Philadelphia Eagles Football: Michael Vick Redeeming Himself One Game at a Time

It’s pretty evident now that Michael Vick is a better quarterback than he ever was in Atlanta.

I have been a skeptic of the Vick situation in Philadelphia for most of the season.

I did not like how the Eagles were handling Kevin Kolb's playing status and I also thought Vick would eventually fall on his face.

I don’t know what happened to this guy in prison, but maybe Ryan Leaf should have tried it out. I can see Vick throwing a slab of concrete through a tire hoop while he was in prison. Who knows? Perhaps Vick does not feel pressured anymore. He’s playing the game without a care in the world seemingly.

The simple truth is: Vick has electrified and Kolb has been ordinary. There's nothing wrong with Kolb and I still think he's going to be a fine quarterback someday, but it's Vick's show for now.

The most intriguing part about Vick's resurgence is the improvements he's made in the passing game. Vick did not throw an interception until Week 12 and he's totaled 15 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions thus far. His career low is 8 interceptions in 421 attempts (2002).

He has also proven that one of his biggest weapons, his legs, are still as healthy as they used to be. It looks like he hasn't lost a step when he decides to run. Vick has made better decisions about when to tuck and run, and he is looking to pass the ball first.

Total transformation.

Vick is currently second in NFL passer rating with a 105.7, trailing Tom Brady by one-tenth of a point. His career high in a full season is 81.6 (one of his best seasons to date in 2002). His accuracy? Seven points higher than his career best of 56.4.

The nightmare for defensive coordinators has returned. He torched a Redskins defense a couple of Mondays ago for six touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) in a complete rout. Last night against the Texans, he threw for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns. More importantly, he passed with 66.7% accuracy.

Vick has turned the Eagles' Red Zone deficiencies around, too. Prior to this season, the Eagles Red Zone scoring percentage was 49% (check it out here). This season, Vick has the Eagles at 61% in the Red Zone. When Kevin Kolb leads the offense, the Eagles only score 33% of the time in the Red Zone. I guess Andy Reid knew what he was doing all along. 

So now the question is: Do you forgive a guy for his previous crimes just because he is finally living up to the enormous potential we all hoped for? I know the fans in Philadelphia have probably erased this from their minds.

This is a contract year for Vick and he will likely get a huge contract next season. He served his time and he’s clearly put it behind him.

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