Vick speaks out

[JCDavey]

Vick sounds off to HBO
Banged-up QB returns to practice Thursday

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/20/06

Flowery Branch — Falcons quarterback Michael Vick returned to practice Thursday, shrugging off the discomfort from a sore shoulder that kept him from practicing Wednesday. Vick hurt his shoulder in last Sunday's 27-14 loss to the New York Giants then had it aggravated on a late hit, out-of-bounds, from Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce late in the game.

Vick told HBO's Cris Carter, on a segment of Inside the NFL, which aired Wednesday and will be replayed during the week that, "It's the worst I ever felt," after the Giants game. Vick was sacked a career-high seven times.


In the interview with the former NFL wide receiver, Vick also chimed in on several other subjects. Here are some excerpts:

• "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 ... Coach [Jim Mora] is going have to trust in me to get it done and I'm up to the challenge to get it done."

• Carter: "It seems as if when Coach [Dan] Reeves, who drafted you, when he was here, you threw the ball as effective or even better, and definitely more than you throw the ball now."

Vick: "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."

• 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. ... 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."got this from the falcons board, i didn't see the hbo show it came from

when i read this i though of the ravens game for the chargers, but the difference with this story is, vick is a crappy qb when it comes to accuracy, the guy sucks, but he does probably have the most powerful arm in the NFL

alot of good that'll ever do him

[Spank]

From ProFootballTalk.com, one of my favorites...

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.

[packman76]

Yeah, having 3 former first round pick WRs and a probowl caliber TE to throw to must be a terrible limitation to Vick's enormous passing skills. :rolleyes:

That Tomlinson for Vick trade is looking better every year. LT throws a pretty nice option pass, too. Who knew that the Chargers were getting the better runner and passer in that deal? :Cheers:

[Ikeman83]

Vick is total garbage.

[packman76]

...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."...



...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. ...



What good does Vick think it would do to play with Randy Moss? As soon as Moss realized that Vick can't throw accurately, he'd quit trying and quit running his routes hard and then when Vick finally did throw an accurate pass, it would probably get intercepted because Moss wasn't to the spot yet. That would be a disasterous match and would probably explode sooner rather than later.

[mk87]

Vick, maybe your teammates just don't respect you. I love how he practically admits that he's dependent on others for success.

I agree with the assessment that he'll never get better. It's not like he can't work on his accuracy or anything, he's simply too arrogant to hold himself accountable so he can't learn from his mistakes and progress.

I don't like Peyton Manning, but at least he makes up for his arrogance.

[Ikeman83]

Vick, maybe your teammates just don't respect you. I love how he practically admits that he's dependent on others for success.

I agree with the assessment that he'll never get better. It's not like he can't work on his accuracy or anything, he's simply too arrogant to hold himself accountable so he can't learn from his mistakes and progress.

I don't like Peyton Manning, but at least he makes up for his arrogance.

Why would his teammates respect a guy that goes running around spreading herpes under the pseudonym "Ron Mexico"

[jubei]

I've said this all along---Vick is the MOST OVERRATED QB in today's game PERIOD! GOD I can't stand this guy! He is only a slot receiver with an inaccurate cannon for an arm and no brains! I take that back...he only runs...so he is a RB with an inaccurate cannon for an arm and no brains!

[RAWDOGG]

I am so glad we did not draft him

[benji929]

Looks like we dodged a bullet there. But to be fair, his receivers did drop a few easy ones last week. Still, real leaders don't publicly blame their receivers.

[benji929]

BTW, here's another article criticizing Vick: http://out-route.gloriousnoise.com/2006/06/further_proof_michael_vick_sucks.php


The real winner in all of this Vick hoopla is the San Diego Chargers, who were in position to draft him before trading down with the Falcons, in the process acquiring All-Everything running back, worldly talent, and eventual successor to Barry Sanders in LaDainian Tomlinson, who's consistently been at the top of the NFL's running back pile while Vick sits in the middle of his pack.

:D:D:D

[Merfinator]

Ohh Vick is just mad because he has herpes. I'd do the same if I was Mora, Vick isn't a good passer.

[mudfootball9]

Yeah, having 3 former first round pick WRs and a probowl caliber TE to throw to must be a terrible limitation to Vick's enormous passing skills. :rolleyes:



Yeah, because being a first round pick means that you will actually be good in the league. I bet Detroit just loves rolling out their three first round WR's, it just scares the hell out of other teams.

[JerryinCA]

Mike Vick is a cry baby in my view, I've never really seen why the NFL and the media hyped him so much, other than the fact that he can run fast he's not a very good QB and he hasn't been. Sure I think he did play better under his former coach, then again it was his former coach who got fired for not wanting to baby Vick who was recovering from an injury. Vick is just an instinctual player, once his legs are slowed down he will be worthless to any team. I know many would disagree with me but that's just how I feel about that player and what he brings to the game.

[Lord Revan]

Vick is inaccurate, has poor decision making, and hasn't gotten any better at reading defenses in 6 NFL seasons. Just make him a HB/WR like Bush and maybe he will be able to salvage his average career.

[56lightsout56]

Merfinator......as far whats next in your sig i wish it was Alan "Branch" the DT from Michigan but he'll go high

[canadianfan_51]

if vick got traded to the raiders, i'd think it would be close to something like culpepper and moss. vick doesn't have the "best" accuracy but all culpepper ever did was just bomb it out there for moss.

[JoeMcRugby]

if vick got traded to the raiders, i'd think it would be close to something like culpepper and moss. vick doesn't have the "best" accuracy but all culpepper ever did was just bomb it out there for moss.

When Culpepper had his best season (one of the best in NFL history - a 110.9 passer rating with 39 TD passes versus 11 INTs), Moss was injured for most of the season and missed or only played a couple of plays in a half-dozen games.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1762

Statistically, Moss had his worst season in the NFL in 2004 while Culpepper had a season for the ages.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1433

[jubei]

Mike Vick is a cry baby in my view, I've never really seen why the NFL and the media hyped him so much, other than the fact that he can run fast he's not a very good QB and he hasn't been. Sure I think he did play better under his former coach, then again it was his former coach who got fired for not wanting to baby Vick who was recovering from an injury. Vick is just an instinctual player, once his legs are slowed down he will be worthless to any team. I know many would disagree with me but that's just how I feel about that player and what he brings to the game.
ummmm...I TOTALLY agree witchu there. and LT>>>>>>>>>Mr. Mexico.