"I feel like if I had been out there for four quarters, maybe we would have had a chance to win the game." -Mike Vick, after season opening loss to the Packers
There was a time -- god, it feels like eons ago now -- when many Eagles fans had supreme confidence in Donovan McNabb. It was likely prior to the Birds loss to the Patriots in the only Super Bowl trip Philadelphia has made under Andy Reid, but there was certainly a time when I believed Donovan McNabb could lead the Eagles to win any football game, no matter who the opponent. Even in that Super Bowl loss, with minutes remaining, I still believed McNabb could lead his team back, and provide that ever elusive parade down Broad Street.
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Sure, that statement doesn't take into account a whole lot of facts or account for future Hall of Famers like Tom Brady being on the other side of the field, but it wasn't about X's and O's. It was more about a feeling. A feeling of confidence, a belief in your guys on the field.
That feeling slowly faded over the years with missed opportunity after missed opportunity. Stars came and went. Team staples like Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook reached the peaks of their careers, faded rather quickly from relevance in Philadelphia, and a championship was never delivered.
But for a number of years there, that feeling of confidence that the Eagles could win the Super Bowl made being a fan damn fun.
The Eagles came in to this season with minimal expectations. Andy Reid never wanted to call it a rebuilding year, but most of you would probably be lying if you didn't view it as such. If nothing else, it was a season in which we thought we'd get to test out Kevin Kolb and see whether or not he was a legit NFL quarterback.
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Then week one happened, Kolb went down with a concussion, and Michael Vick gradually transformed from a neat wildcat-trick-pony into a legit star. He started playing like a quarterback. He wasn't the same guy we remembered from his Atlanta days. Then he played that Washington game and it was like nothing any of us had ever seen before from a quarterback. He was hitting DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin in stride with lasers. He was making defenders look foolish in the open field. He was the quarterback of the Eagles.
Holy shit, this guy can beat anyone.
Michael Vick is certainly not a perfect quarterback. He has plenty of flaws. As Kulp has pointed out, and has been ridiculed for mercilessly, his decision making has been suspect at times. He often holds on to the ball too long or keeps his eyes down and scrambles perhaps more often than he should. He's turned the ball over a bit more as the season progressed. But at the same time, Kulp also penned a post praising Vick titled, "Can't Count These Birds Out, Ever" following the Giants miracle that included these graphs:
They are flawed, certainly. The offensive line, while not horrendous, has constantly worked through injuries just to put a passable unit on the field. The defense still can't get consistent pressure out of their front four, and the secondary is one injury away from being completely broken.
And despite it all, the Eagles are 10-4, one win away from clinching the NFC East, and perhaps even in line for a post-season bye. You could cite any number of measurable reasons why—right at the top of list would be the number one offense in the NFL, and the number two defense at creating turnovers.
The biggest reason has absolutely zero to do with statistics or rankings though. The Philadelphia Eagles are simply as resilient as their quarterback. There are no practical ways to quantify that, no formula that could possibly determine there is any truth to that statement at all.
Obviously football is as big a team game as exists, and one guy can't do it all. You don't win week in and week out in the NFL by hoping Michael Vick can sneak away on the sideline in the fourth quarter and hope he returns wearing a Superman cape. But in the playoffs, the manner in which you win is entirely irrelevant. There's something to be said for knowing he at least owns that cape.
Also to Vick's credit, this team seems to buy in to his leadership abilities in ways we never really saw with Donovan McNabb. After the Giants' miracle, to a man, the Eagles locker room pointed to Vick as the guy who never let them give up. He takes the blame when they lose and he credits his guys when they win. He's actually a leader on the field.
Maybe the Birds' secondary is weak, maybe the offensive line isn't great, maybe Aaron Rodgers is really out to prove he's a big game player, maybe the Packers have one of the best defenses the Eagles will face all season, maybe the Vikings did provide a solid game plan on how to beat Vick. Maybe they win Sunday, maybe they don't.
All I know is, we have Michael Vick 2.0 on our side. Indications point to him being 100% healthy on Sunday and ready to show the world that there are second acts. I'd be shocked to find any defensive coordinator in the NFL who would be excited to face this Vick with the weapons he has surrounding him.
Anytime the Eagles take the field with Michael Vick at quarterback, I'm confident the Eagles can win the game. It's been a while since we felt that at the Linc. As a fan, that's the most important thing you need.