Michael Vick Debuts as Eagles Escape Jaguars 33-32
All that for just six plays that didn't produce much offense.
Playing his first NFL game since his
release from prison, Vick showcased his impressive skills. He played
quarterback, ran the wildcat formation, even lined up at wide receiver
and completed a pass right-handed.
Oh, by the way, the Philadelphia
Eagles beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-32 on David Akers' 34-yard
field goal in the final minute of Thursday night's preseason game.
Vick's return overshadowed a somewhat
sloppy effort by an Eagles team that has Super Bowl aspirations. Hardly
anyone but the coaches and players cared about much except Vick's
performance, however.
All eyes were on No. 7 whether he was
on the field, on the sideline or sitting on the bench. Vick showed
little emotion at first, but loosened up as the game wore on and even
flashed an occasional smile.
Philadelphia coach Andy Reid didn't
wait long to use Vick. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback jogged onto
the field for the second play from scrimmage and got a hearty welcome
from the notoriously tough Philly fans.
So much for all those protesters and
anti-Vick factions. There were more people pulling for Vick gathered
outside than against him.
Vick entered to a standing ovation
from the crowd in a half-empty stadium. Later, some chanted "We want
Vick!" after he left the game.
Donovan McNabb got a close-up view on Vick's first play, lining up as a wide receiver.
Vick was on the field for six plays
— all in the opening 18 minutes. The results were so-so. He completed
all four of his passes for 19 yards, ran for 1 yard and lined up in the
slot for one play.
With Vick, the Eagles scored 3 points. Without him, they moved the ball far more efficiently.
Vick hadn't played in an NFL game
since Dec. 31, 2006, with the Atlanta Falcons. He was released from
federal custody July 20 after serving 18 months of a 23-month sentence
for his role in running a dogfighting ring. He signed a one-year, $1.6
million contract with the Eagles, who hold a $5.2 million option for a
second season.
McNabb completed 21-of-36 passes for
244 yards and one touchdown. He also threw one interception and his
fumble on a backward pass was returned 92 yards for a score by Brian
Iwuh.
Jaguars QB David Garrard was 8-for-14 for 93 yards and one interception while leading Jacksonville on one
touchdown drive. Backup Todd Bouman also was 8-for-14 for 59 yards and
one TD.
After missing a few plays, Garrard
returned and tossed a 3-yard pass to Nate Hughes, who fumbled at the 1
after a hard hit by Asante Samuel. Torry Holt picked up the ball and
stepped into the end zone for a touchdown, giving Jacksonville a 7-3
lead early in the second quarter. Hughes sustained a concussion on the
play and didn't return.
The Eagles finally got going once
they went to a traditional offense without Vick. Following an
interception by Samuel, McNabb drove Philadelphia 57 yards to the
Jaguars 1. But rookie LeSean McCoy dropped McNabb's backward pass, Iwuh
picked it up and ran it back for a 14-3 lead.
McNabb and the rest of the starters
came out for the second half and put up 14 points. McCoy ran in from
the 4 to cut it to 17-13. McNabb later tossed a 4-yard TD pass to
Marcus Mailei.
Josh Scobee kicked a pair of 49-yard field goals for the Jaguars.
Vick completed a 4-yard shovel pass
to McCoy on his first play. He ran for 1 yard on his second play and
was a decoy as a wideout on his third play.
With McNabb standing on the
sideline, Vick then completed a 13-yard pass to Hank Baskett to the
Jaguars 11. Akers kicked a 31-yard field goal a few plays later.
Kevin Kolb, playing his first game
of the preseason after missing the first two with a knee injury,
rallied the Eagles in the fourth quarter. He was 10-for-18 for 102
yards and one TD.
The game finally ended after the Jaguars lateraled about a dozen times on the last play.