Michael Vick Report Card: Grading the Philadelphia Eagles QB vs. Washington

For the first time in over a month, the Philadelphia Eagles emerged victorious, winning a 20-13 game against the Washington Redskins, a team that entered the day in first place in the NFC East.

Michael Vick came nowhere close to the six-touchdown day that he turned in against the Redskins last year on Monday Night Football, but he managed the game well enough to win.

Here is an analysis of Vick’s performance yesterday:

Passing Numbers

Vick completed 18 of 31 passes for 237 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the contest against the Redskins, finishing with a passer rating of 79.7.

Vick’s numbers certainly weren’t spectacular, but they were good enough to win the game. He completed 58 percent of his passes—about on par with the league average. He averaged 7.65 yards per attempt, about two-thirds of a yard better than his career average (6.99). He threw a touchdown, and a week after throwing four interceptions in a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills, he tossed just one.

Grade: B-

Rushing Numbers

The Redskins couldn’t contain Vick in the game, and he made them pay, running the ball seven times for 54 yards, including a big 31-yard run down the left sideline.

Vick averaged 7.7 yards per rush, giving him nearly 300 total yards for the day (237 passing, 54 rushing). He made some plays happen with his ability to escape the pressure, plays that a normal quarterback wouldn’t be able to make.

Grade: A

Decision Making

Vick didn’t look his best, but he managed the game well enough. He turned what could have been a potentially disastrous play—a snap over his head deep in his own territory—into a plus, quickly throwing the ball away and drawing a penalty for a late hit that gave the Eagles a first down.

His interception was off a tipped pass that was just unfortunate; Vick didn’t have any of the throws like the one he made to Nick Barnett in the Buffalo game a week before. With the way they played on defense, Vick really didn’t need to be phenomenal, and he was good enough to get a win that was really needed.

Grade: B

Red Zone

The Eagles have struggled immensely in recent years to score once they get the ball inside the red zone. On Sunday, the Eagles scored two touchdowns in five trips in the red zone, getting field goals on two other times.

Vick did throw an interception from the Redskins’ 16, but it was tipped, and the Redskins ended up having to punt on the ensuing series.

Grade: B

Clutch Factor

The Eagles really needed this game. It was a must-win for an Eagles team coming off four straight losses and a win against the top team in the division would give Philly some momentum heading into its bye week.

With that in mind, Vick and the offense did a fine job getting the Eagles off to a 20-0 start and 20-3 advantage at halftime. The score grew a little closer at the end, and the Eagles didn’t score once in the second half, but still, the 20 points was enough to win the game.

Grade: B