Should Michael Vick Have Been The Eagles' Quarterback From The Beginning?

Perhaps not. However, with the recent success of Michael Vick, one cannot sit back without thinking what could have been. One thing is for sure and that is when Andy Reid came to Philadelphia, he wanted to draft a franchise quarterback that fit his system. The Eagles' style of offense is a West Coast type with a lot of short, intermediate passes, and screens combined with a few deep shots. 

I want to cut the nonsense here: Donovan McNabb was a great choice for the Birds' offense. But with all of that aside, what has happened this past week really makes you wonder how many Lombardi trophies Philadelphia could have had with Michael Vick.

Let me explain.

I have never heard anyone say that Andy Reid is an absolute offensive genius. Never. Maybe you did, but I didn't. After Monday's blowout win against the Redskins, I've heard it about three times. I even heard it from Justin Tuck of the New York Giants. 

Vick ran the offense so well that people are shouting Reid and Marty Mornhinweg's names for president. A bit odd if you ask me. The consistency and effectiveness that Vick demonstrates when executing plays is staggering. What could have happened if McNabb didn't throw at the legs of his receivers? I'm not just talking about passing plays here. Obviously, Vick can use his feet as well. Yes, McNabb performed very well in both the passing and running game at his age, too. However, something is not adding up. 

When D-Mac was at the helm here in Philly, Reid/Mornhinweg were never labeled anywhere in the same category as a genius. Big Red was pretty much always getting bashed for his clock management (and rightly so) and Marty was highly criticized for not balancing the run and pass very well. 

Folks, my point is this: The plays haven't changed. We still see the same bubble screens, wildcats, bootleg fakes, deep bombs, and flea flickers that we have always seen. We still see the same ratio of pass to run. It's just that now we have a quarterback that is a perfect fit for this style of offense. McNabb was somewhat limited in his escapability.

Vick? Not so much. The guy is magical to watch and the Eagles' offense looks flawless with him at the point.