Reid Should Demand That Vick Play Under More Control To Avoid Injury

“You’ve got to play the game from an instinctive standpoint”, Michael Vick said on his Monday radio in Virginia Beach.  “You can’t predetermine what you’re going to do at the snap of the ball. I just try to let the game come to me.  Whatever a feel that’s what I do.”

I disagree with what the Eagles current starting quarterback said.  We’ve already seen Vick change his game because of the coaching of Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg.  He’s learned to stay in the pocket and give plays a chance.  In the past during his time in Atlanta, he couldn’t resist tucking the ball under his arm off every time he saw an opening in the defense.

He doesn’t play that way any longer, so it proves that he can change.  It proves that he doesn’t play totally instinctive football.

I am convinced that Vick can play under more control and avoid taking risks with his health.  I think he can play the game in an instinctive manner, yet still restrict himself to avoid the big hit.  Like in a two-minute situation a ball carrier can decide to go out of bounds although they have a chance to run for more yardage.  It’s a cognitive decision that overrides the instincts.

I don’t care what anybody says I believe Vick could change his brand of play to give himself a better chance of  staying healthy.  I don’t care how much raving everybody does about Vick’s tremendous ability, you can’t build a football team around an injury-prone quarterback.

He can dial back his runs and avoid getting hit.  It means being just a little bit quicker to give up on a run rather than challenging the defense each and every time.  One of the long-runs he had on Sunday against the Colts should have ended with him going out of bounds.  Instead he stayed in bounds and got hit.

If I was Reid, I would chew Vick out for making that decision because he has already gained 30 plus yards.  He should have gotten out of bounds.  He’s learned to manage his play as a pocket passer, he can manage his play as a scrambler and runner.

I’m still bothered by some of the things Vick has said because the guy is going to get hurt again because he’s going to continue taking shots that he could otherwise avoid.  Another yard or two is nothing when you think about missing two or three games.

On the play which he was injured against the Redskins, he turned the ball upfield and refused to slide or get on the ground as he went by defensive player after defensive player.  He could have avoided the injury by sliding at the end rather than going for the end zone.

If you could force this guy to slide or get out of bounds when he gets in danger, he could give this team a chance to win it all, but he won’t be able to do it, if he’s injured.  This is where I have a problem with Reid and his management of his quarterbacks.

Managing Vick’s decision-making process regarding his health is the most important part of Reid’s job right now, yet he’s treating it like he can’t do anything.

Why couldn’t he have given Donovan McNabb orders during his time here to take off and run in the first quarter to force the other team to honor his threat to run?  He left it up to McNabb and he stopped running all together.  It took a weapon out of hsi arsenal, which should have been flashed for teams to worry about.

In many areas, Reid is a control-freak, but in an important area like Vick’s health, he doesn’t bother taking control.  He acts as if there’s nothing he can do.  This is where he needs an assistant coach who will get in his face and demand that he force Vick to play under more control.

If Vick isn’t disciplined against the Redskins he’s going to get popped and could very well be injured.  If he makes it through the Skins game, he’s going to be at risk against a great pass rush when they play the New York Giants.

This Giants defense has already knocked five quarterbacks out of games.

With the NFC in such turmoil and teams like the Cowboys and the Vikings in disarray, the Eagles have a legitimate chance to go to the Super Bowl, but an injury to Vick would great diminish those chances.

This should be Reid’s number one job but not treating it with its proper importance.  He should force Vick to avoid risky situations which present too much of a chance for him to get injured.  The Eagles post-season chances hinge on Vick’s health.