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| 'Let’s just say that won’t happen,' Vick said of Reid losing his job. 'Not on my watch.' (US PRESSWIRE) |
Eagles coach Andy Reid got some great news today: according to Michael Vick, Reid won't be losing his job anytime soon.
ESPN's Sal Paolantonio sat down with Vick to discuss the possibility that Reid is on the hot seat heading into 2012 after a disappointing 8-8 effort in 2011 (Thanks, VY!) and the Eagles' quarterback spoke frankly.
“I hate to think about it," he said via PFT. "… Let’s just say that won’t happen,” he continued. “Not on my watch. And I’ll say that in front of the whole world.”
It's a nice sentiment, and the consensus seems to be that Vick truly has changed after spending time in federal prison. But the whole world also heard Vince Young call last year's outfit the Dream Team. (Yes, he was joking, but the media ran with it anyway.) Unlike previous offseasons, however, Vick has actually been working on his game. We know this because he admitted as much to ESPN.com's Ashley Fox.
Michael Vick told me this is the first time in his NFL career he is taking the off season seriously. Not proud of it, but dialed in now.
— Ashley Fox (@AshleyMFox) May 22, 2012
One of the biggest culprits for the Eagles' .500 record last season: a whopping 38 turnovers, second-most in the league, and Vick was responsible for 18 of them.
"He gets caught sometimes doing too much, trying to do too much, and that's where he gets in trouble," Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson told the Philadelphia Inquirer Monday. "We eliminate those and keep him within our system, and positive things are going to happen."
If the Eagles want to be legitimate contenders in the NFC East, Vick will have to cut down on the turnovers. Obviously.
"I've had a chance to sit down with Mike, one-on-one, in the room, by ourselves, watch the good, watch the bad, and for me not only to teach off of that but just to watch his expression, see how he reacts to the negative," Pederson said. "He's learned from that. I think it makes him a better quarterback going forward, obviously. If we cut those two areas down, be more efficient in the red zone, don't turn the ball over as much . . . your chances of success obviously go up."
Added bonus: Reid gets to keep his job.
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