New York Jets’ Michael Vick: Actions Speak Louder than Words

Nov 9, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback

(1) reacts against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

There has been some ink regarding Michael Vick following Sunday’s win over the Steelers, and not all of it has been about how Vick performed in the victory.

Following the game Sunday, Michael Vick was asked if he thinks the Jets would have won more games if he had been named the starter sooner. He responded by saying in his heart, he feels that they would have. The media, in turn, has run with the quote. Not only was it heard locally, but nationally as well. The headline on NFL.com read as follows, “Vick: Jets would have won more if I started sooner”.

The implication is clear, that Vick is harboring resentment, feeling that the Jets coaches made the wrong decision. If anyone would have been inclined to believe that, it would have been me. My readers know that I was never behind the acquisition of Michael Vick. However, Vick has done his job admirably. He has been a textbook backup/veteran influence, and the way he has acted has spoken far louder than one quote.

Let’s think about the initial part of that statement for a minute. Michael Vick, a competitor, was asked if the team would be better had he been playing, and he responded by saying “yes”. Vick is a professional athlete, for one, and with the media, he is damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. You saw the headline based on what he said. If he had said something else, the headline would have read, “Vick Thinks He Can’t Play Anymore”, and he would have heard about that. So Michael Vick can’t win, no matter how he answered that particular question.

Nov 9, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick (1) hands the ball to New York Jets wide receiver

(16) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Now, instead of chopping up the quote, let’s take a look at it in his original form:

In my heart, yes. In my heart, I feel like on any team I can be the starter. As long as it’s not an Aaron Rodgers or a Ben Roethlisberger. I am not saying that those guys are better quarterbacks, I am just saying that I am confident in my abilities. If there is an opportunity there then yeah. But, I do feel like, at times, the opportunities were there, but the coaches made the decisions not to do it. And I solely understood everything that was taking place. It was all about developing a young quarterback, mentoring a young quarterback and giving him every opportunity to succeed. Now he has a chance to do it from afar and I think it’s going to help him.

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When you read this quote and full, the meaning is quite benign. Vick is not trying to undermine Geno Smith in any way, shape, or form. He is simply saying that he is confident in his own abilities. He should be, Vick has been doing this for a long time.

Finally, Vick’s actions speak louder than any words. I can admit to being wrong about him. Michael Vick has been nothing but a positive influence on the New York Jets. In spite of being invited to come to a quarterback competition that was a complete sham, Vick helped Geno Smith any way he could. He has been a sounding board for Geno, and throughout his struggles, kept his mouth shut to the media. Vick stayed a loyal backup.

Media, take the time to write about that, instead of taking one element of a quote out of context. Maybe the fans would read some of you once in a while.