10 Changes Michael Vick Must Make If He Wants to Be Elite in 2012

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has ridden quite the roller coaster over the last few years. After doing next to nothing his first season in Philadelphia, he was thrust into the starting role last season and, seemingly out of nowhere, turned in the best season of his career.

His performance was so astonishing that Eagles head coach Andy Reid decided to ditch his prized pupil of three years, Kevin Kolb, and hitch his wagon to the shooting star that was Michael Vick.

After an offseason where the Eagles made him the NFL's first two-time $100 million man and surrounded him with a roster loaded with big-name talent, fans expected Vick to assert himself to be mentioned in the same breath as the Bradys, Mannings, and Breeses of the world.

To say the least, Vick, like the rest of his Eagles teammates, has fallen far short of expectations in 2011. Here are 10 changes that Michael Vick must make to become an elite quarterback in 2012.

Learn to Avoid Unnecessary Hits

In order to be considered an elite quarterback, you must produce numbers and wins. In order to produce numbers and wins, you must be on the field.

In 2011, it seems as though Vick has spent more time on the trainer's table than he has on the field, and his inability to stay healthy has played a major role in his ineffectiveness and, ultimately, the Eagles' demise.

The Eagles are just 1-5 this season in games when Vick was either knocked out of the game or did not play at all due to injury. They dropped a sixth in which Vick sustained a rib injury early, but kept his injury secret from trainers until after the game.

Vick's health is obviously key to the Eagles' success, and the Eagles' success carries just as much weight as his stats in deciding whether or not he should be considered elite.

If Vick can learn to slide, run out of bounds or even simply throw the ball away instead of taking the extra hits for a meaningless extra yard, it will limit the wear on his body during the course of a game and season. While injuries are a part of the game and never completely avoidable, Vick can learn limit his overall exposure to them.

Because of the effect his health has on his play and therefore his team, in order to become elite, Vick needs to learn to identify situations when it is appropriate to put his body on the line and, conversely, when it's best to simply live to see another play. Given their troubles on the offensive line, the Eagles need for Vick to continue to be as elusive and mobile as ever. However, it's learning how to handle the end of the run that holds the key to his future success.

Improve His Timing

One major difference between Vick's performance in 2010 and 2011 has been the number of interceptions he has thrown. Last season, when many were using the phrase "Ultimate Weapon" to describe Vick, he threw just seven interceptions all season, including the playoffs. This year, when many are questioning the sanity of inking the quarterback to such a lucrative contract extension, Vick has already thrown 11 in almost half as much playing time.

The casual observer looking at those numbers would surmise that his ability to read defenses must have deteriorated and defenders have gained an edge over him; however, upon closer inspection, little has changed in his decision-making. A large majority of the interceptions Vick has thrown have actually come on tipped balls.

Whether it's a result of the injuries and the increased beating he has taken this season, a lack of trust in his teammates to be on the same page or simply a case of over-thinking his reads, Vick is hesitating an extra millisecond this season before releasing the ball, giving defenders a better chance to tip passes before they reach their intended targets. Those tipped passes then go up for grabs and, more often than not, are finding the arms of defenders instead of receivers.

Every quarterback throws interceptions as football is a game of cat-and-mouse that the defense will occasionally win. To become elite in 2012, Vick must cut down on the number of interceptions he throws by getting rid of the ball more decisively before the tight windows he has to throw into begin to close.

Doing so will deny defenders the opportunity to reach into the passing lane and alter the flight of the ball, increasing the likelihood that the ball will reach its intended target.

Master the "Hot Read"

Watching Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, it quickly becomes apparent that they excel at frustrating defenses by simply throwing to spots that are left vulnerable by whatever coverage the defense throws at them. Manning, in fact, is famous for his pre-snap signal barking, directing receivers to areas the defense can't possibly defend given the coverage scheme he reads at the line of scrimmage.

Often, these pre-snap adjustments don't necessarily result in 20, 30 or 40-yard completions, but instead, simple five to 10-yard gains that both infuriate and slowly break the will of a defense.

