Donovan McNabb: Bad idea to use Michael Vick in Wildcat formation
By Hayden Kane
Geno Smith appears to be the leader in the competition to be the starting quarterback for the New York Jets for the 2014 season. If that is the case, many people might suggest that the Jets should use the speedy and athletic Michael Vick out of the Wildcat formation to make opposing defenses uncomfortable.
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Do not count former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst Donovan McNabb among those people. Here is what McNabb had to say about that plan, as passed along by Manish Mehta of the New York Post:
"“The Jets tried this whole garbage with Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez and it got them nowhere,” McNabb told the Daily News. “In the situation now, I think it takes away from what Geno Smith can do. It’s a maturity process for him to try to develop into an NFL quarterback. Now you’re taking him off the field or splitting him wide to bring in a 34-year-old quarterback? To do what? I understand the ‘wow’ effect, but it’s not a good thing for either quarterback.”"
In that same article, Mehta is kind enough to remind his gentle readers that McNabb was subjected to a similar situation with Vick back in 2009, which may or may not explain why he is not so fond of the whole arrangement.
Durability has always been an issue for Vick, so if the Jets are truly hoping that he will be a safety blanket in the event of Smith struggling or getting hurt himself, it would seem unwise for them to put the veteran in harm’s way in the Wildcat. It will be interesting to see how they deploy the two quarterbacks once actual football starts in September.