I know it's hard for many of you to accept this, but the Eagles' preseason has come to a close. In what may have been the most entertaining preseason finale of the evening, the Jets beat the Eagles, 38-27. Michael Vick had several snaps in the first half and then he took over full-time for most of the second half.
He was 7-of-11 for 26 yards and an interception. He also ran for his first touchdown as an Eagle. Vick looked pretty explosive on several running plays, but he got in trouble in the second half when he raced around and was sacked for a 22-yard loss. He fumbled on the play, but he made the recovery. He's still rusty, but he doesn't look that much different than the player we saw in Atlanta in 2006. He's definitely going to be a weapon for the Eagles.
How did you guys think Kevin Kolb looked? I thought he looked solid at times, especially when he threaded the needle on a touchdown pass to former Cowboys tight end Tony Curtis. Excellent throw. I think the Eagles may have been showcasing Kolb tonight in case a team's interested in trading for him.
Here are some things that caught my eye regarding Vick's evening :
* I think Vick looks pretty comfortable on those little swing passes and wide receiver screens. He and Brandon Gibson have already developed a nice chemistry. Unfortunately, running back Lorenzo Booker has a difficult time winning one-on-one matchups with safeties in the open field. Vick does a good job of getting the ball to Booker in spots where he doesn't have to slow down.
* On a third-and-8 early in the second half, Vick tried to hit Danny Amendola on a deep ball down the left sideline. It's not like Amendola's a big target, but Vick could've done a better job of disguising where he was going with the ball. It's obvious he hasn't lost any arm strength, but he hung the ball up too long, allowing the Jets safety to race over and make a play on the ball. Vick had the one interception in the first half. He was trying to make a play. I can live with that in his first extended action since Jan. '06.
* On the 22-yard loss, Vick simply tried to do too much. He's still one of the most exciting players in the league to watch, but when you've raced around for 25 yards or so, you have to throw the ball away. Vick took a huge loss on the play, and the Jets ended up with great field position after a nice punt return. One of the announcers said, "The electricity of Michael Vick can come back to haunt him." I don't know about that, but it wasn't a good play. The other huge mental mistake he made came in the second half when he took a delay of game down near the goal line. He simply didn't have good awareness on the play, but Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg need to help him there. Why do the Eagles have so much trouble getting into plays in the red zone? Feel free to answer.
* On a third-and-6 in the third quarter, Vick drove the ball to Amendola on an underneath route. Vick's getting a lot of zip on his short passes, and that's allowing the receivers to quickly get upfield. Late in the first half, Vick rolled left and lofted a pass to Gibson in the end zone. It was almost a great play, but Gibson couldn't get his feet down. The ball seemed to float a little bit on Vick, but it was still an athletic play.
* On his touchdown run, Vick faked the handoff and simply raced up the middle. Even on a short play like that, you can tell how much pressure he puts on a defense. I think he's going to be highly effective inside the 10-yard line, where the Eagles have really struggled. We'll see how Donovan McNabb reacts when he's replaced by Vick inside the 10-yard line.
* Early in the fourth quarter, Vick didn't see anything and he took off running. He ended up with 16 yards and he froze at least one defensive back. I just keep thinking about how much time opposing defensive coordinators are going to spend getting ready for Vick. And that will take time away from preparation for the Eagles' base offense.
* I'm not sure who missed the Jets' MarquesMurrell when he blitzed off the end. No one had a clue he was coming. He nailed Vick and caused a fumble. Vick has to do a better job protecting the ball, but he really didn't have much of a shot on that play.
* If not for that big sack, Vick would've ended up with more than 50 yards rushing. Even after the two-year layoff, he's once again the best running quarterback in the league.
* Vick took some punishment in Thursday's game. Fullback Kyle Eckel completely whiffed on one play, allowing Vick to get sacked in the fourth quarter. Eckel has to be better than that. It was a delayed blitz and he just didn't see the linebacker coming. The good news is that Vick took that hit and another hard one from a safety, and he jumped up pretty quickly after both of them. He needs to be more decisive when he's in the pocket. He took a couple hits that weren't really necessary.
* All in all, I was pretty impressed with Vick. The decision making will get better. The athleticism is already there. If used properly, Vick is going to make some big plays this season. Will there be a quarterback controversy at some point? I would never bet against it.
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