Michael Vick More to Blame for Philadelphia Eagles Slow Start Than We Thought?

The Philadelphia Eagles "dream team" is trying to wake itself from a nightmare 1-4 start. Their splashy acquisitions haven't panned out. Their high-flying offense is covering lots of ground but not scoring many points.

Head coach Andy Reid is already fending off calls for defensive coordinator Juan Castillo's job; if the defense doesn't start playing better immediately, the calls will be for Reid's head.

There are lots of reasons why the Eagles haven't gotten off the ground yet, but is the biggest one Michael Vick?

When the Eagles signed Vick to a reported "$100 Million" contract, they thought they were locking up the spectacular MVP candidate who wore No. 7 for them in 2010. Instead, Vick has been playing much more like the raw, tantalizing talent he was was during his six-year run in Atlanta.

Last season, Vick admitted he "wasted" much of his time in Atlanta, coasting on his athletic ability. He said he's now dedicated himself to learning and honing his craft. It showed on the field; Vick seemed to complete his evolution into a complete quarterback.

He was as terrifying a weapon as everyone who ever saw him play thought he could be.  Some started calling Vick the best player in the game.

There was a compelling statistical case. Vick completed 62.6% of his passes, 6.4% higher than his previous best. He threw 21 touchdowns, a career high, and just six interceptions.

He didn't get less effective on the ground, either: his 100 rushing attempts netted him 676 yards and another nine touchdowns. He did all this in 11 starts.

In 2011, Vick's play has returned to pre-incarceraton from. His completion percentage (62.1%) is still much higher than his career average (55.8%), but his touchdown percentage (4.7%), interception percentage (4.1%), and Adjusted Yards Per Attempt (7.0) have all regressed toward his career average (4.4%, 2.8%, 6.6 respectively). His passer rating is 85.3, down from 100.2 last season.

Throughout his career, Vick often struggled to make reads quickly and get rid of the ball. The result was Vick using his athleticism to escape the rush and try to salvage the play, rather than using his skill to make great things happen. Last season, Vick was finally executing the offense at a high level, and the results were apparent.

This season, Vick is back to his old improvisational ways, holding onto the ball too long and taking ill-advised risks. Several of his interceptions could be blamed on receivers' mistakes, but that's true of any quarterback.

Tom Rimback of PhillyBurbs.com wrote an article called "Don't Look at Vick for Blame," citing a long list of reasons why Vick's poor play wasn't really poor, and wasn't the primary reason for the Eagles' lack of success. But coming up with excuses for a quarterback's poor play doesn't mean the quarterback is playing well.

A franchise quarterback should be earning his contract by making great plays, not making others have to excuse his mistakes. Vick should be elevating his teammates with his performances, not pointing his finger at them, or griping about the refs. If Vick's play were the same as it was in 2010, it'd be visible on the field, and in the Eagles win-loss record.

Mike Vick can't stop the run or cover opposing receivers, and the Eagles' problems on defense have been a major factor in the Eagles 1-4 start. But as we've seen with Peyton Manning and the Colts, a truly elite quarterback can hide a lot of defensive flaws. Vick played at an elite level last year; the Eagles—especially Andy Reid—desperately need him to return to that form now.