In Vick's case, his biggest blessing is also his biggest curse in that he knows he has the physical capability to elude the rush to allow the play called in the huddle to develop, so he attempts to forge ahead, regardless of what he sees in front of him.

While such trust in the coach's play call does occasionally result in a huge play for the Eagles, it also often deteriorates into a forced pass that no one can catch in order to avoid a sack.

If Vick can learn to master the so-called "hot read," like Manning or Brady, and learn to take the short gain that the defense yields as a result of their coverage scheme, it will go a long way in helping Vick to become an elite quarterback in 2012.

These short passes have a high completion percentage, a key statistic that many factor into their measurements of elite quarterbacks, and, given the athletes the Eagles have at receiver and running back, could easily turn into big gains with very little risk.

Best of all, once he successfully completes a few of these "hot read" plays, it will discourage the defense from blitzing and leaving vulnerabilities for Vick to exploit through the air, opening up the field for him to take advantage of running lanes that open up as the defense drops into coverage. It will also give him increased, pressure-free time in the pocket to find open receivers. Vick would completely dictate all of the action on the field, a luxury only the NFL's true elite are afforded.

Find His Tight End

The tight end is an under-appreciated position in the NFL. Obviously, there are a few exceptions: Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Jason Witten come to mind. For this Eagles team, with Michael Vick under center, however, that statement certainly rings true.

Eagles tight end Brent Celek had seemed to be an up-and-coming star in the league as recently as 2009. That year, he had 76 receptions for 971 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season. In 2010, when Michael Vick took over the starting role, those numbers dropped drastically and haven't improved much this season.

It should be said that Vick is not entirely to blame for Celek's decrease in production. The Eagles' offensive line has been spread so thin by lack of talent and depth over the last two seasons that Andy Reid has often employed two tight end sets to assist with blocking duties.

Having said that, a solid pass-catching tight end like Celek serves as a great safety valve in blitz situations and can also help to spread a defense and open up passing lanes when facing traditional coverage sets. By making a point of it to find Celek more often, Vick could help to open up the field for his explosive receiving corps, making it easier to find all of his targets on the field. 

It's not as if Vick doesn't have a history with looking to find the tight end, either. In Atlanta, his favorite receiver was tight end Alge Crumpler.

Part of being an elite quarterback is making it difficult for defenses to find ways to prevent you from moving the ball effectively. If they focus on taking away one of your favorite targets, you simply eviscerate them with another. Drew Brees is a master at this. By incorporating the tight end more in his progressions, Vick would add another dimension to his passing game that would make it more difficult to contain the Eagles' offense.

Take What the Defense Gives

All too often in 2011, Michael Vick has pressed to make a big play. He has forced balls into tight coverage, held onto the ball in the pocket just a little too long while waiting for someone to get open deep or simply wasted a down by launching a deep ball when it looks like DeSean Jackson might have a step on his defender at the line of scrimmage.

Whether it is a product of the expectations placed on this team once training camp started or simply pressure he is placing on himself to out-perform the 2010 version of himself, Vick is basically trying too hard.

The simplest adjustment he can make in 2012 to become an elite quarterback is to take what the defense gives him. Not every play has to gain 20 yards. The league's best quarterbacks always know where their safety valve is, and they aren't afraid to check down to him to ensure positive yards whenever possible. After all, 2nd-and-6 is a much more favorable down and distance than 2nd-and-10.

By taking what the defense gives him, including even a quick, five-yard scamper to the sideline, Vick can keep his offense in rhythm and in charge of the flow of the game, a key trait of the game's elite.

Extend the Play

Vick, for all his athleticism, does not use it to his full advantage as a quarterback.

All too often, when the pocket breaks down around him, his instinct is to take off and turn the play into positive yards. This is obviously good, but there is a time and a place for taking off downfield, and his tendency to simply run keeps him from being great.

Vick needs to improve his ability to use his elusiveness to avoid defenders while keeping his eyes downfield and staying behind the line of scrimmage. With the receiving corps the Eagles have, few defensive backs can maintain coverage for more than a few seconds. If Vick can extend the play beyond the time a defensive back can maintain coverage, he would maximize his entire skill set.

