Michael Vick

Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980 in Newport News, Virginia) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons NFL franchise. He is the older brother of current Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick and cousin of New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks.

Style of Play

Vick is noted for his unique, explosive playing style. He is considered by many to be the most exciting player in the game of football and he has earned the nickname "Superman." Gifted with extraordinary speed and athletic ability, he can engineer big plays with both his arm and his legs. Notable is the fact that he throws the football left-handed, but does everything else with the right. In the 2004 football season (including post season), he rushed for over 1,000 yards, which is a higher rushing total than many running backs in the NFL. Vick's mobility has often caused major problems for opposing defenses, which have to defend against him differently than they would against a conventional-style quarterback. Whereas most quarterbacks are not a major threat to run the ball for a lot of yards, Vick is capable of breaking huge runs from anywhere on the field. Additionally, he has often been able to buy more time to throw by evading pass rushers with his spectacular agility and speed. Thus, opposing defenses must find ways to constrict Vick's running lanes in order to contain him. Howerver, Vick's style of play causes the problem of injuries because his running styles puts him in dangerous situations that can hurt him more often than other quarterbacks. This caused an injury in the 2003 preseason.

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His explosive speed always makes him a danger for opposing defenses, and the Falcons are one of the few teams in the NFL to have specifically designed running plays for their quarterback. Critics are quick to to say Vick has a powerful throw but his passes are not nearly as accurate as the toppassing quarterbacks of the league, such as Peyton Manning. However, supporters counter that Vick is not equipped with the Pro Bowl-caliber wide recievers that Peyton Manning has, such as Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and Brandon Stokely. Prior to the 2003 season, Atlanta acquired former Buffalo Bills wideout Peerless Price with the hopes that Price could become a favorite target and a legitimate No. 1 receiver. But Price was a massive disappointment in Atlanta, catching only six touchdowns over two seasons, and he was released by the organization prior to the 2005 season.

Related Topics:
Peyton Manning - Marvin Harrison - Buffalo Bills - Peerless Price

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Some fanatics label Vick simply as an "athlete" at the quarterback postion, and far from the prototypical quarterback mold. Some fans have also reacted negatively to the constant media hype that surrounds Vick, and feel that an overexuberant American media annointed Vick as the best player in football even before he had accomplished a great deal professionally. Regardless of the controversy that surrounds his playing style, Michael Vick continues to win games and woo crowds with his unique style of play. Vick's style has inevitably changed the way the quarterback position is played and will raise the bar as to the expectation of play-making ability through on-field improvisation.

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