Michael Vick Over Kevin Kolb: Philadelphia Eagles Have 5 Reasons to Tab No. 7

Michael Vick is doing his best to create a quarterback controversy with Kevin Kolb and the Philadelphia Eagles.

And that's a good thing.

Vick was brought into Philadelphia last season to be a backup. During the offseason, Donovan Mcnabb was traded to the division rival Washington Redskins and the Eagles said they would be moving forward with QB Kevin Kolb. 

The old adage in the NFL is that you don't lose your job to injury. After suffering a concussion in Week 1, Kolb was replaced by Vick, who then started Week 2 when Kolb had to sit out. 

Going into Week 3 the Eagles had a choice to make, stay with the hot hand in Vick, or go back to Kolb now that he was better. The Eagles chose Vick and here are five reasons why it was a good choice. 

Was Kevin Kolb Truly Healthy and 100% Ready to Play?

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PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Kevin Kolb #4 of the Philadelphia Eagles is sacked by Clay Matthews #52 during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field on September 12, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty

Concussions are becoming a much debated topic in the NFL. Teams now must clear their players with an independent doctor before a player is allowed to step back onto the field after a concussion. Many new studies are coming out about the long-term effects of concussions. 

My question is, how long does it really take to recover from a concussion? We have seen players come back after just a week, and be fine. We have seen players come back after a week and not be just right yet. We have also seen players come back after a week and get knocked out right away again. Lastly we have seen players be out for months following concussions, and of course there have been career-ending concussions. 

So the question becomes, was Kevin Kolb really ready to play after just one week on the sidelines?

If Kolb was still getting headaches or feeling woozy during practices and meetings, that would have an effect on how he plays on Sunday. If Kolb's head was still hurting, it would influence the amount that he could prepare for the game against Jacksonville, and he could easily have been under-prepared, which could cost the Eagles a lot. 

These are questions that the media would not know the answer to, given coaches and players shyness about giving full injury disclosure to the media, but coaches around the Eagles would easily be aware of this which may have factored into the decision. 

Michael Vick Has More Experience

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ATLANTA - DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Atlanta Falcons runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers December 24, 2006 at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta,Georgia (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Philadelphia is one of the least forgiving and impatient cities in the country. The fans want to win now. The fans are already starting to grow frustrated with Andy Reid. Having said that Andy Reid cannot afford to sit back and wait on the development of a young quarterback. 

Teams can only afford to develop a young quarterback when they are in the rebuilding process, when expectations for the franchise are low. It also helps if you have a dominant running game. Neither one is the case with the Eagles. They are built to win now and they need a quarterback who can win now.

After looking very rusty last season, Vick now has a season under his belt where he was able to get back in shape. Vick is no longer rusty from the time off, he is back in football shape and can compete in the NFL.

With Vick in shape, he brings the team an experienced quarterback who has won in his career as Vick has already been to an NFC championship game. Vick's experience will help the young Philadelphia receivers grow and mature.  

Vick Brings The Ability to Run to The Eagles' Offense

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs for a touchdown past safety Courtney Greene #36 of the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on September 26, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Eagles defeated

Even going back to the Donovan McNabb days, the Eagles never had a premier rusher. When it came time to get a yard on the ground, they often couldn't get it. A 3rd-and-1 for the Eagles often meant that McNabb would have to drop back for yet another pass. 

Michael Vick allows the Eagles to change it up. He can not only scramble to make big plays, but the Eagles can call designed runs for him. This will give the Eagles more of a running threat then they've had in years. 

The threat of Vick running will also ease the burden on the running backs and create holes and space for them to run, as the defense will be concentrating on Vick. 

The threat of an Eagles running game will cause havoc for opposing defenses and open things up for Vick and his very strong arm, which will allow the Eagles to utilize his strong arm, as well as the speed of WR DeSean Jackson.

Vick Has The Ability to Sit in The Pocket and Throw The Ball

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on September 26, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Eagles defeated the Jaguars 28-3. (Photo by Doug

The complaint about Michael Vick was always that he is a run first quarterback. He would break from the play and look to scramble too early each time. Many scouts believed this would cripple him, and prevent him from becoming an elite quarterback in the NFL. Furthermore, in his days with the Falcons, Vick barely completed more then 50 percent of his passes. 

With the Eagles, it looks as if Vick has been born again. While he still takes off and runs down the field from time to time, he sits back in the pocket and lets the play develop before taking off. Vick is looking to make plays with his arm now, not his feet. 

Against Jacksonville, Vick sat back in the pocket and threw three touchdown passes.

Only after throwing three TDs did he take off and run for one. Vick's ability to stay in the pocket and throw the ball accurately downfield can make him one of the premier passers in the NFL. 

We Know What Vick Can Do. We Don't Know What Kolb Can Do

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on September 26, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (P

Once again it comes down to the Eagles want to win now. While they believe Kolb may very well be the quarterback of the future, the question is is he the quarterback of right now?

The Vick fans will point to an ineffective first half that Kolb had against the Packers. But one half of football is not a large enough sample space to judge whether Kolb will be able to hack it or not. However in regards to that same argument, Vick was much more effective in his one half against the Packers then Kolb was. 

Something that is also forgotten is that while ultimately it comes down to what you do in games, that is not the whole story.

It also matters who is playing better during practices, something that the Eagles' coaching staff sees every day. If Vick is outperforming Kolb daily, then Vick is the way to go.