Aaron Rodgers has mastered this skill. He is capable of eluding the rush, but once he does, he will move parallel to the line of scrimmage long enough to give his receivers the opportunity to get open.

Admittedly, Vick has improved at this since he joined the Eagles, but with the game on the line or when under a lot of pressure, you can tell his first instinct is to run. If he can improve his ability to extend passing plays, it could lead to more big plays for his offense while also saving his body. He could be nearly unstoppable given his arm strength, elusiveness and speed, and if no one is able to spring open after a few moments, he can still pick up big yardage in a hurry.

Improve Ability to Read Blitzes and Adjust Blocking Schemes Accordingly

After last season's breakout campaign, Vick himself declared he wanted to improve his ability to read blitzes for this season. Thus far, whatever work he put in on his own in the offseason (the lockout prevented any work with his coaches) hasn't paid dividends.

While this ties in with the aforementioned mastering of the "hot route," it is a separate skill that requires its own kind of discipline.

Mastering the "hot route" is more of a reactionary skill that requires some level of understanding on the receiver's end as well as the quarterback's.

Identifying blitzes and adjusting blocking schemes to disrupt them is a completely proactive skill that prevents defenses from ever even forcing Vick to make quick throws or adjusted reads. If he can learn to adjust his blocking scheme or audible to a safer play upon identifying the blitz, it turns an attacking defense into a coverage defense, one that can picked apart by a comfortable quarterback.

Teams have found that the way to neutralize Vick is to attack him. Once Vick learns to counter their attacks, he will again have the upper hand in the battle between quarterback and defense, making it much easier for him to post numbers more indicative of an elite quarterback.

Develop a Better "Touch Pass"

Michael Vick has a cannon for a left arm. That much is undisputed.

In the NFL, however, a quarterback needs an arsenal that includes more than just bullets and bombs. An elite quarterback can drop a feathery pass over and between defenders, an easy catch for the intended target.

Vick, as a result of either adrenaline or lack of control, too often fires bullets when soft, touch passes are needed. It is a difficult skill to develop, much like perfecting a baseline runner in basketball. Momentum, timing and speed are all factors that need to be accounted for in tossing a touch pass.

If Vick can develop an effective, consistent touch pass, it would be another weapon he could deploy on opposing defenses trying to employ a soft zone to contain the Eagles' offense.

Re-Develop His Ability to Throw on the Run

Andy Reid may be to blame for this but in 2011, Michael Vick has seemingly shied away from making difficult throws on the run, once one of his greatest assets.

Reid does encourage Vick to develop his pocket-passing skills, but he shouldn't do so at the expense of his best natural talents. It seems that Vick has lost confidence in his ability to make these throws, or at least hesitates long enough to allow the defense to get in position to defend them.

Aaron Rodgers has shown NFL scouts and coaches how effective throwing on the run can be when the quarterback doing it has enough arm strength and confidence to complete the pass. Vick certainly doesn't lack the arm strength; however, it seems his confidence has waned.

Vick's ability to throw on the run could serve to tie the entire package together. When everything else that has been discussed fails, the pocket breaks down and Vick rolls out to buy time while being chased by a linebacker, it would be absolutely heartbreaking to defenses to have him complete a bullet on the run. He would become nearly indefensible and sure to be mentioned among the game's best.

Simply Get Back to Having Fun!

When Vick took over for the injured Kevin Kolb in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers in 2010, anyone watching could tell he was having a blast on the field. He was pumped up and simply playing ball.

The 2011 Vick has seemed to be uptight and thinking too much since Day 1. The game suddenly doesn't seem natural; there is no flow or rhythm.

Vick needs to get his swagger back if he wants to be an elite quarterback in 2012, and the best way for him to do that is to go out and just have fun. If he does, his work during the week and the game will become more natural, less cerebral. When that happens, Vick will regain the form he put on display in 2010.