Miffed Vick kept in dark about his status
By Jeff Schultz | Sunday, October 9, 2005, 08:48 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Friday Predictions: Take Doggies in Flawed Bowl
For as much progress as Michael Vick has made reading defenses, there are still some things he can?t see coming. Like being told, ?Don?t suit up.?
Vick didn?t learn until he arrived at the Georgia Dome Sunday morning that he wouldn?t be allowed to play against New England because of a sprained knee.
Now, it?s common for NFL coaches to treat the injury report as a weekly disinformation campaign. It?s another to keep the team?s own starting quarterback in the dark.
?Very frustrating,? is how Vick termed things when told by Falcons coach Jim Mora he wouldn?t start. ?I thought I?d play.?
So he didn?t take it well?
?No, I didn?t,? he said as he walked off the field, wearing shorts and a sweatshirt. ?But I guess it?s the decisions that you gotta make. Nothing I can do about it.?
In Vick?s place, Matt Schaub was pretty solid. He threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, rallying the Falcons from a 14-0 deficit to tie the score with under four minutes left. Not bad for a guy who also didn?t find out until Sunday who the starting quarterback was.
?I never one time said anything to our football team this week about our starting quarterback,? Mora said later. ?That?s because to the guys in this room, I don?t think that?s what it?s about for them.?
Well, it kind of is to the quarterback.
Strange week. On Monday, Mora said the MRI on Vick?s right knee was negative and he?d likely play. On Wednesday, Vick officially was listed as probable, which means there is a 75 percent chance of playing. After practice, Mora said of Vick: ?I thought he looked fine.?
Told Vick seemed upset, Mora said. ?I hope he wasn?t happy. I don?t want him to be happy. I don?t want any one to be happy when they?re not playing. He?s a competitor and it?s game day. On game day the adrenaline gets going. But part of a coach?s responsibility is recognizing that sometimes as a competitor you?re willing to make some sacrifices that you shouldn?t make.?
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Maybe Coach Mora is finally not going to let a starting QB make decisions about if he will start or not and just about make a joke of it for two weeks running. If you dont practice you dont play. It should be that simple. Maybe this is a turning point for prima donna Vick. Schaub showed today how to distribute the ball to 4 receivers and throw 3 touchdown passes. Thats the way football is supposed to be played. Not running around like another Warrick Dunn , not firing passes 88 mph off of players helmets.
Mora took a stand for the team today. They see what is going on. Grow up Vick and either play or not. Lead the team or not. Stay in the pocket and lose if you have to, it may be the only way Vick will ever be a long term winning QB. Vick may be too arragant to get it. Not playing today was the best therapy he could get.
By Jeff Schultz | Sunday, October 9, 2005, 08:48 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Friday Predictions: Take Doggies in Flawed Bowl
For as much progress as Michael Vick has made reading defenses, there are still some things he can?t see coming. Like being told, ?Don?t suit up.?
Vick didn?t learn until he arrived at the Georgia Dome Sunday morning that he wouldn?t be allowed to play against New England because of a sprained knee.
Now, it?s common for NFL coaches to treat the injury report as a weekly disinformation campaign. It?s another to keep the team?s own starting quarterback in the dark.
?Very frustrating,? is how Vick termed things when told by Falcons coach Jim Mora he wouldn?t start. ?I thought I?d play.?
So he didn?t take it well?
?No, I didn?t,? he said as he walked off the field, wearing shorts and a sweatshirt. ?But I guess it?s the decisions that you gotta make. Nothing I can do about it.?
In Vick?s place, Matt Schaub was pretty solid. He threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns, rallying the Falcons from a 14-0 deficit to tie the score with under four minutes left. Not bad for a guy who also didn?t find out until Sunday who the starting quarterback was.
?I never one time said anything to our football team this week about our starting quarterback,? Mora said later. ?That?s because to the guys in this room, I don?t think that?s what it?s about for them.?
Well, it kind of is to the quarterback.
Strange week. On Monday, Mora said the MRI on Vick?s right knee was negative and he?d likely play. On Wednesday, Vick officially was listed as probable, which means there is a 75 percent chance of playing. After practice, Mora said of Vick: ?I thought he looked fine.?
Told Vick seemed upset, Mora said. ?I hope he wasn?t happy. I don?t want him to be happy. I don?t want any one to be happy when they?re not playing. He?s a competitor and it?s game day. On game day the adrenaline gets going. But part of a coach?s responsibility is recognizing that sometimes as a competitor you?re willing to make some sacrifices that you shouldn?t make.?
...............................................................
Maybe Coach Mora is finally not going to let a starting QB make decisions about if he will start or not and just about make a joke of it for two weeks running. If you dont practice you dont play. It should be that simple. Maybe this is a turning point for prima donna Vick. Schaub showed today how to distribute the ball to 4 receivers and throw 3 touchdown passes. Thats the way football is supposed to be played. Not running around like another Warrick Dunn , not firing passes 88 mph off of players helmets.
Mora took a stand for the team today. They see what is going on. Grow up Vick and either play or not. Lead the team or not. Stay in the pocket and lose if you have to, it may be the only way Vick will ever be a long term winning QB. Vick may be too arragant to get it. Not playing today was the best therapy he could get.
