The Eagles got outVicked on Tuesday night. And by a guy who was drafted as a wide receiver no less.
Minnesota quarterback Joe Webb completed 17 of 26 passes for 195 yards and had a 9-yard touchdown scamper in which the rookie from UAB juked three Philadelphia tacklers on his way down the sideline into the end zone.
Webb didn’t turn the ball over as the Vikings shocked the Eagles 24-14 in the first Tuesday night NFL game in 64 years. Meanwhile, Michael Vick — who was named the NFC Pro Bowl starter before the game — turned the ball over three times and had a couple more possible interceptions dropped by Vikings defenders.
An MVP candidate getting outplayed by a rookie making his second career start?
With Brett Favre likely retiring — and hopefully for good this time — there will be a vacancy in Minnesota that maybe Webb can fill.
And who does Webb have to thank for that even being contemplated? The same quarterback against whom he earned his first victory.
Vick’s transformation from a poor decision-making, run-first quarterback into an MVP-caliber, intelligent, unstoppable force has resurrected the mobile quarterback.
The NFL is a copycat league, and every team with quarterback questions will be searching for the next Michael Vick.
Eight months ago, the Denver Broncos’ selection of Tim Tebow in the first round seemed like a stretch. But Vick’s success combined with Tebow’s numbers in his first two starts (446 yards passing, 105 yards rushing, four total touchdowns) have the Broncos looking like they got a steal in taking the Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 25 pick.
The true test of Vick’s impact on other team’s personnel decisions will come in the form of two dynamic junior quarterbacks. Cam Newton and Terrelle Pryor have been the most dynamic playcallers in college football, but they don’t fit the mold of the pocket passers that typically go high in the draft.
With controversy circling Newton and Pryor, both may decide to forgo their senior seasons. Newton is a more polished passer and pegged to go toward the end of the first round, while Pryor is slated to go much later.
If both decide to make the jump to the NFL, Vick’s influence on the league can truly be measured by where the mobile quarterbacks are selected.
