19 Dec 10 Michael Vick: Is He an Elite Quarterback After His 2010 Eagles NFL Season?

Chris McGrath/Getty ImagesHe entered the league in 2001 as the most physically gifted and highly anticipated quarterback in ages. In his seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, he was a human highlight reel who could take over the game one minute, and then lose it the next with inconsistent passing. Falcon'sReebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
fans lamented the lack of effort he put into learning the finer points of quarterbacking.Then, in 2007, he was jailed for running an illegal dog-fighting ring. It seemed his career was over. Then last season a new third-string quarterback appeared in the Philadelphia Eagles roster. His name, as we all should know, was Michael Vick.Now, after taking over from Kevin Kolb after his concussion against the Green Bay Packers, Vick has been out-of-this-world good. He leads the NFL with a quarterback rating of 105.3, has passed for seven TDs to no interceptions, has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 203.4 yards per game. He has also rushed for 261 yards for two TDs. And these stats are excluding his Week 10 beat down of the Washington Redskins.Now, finally, Michael Vick is realising his potential, but the question is whether he can be labelled an elite quarterback or not. With any luck, I will answer that right now (in my opinion of course).I believe the criteria necessary to determine if a quarterback is elite or not is if they have good statistical output, play well, win gamesandget it done in the crunch situations.Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesStatistical Output and Play I dealt with Vick's statistical prowess earlier, but no one would doubt that it is certainly enough to be elite. After nearly 10 years, Vick has finallybegun to play as a quality quarterback, not just a quality runner.After years of completing about 50 percent of his passes, andhad a quarterback rating floating at about 75, Vick has become a complete quarterback.Most importantly, he no longer bolts from the pocket as soon as pressure gets near him. He now goes through his progressions and even when he breaks from the pocket, he keeps his eyes down field.Vick also has improved his accuracy, especially with the deep ball. This, combined with the speedy receivers at Philly and his phenomenal arm strength, has created lots and lots of long passing plays for the Eagles.Although he has slowed a bit since he entered the league, Vick is still one of the fastest players in the league, and certainly the fastest at quarterback. Hepicksupfirst downs and extends plays as well Ben Roethlisberger, and the threat of him taking off on bootleg plays opens up bigger holes for the Philadelphia running backs.Vick is also developing a better understanding for play calling, although he still makes very few adjustments at the line of scrimmage. This is the area where he could improve dramatically, although it can be argued that his physical Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
abilities make that unnecessary.Who is the best young quarterback?Who is the best young quarterback?Matt Ryan36.6%Joe Flacco4.9%Matthew Stafford7.3%Josh Freeman9.8%Mark Sanchez12.2%Sam Bradford19.5%Colt McCoy9.8%Total votes: 41Crunch-Time PerformanceI still do not think that Vick has quite mastered this yet. It is true that he makes important downs with his legs, but when the game is on the line, he struggles passing when the defense knows whats coming. He needs to improve his short range accuracy and awareness to be better passing for third downs.However, we all know that he can make a big play at any time, like his 40-yard overtime run for Atlanta in the playoffs.WinningVick was not great at this at Atlanta, partly because oppositionsthe runwas coming, and Vick could not beat them through the air. This season though, Vick has compiled a 4-0 record (not including the first Washington game that Kolb finished or the Packers game which Vick almost saved).I still have doubts about his ability to win in the dying stages, when he is forced to pass much more and become one-dimensional. However, the potency of the Eagles offense has kept Vick out of those situations so far.ConclusionAlthough Vick is not yet a polished passer, and does not have the ability to improvise at the line of scrimmage like the Manning brothers and Tom Brady, his other unique abilities more than make up for these faults. He also is yet to lose a game he has played for the full Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
60 minutes.Therefore, Michael Vick is in my mind the newest elite quarterback in the NFL, and will be the hottest free agent next year if the Eagles do not sign him to a long-term deal this season. But hell would freeze over before they allowed him off their roster.