10-20-2006, 06:40 PM
VICK BLAMES COACHES, WISHES FOR ELITE RECEIVERS
In an interview on HBO's Inside the NFL that hasn't gotten nearly as much play as it merits, Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has once again undermined his coaching staff and blamed his receivers for the fact that he's not generating the same stats as the elite NFL passers.
Since we don't subscribe to the pay-only channel, Kevin Flaherty of HBO forwarded to us a copy of the excerpts that were released to the media.
In one part of the interview with Cris Carter, Vick complains about the fact that he doesn't pass the ball as much under the Jim Mora regime as he did when Dan Reeves was the coach.
"You've got to throw the ball sometimes," Vick said. "You can't just line up and run the ball every time on first and second down. Teams key in on that and they have coaches, too. We're going to have to throw it more and Coach [Mora] . . . Coach is going have to trust in me to get it done and I'm up to the challenge to get it done.
"I feel like I'm at a stage where I can almost do it all. I want to continue to run the football and make plays and be a threat with my legs, you know, but I just feel that the game is easier when you're throwing the football. That's the fun part of it. You've just got to be given the opportunity.
"When Reeves was here, I was 50 yards shy of 3,000 yards passing, and I was among top 15 in passing in NFL. Coach Reeves, he believed in me and gave me a chance to throw the football."
Actually, Vick threw for 2,936 yards in 2002, and he was ranked 18th in the league in passer rating.
And if Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp might have felt alone under the bumper of the bus, Vick also pitched receivers Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, and Ashley Lelie down there, too. Consider this exchange:
CARTER: "Do you ever sit back and say, 'Man, you know, I wish I had Chad Johnson. I wish I had a Randy Moss . . . ."
VICK: " . . . . or a Marvin Harrison."
CARTER: "Or Marvin Harrison."
VICK: "I always think about that, Cris. I always think, if I played in Indianapolis, what type of effect would I have on that team? Or what would I be able to do different? It's something I wish I could do for just one week."
Um, Mike? Are you suggesting that you are as good as Peyton Manning, and that he's on his way to the Hall of Fame simply because of his supporting cast?
Surely, he doesn't believe that.
Then again, maybe he does. And maybe that's the problem in Atlanta. Perhaps Vick isn't willing to objectively assess and acknowledge his limitations. As a result, when things go badly, it's never going to be because he might not be the quarterback he thinks he is. Instead, it's because the receivers aren't named Moss or Harrison, or because the coaches don't know what they're doing.
Our advice to the Falcons? Make his wish come true. Trade him to the Raiders after the season, where he can play with Moss. Give the starting job to Matt Schaub. Sure, some of the fans might not understand. But when the team starts winning many more games than it loses, they'll come around.
And the problem definitely is Vick. During the Monday brouhaha that the folks at Flowery Branch will deny until they day they die, Knapp said things like "I can lead the horse to water but I can't make him drink" and "He simply isn't an NFL-caliber passer."
Knapp is right. Vick isn't a pocket passer. He's a running back who can wreak havoc when he gets out of the pocket, either by finding an open man or pulling the ball down and taking off. Although it appears that the coaching staff is committed in 2006 to implementing an attack aimed at maximizing Vick's strengths and minimizing his weaknesses, it sounds like Vick isn't willing to acknowledge that he has any weaknesses.
And that's the one thing that will prevent him from ever becoming the best quarterback he can be.
So trade him, Falcons. Take the cap hit and trade him. Do it after June 1 if you need to spread the consequences over two seasons, but get rid of him. Your chances of getting back to the Super Bowl and finishing the job will be much better if/when you do.
In an interview on HBO's Inside the NFL that hasn't gotten nearly as much play as it merits, Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has once again undermined his coaching staff and blamed his receivers for the fact that he's not generating the same stats as the elite NFL passers.
Since we don't subscribe to the pay-only channel, Kevin Flaherty of HBO forwarded to us a copy of the excerpts that were released to the media.
In one part of the interview with Cris Carter, Vick complains about the fact that he doesn't pass the ball as much under the Jim Mora regime as he did when Dan Reeves was the coach.
"You've got to throw the ball sometimes," Vick said. "You can't just line up and run the ball every time on first and second down. Teams key in on that and they have coaches, too. We're going to have to throw it more and Coach [Mora] . . . Coach is going have to trust in me to get it done and I'm up to the challenge to get it done.
"I feel like I'm at a stage where I can almost do it all. I want to continue to run the football and make plays and be a threat with my legs, you know, but I just feel that the game is easier when you're throwing the football. That's the fun part of it. You've just got to be given the opportunity.
"When Reeves was here, I was 50 yards shy of 3,000 yards passing, and I was among top 15 in passing in NFL. Coach Reeves, he believed in me and gave me a chance to throw the football."
Actually, Vick threw for 2,936 yards in 2002, and he was ranked 18th in the league in passer rating.
And if Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp might have felt alone under the bumper of the bus, Vick also pitched receivers Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, and Ashley Lelie down there, too. Consider this exchange:
CARTER: "Do you ever sit back and say, 'Man, you know, I wish I had Chad Johnson. I wish I had a Randy Moss . . . ."
VICK: " . . . . or a Marvin Harrison."
CARTER: "Or Marvin Harrison."
VICK: "I always think about that, Cris. I always think, if I played in Indianapolis, what type of effect would I have on that team? Or what would I be able to do different? It's something I wish I could do for just one week."
Um, Mike? Are you suggesting that you are as good as Peyton Manning, and that he's on his way to the Hall of Fame simply because of his supporting cast?
Surely, he doesn't believe that.
Then again, maybe he does. And maybe that's the problem in Atlanta. Perhaps Vick isn't willing to objectively assess and acknowledge his limitations. As a result, when things go badly, it's never going to be because he might not be the quarterback he thinks he is. Instead, it's because the receivers aren't named Moss or Harrison, or because the coaches don't know what they're doing.
Our advice to the Falcons? Make his wish come true. Trade him to the Raiders after the season, where he can play with Moss. Give the starting job to Matt Schaub. Sure, some of the fans might not understand. But when the team starts winning many more games than it loses, they'll come around.
And the problem definitely is Vick. During the Monday brouhaha that the folks at Flowery Branch will deny until they day they die, Knapp said things like "I can lead the horse to water but I can't make him drink" and "He simply isn't an NFL-caliber passer."
Knapp is right. Vick isn't a pocket passer. He's a running back who can wreak havoc when he gets out of the pocket, either by finding an open man or pulling the ball down and taking off. Although it appears that the coaching staff is committed in 2006 to implementing an attack aimed at maximizing Vick's strengths and minimizing his weaknesses, it sounds like Vick isn't willing to acknowledge that he has any weaknesses.
And that's the one thing that will prevent him from ever becoming the best quarterback he can be.
So trade him, Falcons. Take the cap hit and trade him. Do it after June 1 if you need to spread the consequences over two seasons, but get rid of him. Your chances of getting back to the Super Bowl and finishing the job will be much better if/when you do.
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