Philadelphia Eagles: 8 Bold Predictions for Michael Vick in 2011
Michael Vick's return to the NFL could not have gone any better. However, now that the fairytale first season is in the books, what is in store for Vick and his Eagles this year?
How will he respond to the reality that is the NFL. Will he receive the same celebrated status as he carved for himself last season, or will the talent on the opposing side of the football acclimate to his style of play once again?
Here are eight bold predictions for Michael Vick this coming season.
Sophomore Syndrome
1 of 8
Last season was essentially a rookie season for the returning Michael Vick. Vick had spent so long without football, save for a few minor appearances the season before last, that he essentially had to find his legs once more.
What happens to a lot of actual rookies who blossom in their first season is that they falter to an extent the following year. Vick has similar characteristics in that his expectations will be bloated coming into 2011 compared to last season when he came in as the second-string quarterback to Kevin Kolb.
Defenses were somewhat surprised by the quarterback's accuracy and awareness in the pocket last year. They should be more prepared to contain him this year, even if it will still be a major struggle to shut him down completely in such an explosive and dynamic offense.
He Will Miss More Than 3 Games
2 of 8
The way that Michael Vick plays the game of football, he is always going to be more vulnerable to injuries than the stereotypical pocket passer.
His willingness to fight for that extra yard or take on players much bigger than him is always the bad that you have to take with the good. Vick missed a few games during his stint with the Atlanta Falcons from 2001 to 2006, but besides breaking his leg, it wasn't a major recurring issue.
However, Vick was a young man when he was lighting up the field in Atlanta. He is not so much these days. Cracking the big 30 mark is a worrying milestone for a player of Vick's size and style. Vick is only 6'0" and at 215 pounds, so his body will break down if repeatedly punished.
With the issues on the Eagles offensive line, it isn't improbable that Vick will rank among the highest-sacked quarterbacks in the league once again. It is inevitable that he gets knocked up. It may not be inevitable that he misses time, but I feel that he will miss a significant number of games in 2011.
He Will Throw More Than 10 Interceptions
3 of 8
Defenses were somewhat overwhelmed by Michael Vick's accuracy throwing the ball from the pocket (well if you can call 10 yards deep the pocket) last season. Most were caught off guard and looked cautious when blitzing him because of his elusiveness.
The Chicago Bears, however, have created the blueprint for getting to the quarterback and disrupting his timing. The Bears rushed in their lanes to great effect, which resulted in four sacks and repeated pressure in the pocket.
Expect all of the Eagles' opponents to try this tactic next season which, when executed properly, will cause turnovers.
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He Will Win in Atlanta
4 of 8
Michael Vick will light up the Atlanta Falcons defense on his return to the Georgia dome. The Falcons have a poor defense as things stand, and will need drastic changes if they are to matchup to the Eagles.
Their reliance on John Abraham will prevent them from getting to Vick, while the Falcons secondary will be overmatched by the Eagles' dynamic receivers. Vick could post a 300-yard passing and 100-yard rushing game.
Either way, I expect him to light up the scoreboard repeatedly and haunt Falcons fans once again.
I guess there is no need to predict how the home fans will react to him before the game.
He Will Sweep the Division
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The Eagles went 4-2 in divisional games last season. The two games that they lost were played predominantly without Michael Vick.
Sweeping your division is the biggest step towards a playoff berth in any NFL season, unless, of course, you are the Oakland Raiders of 2010. The NFC East is no longer the powerhouse it once was. The Dallas Cowboys fell apart last season while the Washington Redskins look like the next home of Andrew Luck.
It will be between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles to take command of the division, and Vick had the Giants number last season, notching two victories from two games.
He WIll Rush for a Touchdown from More Than 50 Yards
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Michael Vick's longest career rush is 58 yards, which came in an Atlanta Falcons jersey in 2004. At that stage, Vick was in his prime, having just returned from a broken leg the previous season.
Now he may not be as quick, but he is still incredibly fast, and he can definitely still take it to the house from his own territory. Vick has never been surrounded by so many offensive weapons. There are less opportunities for teams to spy on him because they don't want to leave DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin in single coverage. That's without even considering the presence of LeSean McCoy or Brent Celek.
Vick's longest rush from last season was 35 yards. He definitely still has the ability. All he needs is the opportunity.
He Will Not Get a Single MVP Vote
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It seems unlikely, but I don't think Vick will be able to repeat his success of last season. I have already alluded to his potential sophomore slump, but the Eagles will run the ball a lot next season, so that will also take away from his statistics.
The combination of those two factors will hurt his campaign for the biggest individual award of the NFL regular season. The Eagles will have one of the best offenses in the league and will more than likely make the playoffs, but the MVP will not be in the Virginia native's locker this time next season.
He Will Have 2,500 Rushing Yards Combined with LeSean McCoy
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Michael Vick had 100 rushes last season for 676 yards. He has previously gone over 1,000 rushing yards in a single season once throughout his whole career. However, this year I expect him to repeat that feat.
Vick and LeSean McCoy are some of the best runners in the league irrespective of position. McCoy, if healthy, should repeat his achievement of going over 1,000 yards from last season. In fact, his average is likely to improve over the already impressive 5.2 yards per carry from last season with the addition of Danny Watkins and the renewed threat of Vick.
McCoy should get close to 1,500 yards while Vick will go over 1,000 yards, which will give them the 2,500 combined.
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