Michael Vick: Willing the Philadelphia Eagles To Victory

What more can you say about the Philadelphia Eagles' Michael Vick? Week in and week out, he's been able to will his team to victory in 2010.

Considering this is coming from a guy who was nearly cut this summer, he makes for one helluva story. Couple that with his banishment from the league and life in general, and it's suddenly upgraded to remarkable.

Whether you like the guy or not, there is one undeniable aspect in his story. The fact that Michael Vick has reshaped his image and become an overnight hero is admirable on his part.

At the same time, no one can deny this, for it is very true. This man turned his life around and has had a roller coaster journey over the past few years of his life. All of this though was his own doing, and now he's come clean.

In 2005, Vick was the highest-paid player in the NFL. By 2007, he was faced with charges and sentenced to 21 months in jail for participating in a dogfighting ring. After his dismissal from jail, no one wanted to gamble on him.

Who could blame them?

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie took a Liberty Bell-sized chance and brought Vick to Philadelphia. This made headlines everywhere, and the Eagles became the NFL's most-hated team.

Vick was seemingly nothing more than a decoy in 2009, an afterthought to opposing defenses' game-planning. Fast-forward to 2010, and Michael Vick is again on top of the playoff world for the NFC East leaders. Wow! Did you follow all of that?

To say this has been a roller coaster is a major understatement. This has been the Michael Vick Experience 2.0.

Vick has consistently been able to do things that only he can do on a football field. In his resurgence, Vick 2.0 is the uber-NFL QB. His style is similar but has been tweaked to accommodate his 30-year-old body. Vick has transformed into an even better player than previously.

Now at the top of his game, Vick has been able to become a traditional drop-back passer, but with a twist, of course. His two-dimensional nature and amazing talent again makes the Eagles a bona fide threat.

As the entire world saw the past two weeks, Vick can win games in so many ways. Whether it's in blowout fashion or on plays of fortune like last night, Vick delivers. The "plays of fortune" that I'm referring to are numerous.

In particular, though, LeSean McCoy's 50-yard fourth quarter TD scamper on 4th-and-1 was pure luck. There were so many things that could have gone wrong on that play, but didn't.

The snap, of course, is first. That was a debacle turned fortuitous for Vick, and his recovery was instrumental to the score. Not to mention that Osi Umenyiora was a fingertip away from the ball on the pitch. It's a game of inches, right?   

Michael Vick's journey has been one of triumph and turmoil. He's learned the lessons to make him a stronger man and football player. Since his inception in the league in 2001, it was clear that he was a different athlete. He proved that on countless Saturdays in Blacksburg and again in Atlanta in dazzling fashion. Now, with his talents exploited once again, Vick's Philadelphia story is one for the ages.

Like him or not, he's the most dynamic player this sport has ever seen.

You don't have to like him, but after you read this article, it's impossible to neglect Michael Vick.