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Vick's dynasty talk not worth the paper it's printed on

by Sean Melia       July 25th, 2012 1:52 PM
  • Vicks-dynasty-talk-not-worth-the-paper-its-printed-on
  • Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is interviewed after practice during organized team activities at the Philadelphia Eagles NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

    • Last week Michael Vick claimed that his Philadelphia Eagles could be one of the "best teams out there," even claiming that dynasty status is a possibility. Of course, some people took exception to his belief that a team that went 8-8 last year and missed the playoffs can be a dynasty.

    The NFC East is no stranger to gregarious quarterbacks. Last year Eli Manning said he considered himself elite, and he backed it up with a Super Bowl win (preemptive Ed. Note from the author: Hell Yeah!).

    Vince Young made the Eagles the butt of every joke in September and October after claiming they were a "Dream Team" following a barrage of free agent signings. But clearly, Vick did not learn any lessons from his back-up quarterback's very large mouth. The idea of an athlete believing his team could become a dynasty is a little bit strange; the reasoning behind the comment, however, actually tells us a lot more about Vick and the Eagles, especially after Andy Reid defended his quarterback on Monday.

    In an interview, Vick compared his Eagles team to the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers teams that he watched growing up. It's a bad comparison, mainly because those three franchises had four Hall of Fame quarterbacks (Joe Montana, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, and Brett Favre) and three Hall of Fame coaches (Bill Walsh, Jimmy Johnson, Mike Holmgren).

    "On paper" is such a perfect way to discuss these Eagles teams over the last five years. "On paper," a lot of things should happen.

    However, the biggest problem with the comment that I have is how Vick compared his team to those great teams. He's comparing them "on paper."

    Here is the full quote:

    “When I look at our football team and what we have on paper, I think about when I was growing up and the great San Francisco 49er teams, the great Green Bay Packer teams, and the great Dallas Cowboy teams, how they just positioned themselves to compete and be one of the best teams out there.”

    "On paper" is such a perfect way to discuss these Eagles teams over the last five years. "On paper," a lot of things should happen. That's why they play the game, Michael.

    On paper, DeSean Jackson's crappy attitude doesn't shine through and does not earn his team stupid penalties.

    On paper, you cannot appreciate Andy Reid's awful time management.

    On paper, you can't see Vick's poor decision making under pressure.

    On paper, the Eagles should have gone to at least two Super Bowls considering their four NFC Championship berths.

    On paper, you also can't see the Giants’ massive pass rush, or Tom Brady's ability to read defenses, or Aaron Rodgers smooth mobility in the pocket, or Tim Tebow's laser rocket arm.

    However, there are certain things you can see on paper. You can see Vick is a terribly inconsistent passer. In his first six seasons with 11+ starts, he’s only earned a QB rating higher than 85 just once. Compare that to the other dynasty QBs that Vick talked about:

    Joe Montana, in his first six seasons of 11+ starts, had a QB rating of higher than 85 all six times.

    Troy Aikman did it in four of his first six seasons.

    Steve Young had five seasons of an 85+ rating over the same stretch.


    On paper, Steve Young and Michael Vick aren’t that different. Oh wait, yes they are.

    On paper, you can also see that Vick has thrown 12+ interceptions in four of his six full seasons and that in nine seasons in the NFL he has played more than 11 games just five times.

    If the game was played on paper the Patriots might have one more Super Bowl under their belts, because the Giants would have decided to fold their hand and go home happy with a Super Bowl appearance. If the game was played on paper Tim Tebow would not have led the Broncos past the Steelers last postseason.

    The knocks on Vick have usually been on his work ethic. He admitted to not watching film in Atlanta, probably because he thought he was good enough on paper.

    I actually don't mind Vick's confidence in his team; he should be confident in his team. He's the leader.

    The issue I have — and the issue Eagles fans should have — is that Vick is comparing his team to other ones on paper. Paper is useless and paper doesn't win you anything. Film work, practicing hard, developing good habits, and strong leadership are what makes dynasties.

    Last year the Eagles were supposed to be a Dream Team, now they're possibly destined for dynasty status according to Vick. His words aren't worth the paper the depth chart is printed on.

    Now it's time for Vick to step-up and back up his words with consistent play, on the field.

    What did you think? Leave a comment

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