Bird Brains: Michael Vick Gives Philadelphia Eagles Best Chance To Win Right Now

If Michael Vick's outstanding performance on Sunday didn't put any more pressure on Kevin Kolb, then I don't know what will. Vick led the Eagles to a 35-32, nail-biting win in Detroit yesterday. Vick not only showed flashes of his old self, but he was his old self. He was even more than his old self.

Vick had great poise in the pocket, and did a solid job feeling the rush from Detroit, despite another awful performance by the offensive line. The screams of Eagles fans wanting Vick to start will now grow even louder in the ears of head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg.

Reid has already proclaimed that Kevin Kolb will get the start next Sunday in Jacksonville, a team that he played fairly well against in the preseason. But what remains to be seen is how Kolb will hold up against the pressure. No, not the pressure from Philly fans wanting his head on a spike for a poor performance, but the pressure that he will surely be under thanks to Jacksonville's defense.

This is not a testament to the Jaguars defense, but a testament to how bad the Eagles offensive line is. But what is maddening is that the Eagles do not lack talent along the line. Jason Peters was once one of the league's most dominating tackles, although he did a better job stymieing Kyle Vanden Bosch on Sunday. Todd Herremans is one of the most underrated guards in the league and could have been a replacement Pro Bowler for the last two seasons.

Mike McGlynn played better on Sunday against the Lions, but Nick Cole and Winston Justice are the two main components that have really struggled along the line. The Eagles gave Justice a hefty contract extension in the offseason, so he knows his performance needs to go up in the next few weeks.

Nick Cole got the start at right guard while Randy Wells continues to learn the Eagles system. Cole is not a starter, but he's more than a backup. He can play anywhere on the inside as strictly a fill-in guy or an injury replacement, but he can't be relied on to start.

Michael Vick was under constant duress against the Lions non-stop blitzes yesterday. He was sacked six times, and hit about twice more that. A lot of Vick's scrambles in Week 1 were because of the Eagles' shoddy protection.

The Eagles offensive line is so bad, so that may give Andy Reid a reason to hold Kolb back and let Mike Vick start for a while. Vick gives the Eagles the best chance to win right now. His scrambling ability and elusiveness in the pocket can hide some of the flaws the Eagles have in protection.

Frankly, Kevin Kolb will not last six weeks under center with the way the Eagles offensive line is playing. It's common that young quarterbacks get beaten to death due to an awful offensive line when they take over a team.

Tim Couch and David Carr are perfect examples of that theory. Both had the promise of a Pro Bowl quarterback, but poor protection stunted their development and led to them being out as the starter after a few seasons.

If Andy Reid wants Kolb to be the Eagles savior, he will start Vick until the offensive line gels as a unit. Now that begs the question: What if Vick starts and wins four or five in a row? Then it will be really hard to pull him, won't it? I'm not saying pull Vick once the line starts to play well, but if he can take this team to a few wins in a row, keep him going.

If Kolb starts, there's a good chance he will suffer another injury or play horribly, but it won't be because he's not talented enough. A quarterback needs protection to be successful. For years, Donovan McNabb had one of the best offensive lines in all of football, and he became an elite quarterback.

David Carr, the top overall pick in the 2002 draft, was sacked 249 times in five seasons as a starter in Houston. That's an average of 49.8 times per season. Kevin Kolb will become the next David Carr if Andy Reid starts him for the remainder of the season.

Kolb has the potential to be a very good quarterback in this league, and he also deserves the chance to prove himself. But if Andy Reid wants to start him for the remainder of the season, there is a serious chance he will get hurt badly.

With Vick as the starter, the Eagles will possess an explosiveness they didn't have under McNabb. Vick is a quarterback who can throw the deep ball and take it 60 yards if you give him a crease. While Kevin Kolb may be the future, Michael Vick is what the Eagles need right now.