Vick Playing Through Pain With Eagles Backs Against the Wall
Michael Vick will play through the pain of a bruised right hand on Sunday against the 49ers.
It was good news for the Eagles that Michael Vick’s right hand was bruised, not broken. It’s good news that Vick will play with the injury. Still, the Eagles star quarterback will be affected by the contusion, and he expects the pain to continue through Sunday, when he’ll wear a kevlar-padded glove to protect his non-throwing hand.
“It’s sore, it’s real sore, but you know what?,” Vick asked rhetorically. “I feel like I’ve played through worse and I think the most important thing is to just go out and try to play and be conscious of protecting it but at the same time just letting it all go.
“If it’s too much that I can’t bear, and something’s really wrong, then I’ll probably come out of the game. But hopefully not, I’m going to keep saying my prayers and hopefully things will work out.”
In a different scenario, some might advise Vick to take the week off and rest. Eliminate the risk of re-injury and come back full strength the following week. The Eagles, 1-2 and in last place in the NFC East, aren’t in that luxurious of a situation.
“The importance of this game, I think now we’re kind of realizing we’re in a tight situation, you know, backs against the wall,” said LeSean McCoy. “What are you going to do? The only thing you can do is respond. I think everyone has it in the back of their mind and we’re ready to roll, ready to play.”
Vick’s injury has undergone even more scrutiny due to his difficulty hanging onto the ball while healthy. Vick has seven fumbles in three games this season and three have been recovered by the opposition. Over his last 10 games with the Birds, Vick has fumbled 16 times, losing seven. The southpaw has also tossed nine interceptions during that stretch, in which he’s turned the ball over 1.5 times per game – a 40 percent increase over his turnover rate during his six years in Atlanta.
The Eagles and Vick have not expressed too much concern, at least publicly, over the increased turnovers.
“Some of those were from the gun, actually, and then people running into him there,” Reid said of his concern over Vick’s fumbles this year. “Not really. The fumbling part, yes, the fumbling of the snap with his hand [injured] the way it is, that concerns me, but not the past [fumbles].”
Rather than worry too much about his turnovers, Vick expressed the importance of coming together as a team and trusting each other to rally back from a 1-2 start. Vick wants to demonstrate his reliability and toughness as a quarterback by being there for his teammates.
“It’s about showing up,” Vick said of dealing with injuries. ”It’s easy to say ‘Oh I can’t play, I’m going to sit this one out.’ Blood, sweat and tears all through training camp, each and every practice, in here every day in the building trying to get better. We want to accomplish that one common goal and the only way we’re going to do it is by doing it together, sticking together and believing in one another.”
If Vick does have to leave the game due to soreness or swelling in his hand, Reid has not indicated who his backup quarterback will be. Mike Kafka has come on in relief in each of the last two games, completing 11-16 passes for 107 yards and 2 interceptions, but Vince Young is now fully healthy and might be the next in line.
Eagles Injury Report
Out: Defensive ends Juqua Parker (ankle) and cornerback Brandon Hughes (hamstring).
Doubtful: Defensive end Darryl Tapp (pectoral).
Probable: Quarterback Michael Vick (hand), wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (hamstring), wide receiver Steve Smith (knee), S Nate Allen (knee), WR Riley Cooper (concussion), TE Clay Harbor (biceps), T Winston Justice (knee).
Tapp is highly unlikely to play this week, with a return next week looking likely, according to a team source. That means Philip Hunt should dress again. With Hughes out, the Eagles will likely dress either Jaiquawn Jarrett or Curtis Marsh. While both took reps in practice, Jarrett took the most snaps and is thus the most likely to dress in Hughes’ spot.
49ers Injury Report
San Francisco has not yet issued an updated injury report, but already declared wide receiver Braylon Edwards and running back Moran Norris out. 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh expects Frank Gore (ankle), Donte Whitner (hip) and Michael Crabtree (foot) to play Sunday, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. That leaves Mike Iupati, the Niners starting left guard, as the only remaining injured 49er. Iupati has been a full participant in practice all week with a neck injury, and is thus likely to be listed as probable.
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