Post by TheShadow on Aug 28, 2009 4:43:58 GMT -5
www.insidebayarea.com/
By Cam Inman
Oakland Tribune columnist
Michael Vick looked surprisingly efficient while creating a positive buzz in the Philadelphia crowd seemingly every time he took the field Thursday night, making for quite a return to NFL action after a two-year, controversial-laden absence.
I never thought I would see him at quarterback in a NFL game again, not after the atrocious dogfighting scandal that wreaked havoc on his career and life. Upon seeing him back on the field — the NFL Network provided live look-in telecast of the Eagles' exhibition game against the Jacksonville Jaguars — I was impressed by Vick.
So where do we draw the line now when it comes to Vick? Can we celebrate his football achievements, and this was a major one with him resurrecting his career? Or do we condone him forever after organizing a dogfighting ring that sent him to prison? Can't we do both?
I can tell you how it looked from afar: Everyone embraced him in Philly. There was no massive booing, no protestor streaking on to the field, no disgust by the players on that field with him.
He shuttled on and off the field. He played with poise and confidence. He seemed at home, which he was for the Eagles' third exhibition game this summer.
The Eagles obviously weren't going to divulge all the plays they'll use him on this season, but we saw just enough to grasp how Vick will be reinvented. Yes, he can still scramble, although he only did so once for one yard in the first half. But he indeed will line up at quarterback in place of Donovan McNabb on occasion, and although the two early shovel passes completed resulted in little gain, Vick did show off his once-touted arm strength by whistling a 13-yard completion to Hank Baskett inside the Jaguars' red zone (at their 14-yard line).
When Vick zipped that pass, I couldn't help but think if the Raiders and 49ers will have any regrets for not acquiring him.
But I was a strong advocate of our Bay Area clubs passing on Vick, mainly because I didn't see him fitting into their roster (the Raiders are committed to JaMarcus Russell and have a great backup in Jeff Garcia; the 49ers have, well, they ruled out the Vick escapade before we really could, and they'll sink or swim behind Shaun Hill and Alex Smith in an offense they openly admit will be reliant upon running back Frank Gore.)
I still don't think Vick -- and the accompanying outcry, which would be greater here than Philly -- was worth signing by either Bay Area club. That said, if he shows this season he is truly a functional quarterback again (I doubted that in his last season with the Atlanta Falcons, in 2006), and if the Raiders and 49ers continue to have quarterback questions, then maybe they should make a run at him next spring.
The Eagles' offense obviously has added several dimensions by the addition of one player: Vick. Now, that is no guarantee he will work wonders. This could all backfire if Vick's ego spirals out of control and if McNabb takes offense to sharing the spotlight. Plus, the Eagles' offensive line needs to play at an elite level in the NFC East, and that didn't happen in the opening stanza of Thursday's exhibition, although Vick got great time to throw that pass to Baskett.
I can't imagine the Eagles' will tinker so much with their offense that McNabb and Vick will rotate the quarterback spot as much as they did in the first half Thursday. McNabb needs to get into a rhythm in what traditionally has been a pass-happy attack. Using Vick on occasion will provide a great change of pace, at least that is my initial review after Thursday's brief glimpse.
The first-half statistics: Vick was 4-of-4 passing for 19 yards, with a 1-yard scramble; McNabb was 16 of 29 for 187 yards, with a fumble the Jaguars returned for a touchdown.
Back-to-school night duties as a proud parent will keep me from watching the second half unfold, but, again, what really counts here is the first impression Vick made at the outset, and it was a positive one.
Look for Cam Inman's Web-only "Candid Cam" takes whenever there's a breaking sports story, or whenever Cam's got something to say _ in short, just about every day. You can reach Cam at cinman@bayareanewsgroup.com. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CamInman.
By Cam Inman
Oakland Tribune columnist
Michael Vick looked surprisingly efficient while creating a positive buzz in the Philadelphia crowd seemingly every time he took the field Thursday night, making for quite a return to NFL action after a two-year, controversial-laden absence.
I never thought I would see him at quarterback in a NFL game again, not after the atrocious dogfighting scandal that wreaked havoc on his career and life. Upon seeing him back on the field — the NFL Network provided live look-in telecast of the Eagles' exhibition game against the Jacksonville Jaguars — I was impressed by Vick.
So where do we draw the line now when it comes to Vick? Can we celebrate his football achievements, and this was a major one with him resurrecting his career? Or do we condone him forever after organizing a dogfighting ring that sent him to prison? Can't we do both?
I can tell you how it looked from afar: Everyone embraced him in Philly. There was no massive booing, no protestor streaking on to the field, no disgust by the players on that field with him.
He shuttled on and off the field. He played with poise and confidence. He seemed at home, which he was for the Eagles' third exhibition game this summer.
The Eagles obviously weren't going to divulge all the plays they'll use him on this season, but we saw just enough to grasp how Vick will be reinvented. Yes, he can still scramble, although he only did so once for one yard in the first half. But he indeed will line up at quarterback in place of Donovan McNabb on occasion, and although the two early shovel passes completed resulted in little gain, Vick did show off his once-touted arm strength by whistling a 13-yard completion to Hank Baskett inside the Jaguars' red zone (at their 14-yard line).
When Vick zipped that pass, I couldn't help but think if the Raiders and 49ers will have any regrets for not acquiring him.
But I was a strong advocate of our Bay Area clubs passing on Vick, mainly because I didn't see him fitting into their roster (the Raiders are committed to JaMarcus Russell and have a great backup in Jeff Garcia; the 49ers have, well, they ruled out the Vick escapade before we really could, and they'll sink or swim behind Shaun Hill and Alex Smith in an offense they openly admit will be reliant upon running back Frank Gore.)
I still don't think Vick -- and the accompanying outcry, which would be greater here than Philly -- was worth signing by either Bay Area club. That said, if he shows this season he is truly a functional quarterback again (I doubted that in his last season with the Atlanta Falcons, in 2006), and if the Raiders and 49ers continue to have quarterback questions, then maybe they should make a run at him next spring.
The Eagles' offense obviously has added several dimensions by the addition of one player: Vick. Now, that is no guarantee he will work wonders. This could all backfire if Vick's ego spirals out of control and if McNabb takes offense to sharing the spotlight. Plus, the Eagles' offensive line needs to play at an elite level in the NFC East, and that didn't happen in the opening stanza of Thursday's exhibition, although Vick got great time to throw that pass to Baskett.
I can't imagine the Eagles' will tinker so much with their offense that McNabb and Vick will rotate the quarterback spot as much as they did in the first half Thursday. McNabb needs to get into a rhythm in what traditionally has been a pass-happy attack. Using Vick on occasion will provide a great change of pace, at least that is my initial review after Thursday's brief glimpse.
The first-half statistics: Vick was 4-of-4 passing for 19 yards, with a 1-yard scramble; McNabb was 16 of 29 for 187 yards, with a fumble the Jaguars returned for a touchdown.
Back-to-school night duties as a proud parent will keep me from watching the second half unfold, but, again, what really counts here is the first impression Vick made at the outset, and it was a positive one.
Look for Cam Inman's Web-only "Candid Cam" takes whenever there's a breaking sports story, or whenever Cam's got something to say _ in short, just about every day. You can reach Cam at cinman@bayareanewsgroup.com. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CamInman.