Michael Vick Deserves To Be Eagles' No. 1 Quarterback

his first game since 2006, Michael  Vick led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 35-32 road victory over the Detroit Lions.

Kevin Kolb was still recovering from the effects of a concussion he sustained last week against the Green Bay Packers, leaving Vick next in line to take his place.

Now that the Eagles have lost their anointed savior, what do they do now? Vick hasn’t played meaningful football in three years, but the Eagles will have to rely on him as a leader if they want to be successful in Kolb's absence.

Vick showed glimpses of the greatness that made him the most electrifying quarterback in the NFL and the highest paid quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons.  Vick was 21-of- 34 for 285 yards and two touchdowns.  He also ran for 37 yards.

Based on Vick's playing today, and his performance last week,  hasn’t he done enough to solidify his position as starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles?

Despite what head coach Andy Reid suggests, it has become quite obvious that the Eagles need to make Vick the starter on a permanent basis.

Reid has consistently proclaimed, “Kevin Kolb is the No. One quarterback.”

How can Reid continue to stick to his guns based how Vick is performing?

How can Reid continue to have faith in a quarterback who has only three NFL starts to his credit?

It’s quite simple: The Eagles have to save face.  Publicly, they have to stick with Kolb because they can't admit their incompetent decision to let Donovan McNabb walk in favor of an untested quarterback with questionable potential. 

McNabb wasn’t shown the “brotherly love” he deserved.  Reid gave McNabb the vote of confidence that he’d be the starter during the offseason, yet rumors persisted of an imminent trade.

The Eagles front-office displayed utter disrespect for McNabb by trading him to the Washington Redskins.  Trading him within the division was a slap in the face.  It suggests the Eagles believe Kolb could supplant McNabb and face him twice a year and win.

Quite frankly, the Eagles organization is engaging in a form of politics that’s both disturbing and obvious.  Disturbing because McNabb was sent packing in favor of a quarterback with just two starts going into this season, and obvious because their plan has backfired.

A blind person can see that Vick gives the Eagles the best chance to win rather than Kolb.  Still, Reid continues to state that Kolb is their “No. One quarterback.” 

In essence, Kolb represents Reid’s “Great White Hope.”  The Eagles think Kolb is so “great” they got rid of a proven trooper in McNabb.  Kolb is getting the benefit of the doubt partly because he’s “white.” 

Furthermore, the fact that Reid consistently proclaims Kolb to be their “No. one quarterback” despite evidence to the contrary, demonstrates the Eagles organization's “hope” that he can get his act together and prove them right.

After what Vick did against the Lions, I say it’s too late.

The Eagle quarterback situation is a Karmic response to how McNabb was treated.   The Eagles' “Great White Hope” is not panning out as planned.  Now they are forced to play a guy they thought would be no more than a mere “wildcat” quarterback as their leader.

What a difference a year makes.  Last season Vick barely saw the field and now he’s making the best of his opportunity.  I applaud the Eagles for giving Vick a chance to play in the NFL when many teams would not.  Now he gets an opportunity to show the Eagles his gratitude with his play.  He has shown them that he deserves a second chance to be a starter in the NFL.

Granted, Kolb suffered a concussion in the second quarter of last week’s game, but he did very little before the injury to show he belonged on the field. 

Reid needs to abandon the pre-recorded script of declaring Kolb the starter and anoint No. seven his "No. one guy."

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