Vince Young Runs Light Years Past Michael Vick [Guest Writer, Michael Vinciguerra]

This is the first post from Michael Vinciguerra. He will be joining this blog soon.

Since I was a lad, I pictured the quarterback position as being traditional. The center would hike the ball to the quarterback, who would enter the pocket and look for an open receiver. If no receivers were open, then the quarterback would either throw the ball away or scramble for his life. Sometimes change is good and there have been scrambling quarterbacks (Steve McNair and Randall Cunningham) who have altered my traditional view of the quarterback position, but if you're going to change something, please get it right.

Upon Michael Vick’s entrance into the NFL, I despised him immediately. This hatred is primarily because he radically changed the role of the quarterback position and did it terribly wrong. The role of scrambling quarterbacks reached its height when Vick entered the league. One would assume that Vick would be quite a challenge because defenses would never know whether Vick would pass or take off running down the field for twenty yards. But NO! Vick spends each progressing year hurt or gaining somewhat decent numbers (I’m talking about throwing numbers, not rushing - After all, what’s the point of rushing for 200 yards if you still lose the game?!) And still sportscasters praise his unique style of play and predict good things for him. Sportscasters need to set their alarm clocks because it’s time to wake up and realize Vick is no good and will never win a Super Bowl. As I watch Vick play, I don’t even think he knows what he’s going to do half the time. I understand his receivers are less than mediocre, but if you overthrow them half the time or set them up where they are going to get pummeled right after the catch I wouldn't be able to catch the ball either. Vick is too inconsistent, inaccurate with his throws, and makes poor decisions because he is always in a hurry to take off running with the ball. Basically, the Falcons will never win a championship until Vick becomes a running back or learns to pass. But enough about Vick. Let’s move towards the future of scrambling quarterbacks.

After watching Vince Young play in college, I somehow magically accepted the notion of scrambling quarterbacks. I sat their after the Rose Bowl and said to myself, “Mike, you know, scrambling quarterbacks are fun to watch...when they get it right. Oh yeah and...get a haircut you bum.” I knew Vince Young had the potential to dominate in the NFL and sure enough if the Titans would have started him from the beginning of the season they would have had a much higher winning percentage and would have owned at least the Wild Card. But let us not dwell on what would have been. After all, Young will be around next year and as a Colts fan that scares me. Vince Young impacted the Titans like no other quarterback I’ve seen in awhile. He not only brings excitement to the game with his well-balanced and executed mix of rushing and passing, but the most important thing is HE WINS. Hell, he not only wins, he comes back from 4th quarter defecates where most people would have turned their televisions off and soaked in a bathtub (Giants anyone?...and I like bubbles in my bath). I almost feel sorry for Vick, who has spent 6 years trying to fit into the role of a scrambling quarterback while almost instantly, Vince Young enters the league and is successfully doing what Vick tried to perfect during his six year span. To end this argument about which scrambling quarterback is better, I'll pose a question: Who would you rather rely on when your team is on their own 10 and down by four points with two minutes left in the game?