Michael Vick Reborn in Philadelphia

I can remeber only a year ago in 2009 when Mike Vick was released from prison and all the talk began about who would dare sign him. The backlash would be severe and whom ever had the gaul to venture the undertaking of Mike Vick's 2nd chance surely better have an exit strategy, otherwise they'd be the one taking the heave-ho out the door. I even remember driving home from the Jersey Shore with my sister arguing about the prospects of Michael Vick. She said he'd be starting and make an immediate impact. Obviously she doesn't know much about football. I said he would never see the field and that he would be someone's backup.
Now as me and my sister were having this conversation driving down the Skuykill highway, the Philadelphia Eagles had already signed Vick. My sister believed that Mike Vick would assume the starting role for the Eagles and that Vick was better than McNabb. I simply laughed in her face as any knowledgeable football fan would. 1st off, Vick had been in prison for 2 years. 2nd, Donovan McNabb is a pro-bowl quarterback who makes the playoffs almost annually. 3rd, Mike Vick even at his pinnacle was never better than McNabb. They met in the 2004 NFC Championship game at both players' peaks of ability, and McNabb and the Eagles won. Argument over. Or so I thought.
Cut to 2010, after one year of being McNabb's backup and an occassional wild-cat-play-offense- kick starter, McNabb was now with Washington and Kevin Kolb had assumed the Eagles starting quarterback role... that is until he got hurt in the first game against Green Bay. It was at that moment, September 12, 2010 in the 2nd quarter of the first game when Michael Vick got his first opportunity to run the Eagles offense solely by himself. WOW!!! Where did all of this come from. The Eagles were down 21 - 3 when Vick got in the game. When the game ended the final score was 27 - 20, the Packers held on for the win. However, the Packers winning was not the story of week 1 in the NFL.
Michael Vick astonished everyone with his performance, very nearly bringing the Eagles back from 18 points down to win. Many people including Vick himself in a quote after the game said "I believe we would have won if I'd have played all 4 quarters." Here's Vicks line for the game: 16-24, 175 yds, 1 TD, quarterback rating of 110 in 2 and a half quarters of play.
OK so those numbers are quite good, maybe not fantastic looking but Vick's performance against one of the better defenses in the NFL was visually outstanding and without compare. In the past Vick at his best would rush for 70 or so yards, pass for about 150 yds and maybe rush for a td or 2. But in this game Vick astonished everyone by being a pocket passer and the general of the Eagle offense. He ran the offense as if he'd been preparing everyday for 3 years, including his prison time, to play in that game against Green Bay. His throws were crisp and on target, he stayed in the pocket and only ran the ball a couple of times when the defensive pressure hurried him. This Michael Vick was one we had never seen before.
The Vick we knew was a very inaccurate passer. He was more of a check down passer or a runner than a true down field throwing quarterback. Even though Vick had made 3 pro-bowls, won a couple playoff games and was the crowd favorite in Atlanta pre-dogfighting scandal; the guy was still at best a rushing quarterback, with very limited passing skills and was probably past his prime after serving 2 years in prison.
It's clear to say now that I was wrong about Michael Vick and so were the majority of people. After spending 1 year with Donovan McNabb, Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles, Vick has found his game. He has rededicated himself to football. It seems that prison actually did rehabilitate Mike Vick. Everything is now in perfect perspective for him. Where before with Atlanta, Vick was last to get to work and first to leave, now with Philadelphia he is 1st to work and last to leave. Him and Kevin Kolb are reported to be friends and co-quarterbacks as opposed to competitors for the same job.
Michael Vick is better now than he has ever been before and that is due to his own realization that playing quarterback in the NFL is more than just being talented and beloved. Its about studying the game, working with teammates and coaches and focusing on winning, not on extra-curriculars. Mike Vick gets it now. And he should be commended for that. He has repaid his debt to society and he has taken full advantage of his second chance. From age 22 to 27, Michael Vick was an athletic talent and a ego maniacal person. From age 3o to the future, who knows? Maybe he could be the greatest turnaround success story in NFL history. From the Dog Pound and Prison, to the NFL Hall of Fame.