No, it's not Kevin Kolb, not unless someone else gets hurt. Andy Reid today announced that Michael Vick will be the starting quarterback for the Eagles for the rest of the season.
Now, Vick is coming off of six great quarters of football, but the fact of the matter remains that Kevin Kolb had spent every last moment of the preseason preparing to be the starter in Philadelphia. Not only that, but Andy Reid said before the game on Sunday that Kolb would start this week against the Jaguars. That was before Vick passed for almost 300 yards and two touchdowns, but that's not the point. The point is that this move reeks of lies and is a knee jerk reaction by Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles coaching staff.
I'm not going to try and lie about this whole thing. Michael Vick has looked great so far during the regular season, but remember who he has played against. The Green Bay Packers were ready for Kevin Kolb, not a scrambling quarterback, and the Detroit Lions are, well, the Detroit Lions. This is like watching Kolb against the Saints and Chiefs last season and saying that he was ready to be the starting quarterback then. Sure, Vick has the experience and the skill level over Kolb right now, but that's not what is important right now. What's important is how Andy Reid handled this whole situation.
Before the game against the Lions on Sunday, the Eagles came out and said that Kevin Kolb was going to be the starting quarterback as long as he was healthy. Michael Vick was interviewed yesterday and said that he was happy as the backup in Philadelphia. Now, just 24 hours later, the tables have turned. You can only imagine how Kevin Kolb feels. The man signed a contract extension in the offseason on the belief that he would be the starting quarterback for at least the next two years, and now Andy Reid has gone and pulled the plug on his time behind center after just one quarter. If I'm Kevin Kolb, I'm pissed, and once this contract with the Eagles ends, I'm telling them to kiss my ass. If they want to stick with Michael Vick and see what happens, then so be it. Kevin Kolb can be a starter in this league, he just needs a team with some patience to let him play. Keep in mind that he's only 26 years old, and still has room to grow. Sure, he didn't play well against the Packers, but the Green Bay defense is one of the best in the NFL. Most quarterbacks will struggle against them this year.
From a strictly football standpoint, I can see why this move makes sense. Kolb is not a mobile quarterback, and the offensive line is horrible this season. I've said it in both recaps so far, and I'll say it again right now. If you want a chance to win this season, Michael Vick might be the best option at quarterback, and that's strictly because of the offensive line. There is not one player on that line that I would trust to protect a quarterback, and that's why Vick is the starter now. Vick can get away from the pass rush and at least scramble for yards, which is something that Kolb normally can't do. That's the biggest reason that Reid decided to make Vick the starter, but I'm still not sold on this move.
Look, the way that this season is going already, this might have been the worst move that the Eagles could have made. There was already a quarterback controversy in Philadelphia, and now Andy Reid and the Eagles have made it worse. Everyone is impressed with the way Vick has been playing, but the fact of the matter is that he hasn't played against a top defense yet, and he won't this week, either. Jacksonville has one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL, so Vick is not going to be tested here, either. Of course, Kevin Kolb wouldn't have been tested, either.
That's what really gets to me right now about this entire thing with Vick. For 10 years, Andy Reid stuck by Donovan McNabb, no matter how he performed and what people said about him. Then, this offseason, he agrees to trade him to a divisional rival for a second round pick. Now, Kevin Kolb is the starter. He goes through the offseason and takes his lumps, just like any first time starting quarterback would do. He might get hurt, but that's why you have a good backup in there. Now, imagine if Aaron Rodgers had been benched after one poor half of football in his first season as a starter. Tell me how Packer fans would have felt. They would have been shocked at the turn of events, and so am I. There is no reason for Vick to be starting, save for the horrid play of the offensive line. Has Vick looked great this season? Yes he has, but that doesn't mean it's going to keep up. David Garrard passed for three touchdowns for the Jaguars in Week One, and then he threw four interceptions and was benched in Week Two. That's what this season has done to quarterbacks already. In a town like Philadelphia, Michael Vick had better be ready to hear the boos when they come his way.
The way that all of this is going down, I wouldn't be surprised if the Eagles are looking for a completely different quarterback next season. Vick will leave for more money, and if I'm Kolb, there's no way in hell I trust this team again. This is the worst possible scenario for the Eagles, and the only end result is that they're going to have to draft another quarterback in the first or second round next season. It's what I see happening.
Of course, they could have just kept Donovan McNabb, but that's not the point right now.
CSNPhilly: Eagles to start Vick on Sunday
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