NFL Fact or Fiction: Michael Vick's 2011 Performance so Far Is NFL's Most Epic

Michael Vick's 2011 NFL season has been plagued with injury, not only to him, but to his teammates.  Yet, despite the injuries, Vick is able to put up numbers.

"

Epic: /epik/

Adjective: Of, relating to, or characteristic of an epic or epics

Noun: A long poem, typically derived from oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of...

google.com, define epic

"

Looking at the 2011 season, whose deeds or adventures would be the stuff of legend?  When fans tell their children about past football seasons, of whom will they speak?  Here is the list of epic performances for 2011 so far.

Tony Romo and the Broken Ribs

Even though he suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung in the second game of the season, Tony Romo reentered the contest to lead his Cowboys to a victory over San Francisco.  Down to the 49ers at the end of the third quarter, Romo reentered the game to tie the score in regulation.  In overtime, Romo finished the job to ensure the Cowboys took home a huge win in a rivalry known for its great performances.

Not only did Romo return to the 49ers game after fracturing his ribs, he's played in every contest since then, lifting the Cowboys to fourth in the league in total passing.  It's likely Romo wishes Dallas had a better record during the first part of the season, but the mediocre results are due in no part to a lack of effort on his part.

Matt Forte, the One-Man Show

Matt Forte's performance in the 2011 season, thus far, is legendary. 

Yes, it's by necessity that he's had so many touches, but Forte has been a one-man show for the Chicago Bears.  The Chicago offensive line is atrocious, so Jay Cutler and the Bears have had to be creative to find offensive production.  That creativity, ironically, is very simple.  Get the ball to Forte.

Forte is not only the leading rusher for the Bears, but he's also the leading receiver.  He has 672 yards on the ground and 419 through the air.  Additionally, he's tied for the most individual Bears' touchdowns with three.  Forte is literally carrying Chicago's load on his back.

You can call him Achilles, if you'd like.

Arian Foster's One-Night Stand-Up

Has anybody had a bigger single-game performance this season?  On Sunday, Arian Foster blew up for the Texans, racking up 115 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns.  He also added 119 yards receiving, along with another touchdown by way of a 78-yard reception from Matt Schaub.

To put this in perspective, of Houston's 518 yards, Foster accounted for 45 percent of its production.  He's also the first player in the Texans' brief franchise history to go over 100 yards in both rushing and receiving in a single game. 

While the Titans have the legendary name, it was Foster who put up the legendary performance.

Darren Sproles, Five Foot Nuthin'

Nobody embodies the quote from Rudy more than Darren Sproles: "You're five foot nothin', 100 and nothin', and you have barely a speck of athletic ability."

Sproles is 5'6", 190 pounds and has really found his stride, literally, in New Orleans.  With the Saints, Sproles is their lightning in a bottle.  Every time he touches the ball, he's electric.  If the Saints weren't so deep at both running back and receiver, Sproles would have even more stats to his credit.

As it stands, Sproles averages 7.4 yards per rush on 39 carries while having five touchdowns to his credit.  One of those touchdowns was scored on a 78-yard punt return.  To supplement his performance on offense, which includes 329 yards receiving, Sproles averages 26.9 yards per kickoff and averages 10.1 yards per punt return.

The Saints are a strong team top to bottom, but there's no doubt that Sproles is their man when they need instant production. 

Ben Roethlisberger, the Man with the Golden Foot

It's more likely that Ben Roethlisberger's foot is black and blue, not golden, but that hasn't stopped him from being productive.  In fact, if anything, it's made him more focused as a passer.

As if it wasn't enough that Roethlisberger has endured 20 sacks this season, the Pittsburgh quarterback incurred a serious injury to his foot.  And, even with those limitations, Big Ben has found productivity in passing game. 

Roethlisberger has never been very mobile in the pocket, but in order to avoid reducing his capacity any further, he has refused injections of pain medication.  Instead, he prefers to lead his team while enduring intense discomfort in his foot.

The Steelers are 5-2 behind the leadership of Roethlisberger and looking at a significant chance to make the playoffs.  Is Big Ben's effort the stuff of legends?  It appears so.

