FanPost

Is keeping Vick the right move?


This is a question we all are asking ourselves right now. It seems like we're split down the middle on this one. I know it's obvious Andy didn't put him in a position to win in 2011& 2012. He sat behind a horrible O-line waiting for slow developing predictable plays to happen. What a recipe for disaster. You couldn't expect Joe Montana to win in those circumstances. You have to give him a pass with that in mind.

In comes Chip Kelly and now we all have to at least wonder what he can do with Vick as the starter. We look at the success of RG3, Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick and we're salivating at the thought. You can argue Vick is mobile enough to to run a similar offense and you would be right. You could also argue that those three Qb's are on another level than Vick. They don't take as many hits when they're running, they don't turn the ball over. You add in the fact they are ten years younger and faster it's not even a contest.

In Mcnabb & Cunningham we've already had two of the greatest mobile Qb's ever. It would be nice to have a pocket passer for once. After twenty years of mobile atheletic Qb's you have to admit the thought of a pure pocket passer is enticing.

I know with Chip we all seem to think a mobile Qb is a prerequisite to play in his system. To truly have success Chip may have to re-invent himself in the NFL. What happens if & when D-coordinators figure out how to stop the pistol/spread offense? How prepared is Chip to run a more traditional offense if that does happen? What will he do when he's stuck with nothing but mobile Qb's on the roster? They usually never transition well when asked to be more traditional pocket passers.

Vick's health has always been an issue and I definitely see him getting injured fast in a spread option offense. I think it's unreasonable to think Chip is going to change that regardless of the play calling, the system or the O-line. Vick is 33 and he's getting caught from behind by D-lineman. Vick averaged 1.7 yds a carry on designed run plays in 2012. If he lacks that explosive speed he once had how can he really scare any defense running the pistol/spread offense? They will just attack and not even look at him as a threat to take off at any given time. When is the last time you saw a defense overly concerned about Vick's ability to run?

I'm stuck in the middle about our QB situation. I'm not a fan of Vick or Foles, but you can't grade a rookie and a ten year vet using the same scale. I've seen too many willing to give Vick a pass they weren't willing to give Foles. There is never a level playing field and I think it's unfair. Here's a list of some rookie QB's stats.

Peyton Manning 56.7% completion rate 16 games played 3-13 record 325 compl. 575 att. 3,739yds 26td 28int passer rating 71.2 super bowl winner future Hall of Fame QB

Eli Manning 48.2% completion rate 7 games played 1-6 record 95 compl. 197 att. 1,043 yds 6td 9int passer rating 55.4 2x super bowl winner future Hall of Fame QB

John Elway 47.5% completion rate 10 games played 4-6 record 129 compl. 259 att. 1,663 yds 7td 14int passer rating 54.9 2x super bowl winner Hall of Fame QB

Troy Aikman 52.9% completion rate 11 games played 0-11 record 155 compl. 293 att. 1,749 yds 9td 18int passer rating 64.3 3x super bowl winner Hall of Fame QB

Joe Flacco 60% completion rate 16 games played 11-5 record 257 compl. 428 att. 2,971 yds 14td 12int passer rating 80.3 QBR 43.23 super bowl winner future Hall of Fame QB? It's possible

Nick Foles 60.8% completion rate 7 games played 1-6 record 161 compl. 265 att. 1,699 yds 6td 5int passer rating 79.1 QBR 45.33

When you look at Nick Foles numbers compared to other rookie QB's it puts things into perspective. He was nowhere near as bad as the media and fanbase seem to think he is. From a numbers stand point he was actually pretty good. His completion % is the 5th best all time for rookie QB'S. He averaged 243 yds per game 3rd best in NFL history for rookie QB'S. He threw 1 int. per 53 attempts 2nd in NFL history only to RG3. Foles is the first & only QB in NFL history to average 240 yds per game and mantain a 60% completion rate. Not to shabby for a rookie QB the media and fanbase is ready to ship out of town or use for trade bait.

Look at how he compares to the 5 QB'S I mentioned. I bet most of you would feel the same way you feel about the 5 of them as you do Foles. Those QB'S have 9 super bowl wins and they all will be in the Hall of Fame. Two of them already are, but you would have wanted all of them booted out of town because their rookie year was bad. I don't understand the thinking and instant gratification people yearn for these days. Give the kid a chance, you may like the outcome.

By no means am I suggesting Foles is a future Hall of Famer or future super bowl MVP. My question is how can you throw anyone under the bus without truly giving him a shot. Vick has had more than one chance to prove himself in Philly and Atlanta and each time he failed. He's never learned to protect the ball or himself and continues to make the same mistakes after 10 years. Why is everyone ready to give up on Foles after 7 games?

Everyone talks about all the Vick haters why all the Foles haters. He looked like a so-so QB with that horrible O-line and predictable play calling. Let's not forget he didn't have Celek, Jackson, or Mccoy at one time or another during his starts.

The fact that he had the intelligence to call and change his own plays on that game winning drive against Tampa Bay is pretty special. Rookie QB'S don't do things like that everyday. I also think he had a shot at winning 2 to 3 more games if Bryce Brown could have held onto the ball.

I know the chances are slim but how would you feel if we traded Foles and he turned out to be a franchise QB and won a Super Bowl? QB'S that had a worse start than Foles already have. I guess Aikman and Elway would have been nothing but trade bait in Philly. With that mentality how will we ever have our Super Bowl parade on Broad ST.