Philadelphia Eagles: Can Mike Kafka Successfully Replace Injured Michael Vick?

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick left last night's game against the Atlanta Falcons with a concussion after being slammed into his own offensive lineman. Backup Mike Kafka was called into duty and performed admirably, but let's face it, he's not Vick.

Kafka made his NFL debut last night and completed 7-of-9 passes for 72 yards. He really didn't miss a throw, and one of his incompletions should have been caught, as on fourth down late in the fourth quarter Jeremy Maclin failed to hold on to a pass right into his arms. Kafka's other incompletion came on a Hail Mary attempt to end the game.

Despite being extremely accurate and looking very poised, the 24-year-old Kafka couldn't bring the Eagles back for a win, as they fell to the Falcons 35-31.

Eagles coach Andy Reid revealed in his postgame press conference that Vick had suffered a concussion. An Eagles source described the concussion as "slight," and Vick was reportedly in good spirits following the game. He showered and made the flight back to Philadelphia with his teammates.

While this sounds relatively minor, the NFL and its teams take concussions very seriously these days. If the Eagles rush Vick back and he suffers another tough hit this could turn into a problem, especially given his playing style and how he puts himself in harms way while scrambling. Expect the Eagles to be very careful with the man they just handed a six-year, $100 million contract.

Right now I'd call Vick 50-50 to start next week against the New York Giants. Vince Young is still struggling with a hamstring injury and was inactive Sunday night, which makes Kafka is the favorite to start next Sunday.

Kafka looked very comfortable in the pocket and made the right read on each throw he made. But with a week to prepare for him, the Giants will certainly disguise their coverages and blitzes enough to confuse the young signal-caller.

I was very impressed with Kafka Sunday night, but I'm not confident he can step in for Vick and produce results for the Eagles right now. Philadelphia will rely heavily on the running game if Vick misses any time. Luckily for the Eagles, running back LeSean McCoy has looked great so far this season.

Kafka might be able to lead the Eagles to a win in Vick's absence, but don't expect him to be the focal point of the offense.