Michael Vick is getting the start for the Eagles on Sunday against the Giants, a game he hopes to use as a springboard to another job next season if the Eagles do the expected and dump him after the end of this year.
That’s not the only part of the plan to downplay memories of his poor play over much of the last two years, however. Vick is also taking steps to pass some of the blame onto the changes that went on in Philly since the end of the 2010 season, particularly the change in offensive line schemes when Juan Castillo moved to defensive coordinator and Howard Mudd took over the line.
Vick said the lockout made it difficult for the Eagles to pick up the new protections that Mudd likes to run while also limiting their ability to bring in players who were good fits for the system. In the end, Vick thinks the style and players from 2010 were a better fit for him.
“In hindsight now, looking back on it, absolutely, I think so,” Vick said, via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I know it was a different cast of players, as well. A majority of those guys are gone, shuffled around. It was a different group.”
It’s not the first time we’ve heard word of Vick’s desire to play behind a more effective offensive line. On Football Night in America last week, Florio reported the Jets aren’t high on Vick’s list because of their own offensive line issues.
There were also a slew of injuries to offensive linemen this season that made things even more difficult, although Vick can’t push all of the blame onto others for his own slip in performance. Luckily for Vick, he just needs to convince one team that his problems have been more external than internal in order to get another shot at a starting job.