Michael Vick: The Revitalization and Dominance of a QB

Professional athletes are not role models. Tiger Woods may be one to some who think it is right to cheat on their wives with many, many women. LeBron James may be to some who think it is okay to rip the hearts out of their home-state and pulverize them on national television. Michael Vick may be to some who believe it is alright to kill dogs.

Woods is back in the game, trying to repair his image and get back to his old form. James is just an egotistical primadonna who still has no clue what he did to Ohio, nor does he understand he will not be seen as one of the best players ever, no matter what he does with Miami and beyond.

Vick, after paying his debt to society with an 18-month prison sentence, returned to the NFL last year thanks to the second chance the Philadelphia Eagles extended. Now, he is better than he ever was with the Atlanta Falcons. The Washington Redskins found out the hard, humiliating way.

The Monday Night Football matchup between the Redskins and Eagles had plenty of storylines attached even before the opening kickoff.

Donovan McNabb, Washington’s 33-year-old quarterback who was just given a contract extension worth $78 million (a tad too much) over five years (a tad too many), was set to face his former team. Would he deliver in an attempt to back up the outrageous deal and get the Redskins over .500? And then there was Vick. How would he do in a hostile environment? Could he keep his remarkable season going?

There are some who will never respect Vick. But I believe in second chances. He’s making the most of his. He was so good the famed video game version would have a difficult time competing. Meanwhile, the Redskins defense was run by someone who didn’t know how to work the controls.

On the first play from scrimmage, Vick aired it out to wide-receiver DeSean Jackson, who caught the deep pass, out ran his defender, then showboated as he reached the end zone. One play, 88 yards, and a silent Fed-Ex Field. This was only the beginning.

Next possession, Vick orchestrated a much longer drive, dissecting the Redskins usually tough defense with his arm and his legs. His speed picked apart the opposition prior to the dog-fighting scandal, but his accuracy has vastly improved. This dual threat has transformed him from an electrifying player into a multi-dimensional electrifying player.

That drive ended with a run by Vick, a seven-yard scamper that resulted in a touchdown and a 14-0 lead. It would only get better for the 30-year old and the Eagles. A shovel pass on their next possession to LeSean McCoy resulted in a 21-point margin, concluding a methodical 42-yard drive set up by a McNabb interception. He could do it all. Run, pass, shovel, it didn’t matter. Washington didn’t have an answer. This was the player who took the NFL by storm in his early 20s—only mature and polished.

The Eagles were just having fun from then on. The 21-0 lead turned into 28-0 as recently acquired running back Jerome Harrison dove for the pylon to cap a 50-yard rumble. That touchdown, Philadelphia’s fourth of the first quarter, was set up by two completions by Vick for 27 yards. He did what he wanted. He found receivers, used his legs to rack up the yardage and handed the ball off when he felt it was necessary. Washington put up little resistance.

After a three-and-out by McNabb and the Redskins in front of a shocked crowd, Vick continued to torch Philadelphia’s division rival, lofting a pass deep to Jeremy Maclin down the sideline. Maclin, with a step on his oblivious defender, timed his leap perfectly, hauled in Vick’s throw and then stayed upright long enough to dive into the corner of the end zone. 35-0.

McNabb proceeded to throw two touchdown passes, but though two-and-a-half quarters remained, Philadelphia wasn’t about to lose such a substantial advantage—not with Vick running the show.

The Eagles led by 31 at halftime, 45-14, and by 31 when the final whistle was blown, by the astonishing score of 59-28. It was the definition of a blowout. Washington was as overmatched as a team can be, while Vick was as efficient as possible. The quarterback threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns on 20-28 passing, finished with eight carries for 80 yards and two rushing touchdowns and watched his fanbase grow in the process.

Twitter blew up with statuses exclaiming “Vick!” after every shifty run, every beautifully placed pass. #TeamVick was a popular hashtag. This was a player playing football. This wasn’t the person who killed dogs for fun. He was on the field, in a spotlight he deserved to bask in. Michael Vick, who has entered the MVP race, was just playing a game. A game no other is as good at right now. He is the league’s most dangerous player once again, having never looked better.

He is not a role model, but with every pass completed and every yard gained with his legs, I appreciated the talent, the dominance, the effortless ability to treat a defense as if they were wading through cement. He gained respect with an other-worldy performance, his latest of many on this remarkable comeback trail—a revitalization that brings back memories of years past and makes this fan happy for what his future may bring.

(Photo: Daylife)