Andy Reid & Mike Vick
(Image via Black Sports Online)
What would the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles season be without yet another twist to end the season?
With Nick Foles sent to injured reserve on Wednesday, Mike Vick will make what is very likely his final appearance in an Eagles uniform on Sunday against the New York Giants. This after being relegated to the third-string quarterback last week, when he wasn’t even active for the game.
But Vick isn’t hanging on to bitterness. He’s excited to have the opportunity to play, to get back under center and hopefully to lead them to a win.
“It’s great to know that you’re going to have a chance to go out and play. The one thing I never do is waver or back down from opportunities to go out there and get on the field regardless of what has transpired throughout the season. I’m fully confident in myself and the guys around me. We’ll have to go out there and put it all together for the last game and get a win for Andy.”
Like the head coach who brought him to Philadelphia, though, Vick is trying to avoid thinking about the “what ifs.” What if this is his last game as an Eagle? What if this is his final game as an NFL starting quarterback?
“I don’t think about it. The only thing I think about is going out there and trying to be productive for this football team, enjoy the last game [of the season] with my teammates, and make the most of it.”
Sunday’s game will hold little meaning for the Eagles, with the team long out of the playoffs and nothing truly able to put a positive spin on the horrific season. But it could prove to provide quite an important opportunity for Vick, who will likely be on the hunt for a new job in 2013. But like the other “what ifs”, Vick says he’s not entertaining these thoughts either.
“I’m not putting pressure on myself to go out and try to put on a great performance in the sense of an audition. I think it’s about just going out and playing and doing what you love to do. [There’s] already enough pressure on you in this league but the thing I’m truly confident about is my ability to play the game of football, what I know, what I’ve learned, the success I’ve had over the past years, and what I can accomplish [in the future]. I think I just have to go out and continue to play my game. The focus is to try to be the best player I can be year in and year out and being in tip-top shape, and ensure that I’m doing all the right things.”
In his remarks to the media on Wednesday, Vick reflected on his career in Philadelphia.
“My time has been great. I’ve enjoyed being here, I’ve enjoyed the coaches, [and] I’ve enjoyed the teammates that I’ve had. Some have come and gone but given the opportunity I was able to go out and be productive in 2010, finished strong in 2011, and this year was just a roller coaster ride. We had a lot of ups and downs. We had a lot of guys who got hurt. We just had to deal with it the way we did and the joy we get, and the fulfillment, of still being able to go out and play the game.”
The roller coaster that has been 2012 will continue into 2013, as the Eagles seek to find a new coach, team and identity. But it is so fitting that what is likely to be the last game of the Reid-Vick era in Philadelphia football will see the two together in game action one final time.
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
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