Michael Vick: 7 Steps Philadelphia Eagles QB Must Take To Get Back to 2010 Form

Where the Philadelphia Eagles go, so does Michael Vick. And just as the Eagles are in the middle of a slumping season, so is Vick.

Simply put, the Eagles' quarterback has not been worth the $80 million contract he signed this past offseason. Too many errors and drive-killing turnovers have cost his team games this season, leaving many fans to wonder if No. 7 is really Philadelphia's answer at the quarterback position.

With the season in jeopardy, Vick must take these steps in order to revert to his 2010 form and help his team pull off a second-half comeback.

Hang on to the Football

Given Michael Vick's style of football, it may be easy for some people to play off the eight fumbles he has already committed this season.

However, be it a runner or a pocket passer, a quarterback must know how to keep the football out of harm's way while it is in their possession.

Vick simply has not done that this season.

Granted, he has improved his ball security skills over the last two weeks. His previous fumbles, though, have proven costly for his team and he needs to prove that he will not be so prone to giving up the football as he was in the first half of the season.

Time to bring out the Stickum.

Make Better Decisions

On the same note of not turning the football over, Michael Vick also needs to learn when to throw to a receiver and when throwing to that same receiver is the worst possible move.

Often times this season, fans have seen Vick toss a ball towards a receiver covered by two or three defenders: That is 2:1 or 3:1 odds that the ball lands in the hands of the opposing team.  

He can make all the throws—be it a bomb down the field or laser across the middle—but his problem comes when he needs to identify which is the best throw to make. Heck, sometimes the best decision is to throw the ball out of bounds and avoid the chance of a turnover altogether.

Vick proved that he could be a smart decision-maker last season. Now he needs to show everyone that he hasn't regressed.

Hang Tight in the Pocket...

Everyone knows who Michael Vick is: He is a run first, pass second type of quarterback, and that will always be the case.  Some aspects of a quarterback's game simply cannot be changed.

That being said, Vick needs to start getting more comfortable in the pocket, otherwise he will continue to make boneheaded plays on the fly that cost the Eagles a score.  

It may not be easy, however, given that he sustained two broken ribs the last time he trusted his offensive line to protect him. Fortunately, the line showed that they can keep pressure off of the quarterback when they manhandled the New York Giants' vaunted defensive line in Week 11.

If Vick can regain his composure and step up in the pocket rather than flee, not only will he make better throws, but he will also win a few more games while doing so.

...While Also Knowing When To Run

That being said, Michael Vick also needs to understand when his team may best be served by him touting the rock up the field himself.

Even at 30 years of age, Vick has mobility like no other quarterback in the league. His ability to dodge would-be tacklers and get 10 or 20 yards on a broken play is why he is so deadly.

Sometimes, no matter how good the protection might be, a play simply gets shut down. With most other quarterbacks, that would equate to either a sack or a missed throw. With Vick, however, it means he has a prime opportunity to put the team on his back and run for the first down himself.

Deciding when to stay in the pocket or break loose is critical to Vick and the Eagles finding success throughout the remaining games of the season.

Lead the Receivers

The Philadelphia Eagles' offense is designed so that wide receivers are given the opportunity to make a play after the catch.

The problem is, that can only happen if the quarterback leads the receiver.  

Many times this season, Michael Vick has thrown passes behind his receivers. This forces them to slow down and concentrate on making the catch, allowing opposing defenders to make an easy play on them.

Last season, Vick did a great job of leading his receivers, which allowed for big plays to be made down the field. It was a big part of the reason that the offense became one of the league's most electrifying.

Perfecting his throws so that the Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson can catch the ball in stride will go a long way toward ensuring that Vick puts points on the board.

Lead the Team

It cannot be stressed enough: Every team needs a commander that can inspire them and lead them to victory, but the Philadelphia Eagles have lacked that type of player for much of the season.  

As quarterback, it is Michael Vick's job to rally his team and energize them. He has not done a good job of that so far this season, and that needs to change if the Eagles want to continue putting notches in the win column.

An inspired team is a winning team. Vick needs to be that inspiration.

Finish the Game

The loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10 was the fifth time this season that the Philadelphia Eagles went into the fourth quarter with a lead, only to have it slip from their fingers in the final minutes.

While much of the blame can be put on the defense for their inability to stop opposing offenses from scoring, that doesn't mean Michael Vick is absolved from all blame.

As the quarterback, Vick must be able to sustain drives and kill the clock, ensuring that the opposing offense stays off the field. Part of that falls on the game plan of the coaches (it's called running the ball with LeSean McCoy), but the other part is Vick going out and executing that game plan effectively.  

Hurting Vick is the fact that backup quarterback Vince Young was able to sustain an 18-play drive in the fourth quarter that went for 80 yards and took nearly nine minutes off the clock. He then proceeded to cap off that drive with a touchdown pass to receiver Riley Cooper.

This does not mean that there should be any sort of quarterback controversy, not by a long shot. But perhaps Vick can take a page out of Young's book and learn how to sustain long drives late in games.