Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles Won't Rebound Like the Miami Heat

The Philadelphia Eagles have stumbled out of the gate like the Miami Heat did last fall. Yet the Eagles will not be able to recover as the Heat did on their way to the NBA Finals.

The Miami Heat started the season 9-9 and were serenaded with chants of "Overrated!" during their season-opening loss to the Boston Celtics. However, the Heat were able to gel as the season progressed due to the long NBA season. Additionally, they were able to overcome their slow start because they could play shutdown defense and beat up on the have-nots of the parity-less NBA.

The Eagles must compete in the always-tough NFC East. The New York Giants have already beaten them once, and the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys have both started off with winning records.

The scheduling advantage of playing the NFC West is offset by having to battle the AFC East. Fortunately, they get the New England Patriots and New York Jets in Philadelphia but will have to travel to Buffalo to take on the surging Buffalo Bills.

The "Dream Team's" biggest issues are the large deficiencies on each side of the ball. The highly-touted secondary was shredded by backup wide receiver Victor Cruz, and the offensive line and linebacking corps my be among the NFL's worst.

Brandon Jacobs, not known for his quickness or speed, exposed Casey Matthews by running away from him on a wheel route. The other starting linebackers, Jamar Chaney and Moise Fokou, had combined for less than 100 tackles between them prior to this season.

Meanwhile, Michael Vick's style of play and the offensive line's inexperience have already resulted in a concussion and bruised hand in two separate incidents. Without Vick, this team will be fighting to win eight games.

The Eagles took a chance by not legitimately addressing their offensive line or linebackers this offseason, and it may be enough to keep them from achieving their "dreams."