After performances from Matt McGloin and Connor Cook against the Denver Broncos that left a lot to be desired, the Raider Nation is nervous. Just a week ago, Derek Carr was their starting quarterback and the Raiders were Super Bowl contenders. Now, fans feel desperate. All feels lost. The Raider Nation is do desperate, that many have started pleading that the Oakland Raiders sign veteran quarterback, Michael Vick.
Michael Vick and the Oakland Raiders
This is not a good idea. As desperate as the Raider Nation is to have a quarterback that can win games, that quarterback is not Michael Vick. Frankly, that quarterback isn’t out there. It’s too late to get a free agent quarterback, and Derek Carr isn’t walking through that door this season. Here’s why Michael Vick isn’t a good fit for the Oakland Raiders.
Washed Up
Michael Vick hasn’t even played in 2016, but his performances over the last three years aren’t impressive either. Vick has started 12 games in the last three years, and he’s thrown for 2,190 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions. And as a rusher? He only has 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Michael Vick is 36 years old, and he hasn’t seen a practice field all season. Even if he wasn’t physically done last year, he’s not going to be someone that can come in and be ready in less than a week. In fact, it might take even longer than that.
Playbook
For all their flaws, Matt McGloin and Connor Cook know Oakland’s playbook. They don’t need to prepare any further for next week’s game against the Houston Texans than they normally would. If the Raiders were to bring in Michael Vick, one of two things would have to happen. They would either have to significantly dumb down what is already a pretty simple offense, or Vick would have to learn the entire playbook in five days.
He’d have to learn the entire playbook, and have established chemistry with the wide receivers before Saturday afternoon. That’s just not conceivable. A washed up Michael Vick that doesn’t even know the playbook or the receivers is not a better option than two young quarterbacks that do, regardless of their flaws.
Was He Ever That Great?
Michael Vick is one of the most exciting players in NFL history, and was as dominant in Madden as Bo Jackson was in Tecmo (as if the commercials would let you forget). But as a quarterback, it’s not like his numbers were all that great. His best season as a passer came in 2010, where he barely threw for 3,000 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions. His second best season was in 2006, where he had even fewer yards with 2,474, 20 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Outside of that, he’s never thrown for 20 touchdowns, something Derek Carr has accomplished in all three of his seasons.
But being honest, Michael Vick was never touted as an exceptional passer anyway. Vick is famous for what he could do with his legs, and is considered one of the best running quarterbacks of all time. In 2006, he rushed for 1,000 yards! He was the first quarterback to run for 1,000 yards in a season in NFL history.
But that 2006 season was over a decade ago. He’s not the explosive player he was back then, and without that dynamic running ability, what is he? He hasn’t proven to be an exceptional passer, and expecting a 36 year old man that hasn’t even practiced in a year to carry an offense by himself is asinine. Not to mention, what a phenomenal waste of exceptional talents in Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
