From fumbles to interceptions, Michael Vick’s Achilles’ heel has always been turnovers, his willingness to give the ball back to the defense.
But the Vick the Giants are bracing for Sunday has suddenly discovered ball security, with Big Blue saying Philadelphia has found the perfect marriage of star and scheme.
After testing his balky hamstring Friday, Vick was listed as probable for Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field. Assuming he plays, he will be running a Chip Kelly offense the Giants say is perfectly suited to accentuate his strengths, hide his weaknesses and curtail his turnovers.
In short, it’s designed to make him a nightmare.
“With this offense, it’s somewhat simplified. It’s one read and he’s getting the ball out of his hands quick so he’s not taking many hits,’’ cornerback Terrell Thomas said. “They’re a repetitive team, they do the same thing over and over and wait for you to make mistakes. They have good enough athletes that they can do that.
“They have little counters here and there to throw you off, but for the most part it’s one read, get the ball out of your hands.’’
Vick has always been turnover-prone, with 135 in 126 career games. He has thrown 84 interceptions and fumbled 90 times to lead all active players, losing 41. But this season he has just two picks and two fumbles while still torching defenses, and the Giants said the read option Kelly brought from Oregon suits Vick more than Andy Reid’s West Coast system ever did.
“It’s hard for a quarterback who has a strong arm that wants to throw the ball down the field like Vick to play in a West Coast offense, just dinking the ball around,’’ Thomas said. “Chip allows them to take shots down the field, especially with the read option. Now you have a lot of guys closer to the ball, so you have one-on-ones on the outside.’’
The numbers back that up. Discounting a 2009 season that saw Vick limited to just 13 pass attempts, his 2013 interception percentage is the lowest of his career. By contrast his 9.0 yards per attempt and 16.7 yards per completion are not only the best of Vick’s career, but tops in the league, the yards per completion almost three yards ahead of runner-up Colin Kaepernick (13.8).
Vick is tailor-made to run Kelly’s frenetic read option scheme, with fewer reads, players closer to the line of scrimmage and more opportunities on the perimeter. While backup Nick Foles often checked to Riley Cooper, Vick made full use of deep threat DeSean Jackson and guided the Eagles to at least 400 yards of offense in each of his five starts.
“I think it’s a system that suits him very well. It allows him to be versatile, both run and pass. Also just as an individual he’s been doing a better job protecting the ball,’’ safety Antrel Rolle said. “I just think this system best suits him. He can be versatile, he can be a double threat; it’s part of the system.’’
The Giants got a good look at Vick in Kelly’s offense in the Eagles’ 36-21 win at MetLife Stadium. Vick was 6-of-14 for 105 yards passing and carried seven times for 79 more before pulling his hamstring late in the second quarter. He missed the last two games, but the Giants said they’re expecting a healthy and dangerous Vick on Sunday.
“If he’s out there, he’s going to be Mike Vick,’’ Rolle said.