Andy Reid Says Vick is Still Starting QB in Philly
By Josh Hill
Rex Ryan has foolishly stood by Mark Sanchez in New York, as he likely realizes his fate is tied to that of his starting quarterback. But Andy Reid is a much smarter (and bigger) man, but he’s found himself in the same conundrum and making the same idiotic mistake.
After losing their fourth straight game the Philadelphia Eagles head coach went to the podium post game and stated that Michael Vick was and still is the starter in Philly.
“Michael Vick will be the quarterback,” Reid said.
While on the surface this seems asinine to try and fathom, Vick being the quarterback after obvious failures, the honest answer is what can Reid really do? It’s not 100 percent Vick’s fault that he’s having struggles. The Eagles offensive line has been less than stale as of late and they allowed Vick to get sacked seven times on Monday night.
Fans are crying for backup Nick Foles, as fans always do when the starter struggles, but what can Foles do that Vick hasn’t behind an offensive line that can offer no protection whatsoever. And although Vick might not be throwing the ball as well as he or fans would like, most of the drops on Monday in New Orleans were not on Vick.
Reid said as much after the game.
“It’s the team. It’s all of us. There’s not one particular person or one side of the ball or anything else. We’re all in this together.”
Now, all that being said, Vick wasn’t a tortured star surrounded by a bumbling bunch of bafoons on Monday. He threw the ball 41 times and only saw it reach his receivers 21 times. Granted, a lot of the blame goes on the receivers for dropping good throws, Vick still should find ways to make things work if he’s as all powerful as he’s led himself on to be.
“I’m pretty frustrated,” Vick said. “These are games that we certainly have an opportunity to win or get back into the game at some point. At that point everything has to be dead on. It has to be dead on. You can’t miss. You got to capitalize and you’ve always got to be perfect on every drive. It’s very frustrating but we just have to keep pushing forward. I don’t know what else to say.”
Before the season, Eagles owner Jeff Lurie said that the team’s final record will determine the fate of long time head coach Andy Reid. At that time Lurie said 8-8 is the absolute lowest he’ll allow his team to sink and even then that’s pushing it. Right now it unfortunately looks like 8-8 will be good enough to win the NFC East, but if things continue as is in Philly, Donovan McNabb won’t be the only Eagle from the last decade that helped build contenders to see an ugly exit from the City of Brotherly Love.