Mike Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles’ starting quarterback for the 2013 season.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a starting quarterback in Philadelphia. On Tuesday, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly announced what we have all been waiting to find out almost as soon as he took over as head coach: who would be under center come the start of the regular season.
And now we have our answer. Mike Vick will be the starting quarterback on Week 1 versus the Redskins and for the entirety of the season, winning the starting spot over second-year QB Nick Foles. Vick has looked sharp in the preseason and many have believed that the starting job was his to lose. Now that the spot is his once again, the pressure to eliminate the costly turnovers that attributed to the Eagles’ abysmal 4-12 2012 season is on as well.
Kelly’s announcement comes just in time for the spotlight to shine on Vick on Saturday when the Eagles face the Jaguars for their third preseason game, where he will see action perhaps into the third quarter.
Citing completion percentages from practices that were almost identical (Vick at 80% and Foles at 79%), Kelly feels that both quarterbacks pushed the other to strong performances this offseason. He came to Philadelphia from Oregon without “preconceived notions” about his quarterbacks. So how did he come to his decision?
“I think Mike is ahead right now. I think Nick made it very difficult. It wasn’t where one guy went north and the other guy went south. I think both of them upped their games. But at this point in time Mike’s ahead.
We want to move forward. This is a one‑quarterback operation. This isn’t going to be someone’s got to look over their shoulder or we’re going to alternate by series. I think Mike is ahead right now.”
Kelly stresses that his plan on offense depends on his QB’s strengths, not who the quarterback would be. With two games remaining in the preseason, he is slowly beginning to reveal some of what we can expect to see in the regular season from the Eagles.
Now that the questions about the starter have been answered, it’s now time for Vick to show on the field just what about his play lead him to gain his new head coach’s confidence.
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
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