Indianapolis Colts, Collapse of the Century

Not all epic tales include greatness.  Some tales include epic failures, like the epic failure of Custer's Last Stand or the epic failure at Troy.  The Indianapolis Colts have endured a failure of immense proportions.

Entering the season, everyone knew Peyton Manning was one of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks.  They also knew he had complete command of his offense in a way no other quarterback does.  However, nobody knew that he was the single driving force behind the Colts offense.

Without Manning, the Colts have struggled mightily behind two quarterbacks, Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter.  Twenty-seventh in the league in passing and 25th in rushing, the Colts are winless, including a 62-7 embarrassment by the Saints.

If there's one bright spot for Indianapolis, their epic collapse could result in restocking the cupboard at quarterback with a Manning-esque Andrew Luck.

Calvin Johnson, Big and Tall

Calvin Johnson is a big part of the Lions' success, as he's been targeted by Matthew Stafford 41 times.  At 6'5" and 236 pounds, Johnson is a large target for his quarterback and has been a nightmare for opposing secondaries.  Everyone knew Johnson had the potential, but he's finally living up to his hype.

Johnson is fourth in the league in receiving yards at 679 yards, while averaging 16.6 yards per catch.  What's most impressive about Johnson's performance, however, is his total number of touchdowns.  Johnson almost doubles the next closest receiver's stats with 10 touchdowns of his own.

If Calvin Johnson continues this level of scoring production, he may triple his nearest counterpart in receptions for touchdowns.  Epic? 

Jim Harbaugh, Mining for Gold

If anybody has become a legend in less than a year, it's Jim Harbaugh.  Ignoring the comedy of "handshake-gate," Harbaugh's passion has inspired the 49ers to play beyond themselves.  It's not simply passion, though, as the Harbaugh is an intellectual coach who knows how to get the most out of his quarterbacks.

After finishing the 2010 season 6-10 while starting 0-5 for the first time in franchise history, this 49ers squad is entering the bye week with an outstanding 5-1 record and looking to win the NFC West.  The 49ers are sixth in the NFL in rushing and 2nd at stopping the run.  The combination of success and weak talent has led many to believe Harbaugh may establish himself as one of the greatest coaches of all time.

When people talk about NFL legends, the name Bill Walsh is commonplace.  Harbaugh is already drawing comparisons to the coaching legend who also left Stanford for the 49ers.  If he can maintain his success, Harbaugh's name may be synonymous with Walsh when fans speak of 49er greats.

Jimmy Graham, A Slam Dunk

Jimmy Graham played a single year of football at the University of Miami after starring as a Hurricanes basketball player.  Drafted by the New Orleans Saints based on his athletic ability, Graham has exploded onto the scene in his second year in New Orleans.

On a Saints team dominated by exceptional receivers, Drew Brees has targeted his tight end 66 times for 674 yards and five touchdowns.  Graham is averaging 15 yards per catch.  No tight end is even close to matching Graham's production, as his receiving yards are 150 percent better than the next closest tight end.  In fact, his production would place him in the top five of all wide receivers.

For a tight end who played a single year of college football, Jimmy Graham's performance may end up being the greatest performance by any tight end in NFL history.

Michael Vick, The Verdict

Though many expected Michael Vick to repeat his Superman performance in 2010, he's fallen flat.  Yes, he's been injured, but his team is 2-4.  His stats are average with nearly as many interceptions as touchdowns and his quarterback rating is 84.4.

This is not to take away from Vick's hard work.  He's done a lot with his injury, and the injuries of his team, but he hasn't overcome the same obstacles as some of his counterparts.

By comparison, Tony Romo with his broken ribs has thrown for 10 touchdowns and only six interceptions with a passer rating of 93.4.  Additionally, his team is doesn't have a losing record.  Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers are 5-2 behind his passing effort of 12 touchdowns and six interceptions and a passer rating of 95.3.

On the list of injured quarterbacks who continue to play for their teams, Vick only manages a third-place ranking, but still an admirable ranking.  It's apparent that without star receiver DeSean Jackson, Michael Vick is going to have his struggles.

Vick's performance this season is strong, but is being outshone.  Making any mention of Michael Vick's productivity or 2011 performance being epic under the circumstances is simply untrue, at the moment.

The Verdict, unfortunately: FICTION