total was 14.. sounds low compared to most
Vick makes up for the low interception totals with a pretty decent amount of fumbles (34 career lost fumbles).
Vick has had plenty of time to prove he is a good quarterback.
He hasn’t done it.
We do know he is a running back who thinks he can throw. He is only effective when he can run around and then throw off the run. He is undisciplined, stupid, egotistical, and erratic. When he is not pressured, he can complete a pass. When he is rushed, he makes huge errors.
Vick has a choice to make – revert to a running back or maybe a wide receiver or go back to killing dogs for profit. His career will be over next year as the rest of the NFL understands how wretched he is as a quarterback.
As a fan of the Atlanta Falcons…. I TOLD YOU SO. Vick will lead Philly no where. He is awesome at making excuses, not being a QB. He’ll let you down every time.
I wish this football genius Vick would hire me to manage his money for him. I could get very wealthy.
Mike Vick is simply too small, too fragile to play at the NFL level.
I think Mike’s defense of his style is self-serving and inaccurate. Run first is and addiction, rarely cured once a level of success is achieved. Basically running backs are hired to take the pounding, and QB’s to avoid it. The lesson of the Bounty scandal is that there are some very large brutal men in the league that have no qualms whatsoever at ending someone’s career. If he has in mind to be a gunslinger like Bret Farve, he should keep in mind Bret also holds the career interception record, and is unlikely to survive the pounding to get that single SB victory like Bret.
I think Vic made a lot of you idiots eat your words today. How many other QB’s threw for 370 plus yards today?