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Vick has 'mild sprain,' should start Sunday

By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/04/05
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick should start against New England this weekend after an MRI exam Sunday night showed no further damage than a "mild sprain" of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, coach Jim Mora said Monday.

"That ought to put that to rest," Mora said. "I'd expect there's a good chance he'll be ready to roll."




Vick was unavailable for comment Monday but said after Sunday's victory that he expected to play against the defending Super Bowl champions.

Vick was injured midway through the second quarter of Sunday's 30-10 victory over Minnesota when Vikings rookie defensive end Erasmus James tackled Vick after he misfired on a pass to tight end Alge Crumpler. Although Vick said he could have re-entered the game, he agreed with the coaching and medical staffs to let backup Matt Schaub finish the final 2 1/2 quarters of Atlanta's third victory in four games.

Mora did not say if or how much Vick would practice this week but said he would not be surprised if Vick tried to practice Wednesday, the team's first workout this week. Falcons players watched film, lifted weights and conditioned Monday, but Vick was not believed to have participated in any physical activity. Players are off on Tuesday.

"Whether he does or doesn't [practice] doesn't change our focus as a football team," Mora said. "I understand he's Mike Vick, and I understand the public wants to know [how] he is and our fans want to know [how] he is, but inside here, in our locker room, in our meeting rooms, it's not about that. Everyone is getting ready to play the best they can against New England."

This is the second time this season Vick has injured a leg during a game. He pulled his left hamstring late in a 21-18 loss to Seattle in Week 2 and was replaced twice by Schaub. Vick did not practice the following Wednesday but took part in all workouts the remainder of that week and started in a 24-16 victory at Buffalo.

Vick, who completed 15 of 27 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, played one of his most well-rounded games against the Bills, remaining in the pocket more in passing situations because he did not want to put any extra strain on the hamstring by running. However, he made some big plays scrambling (nine carries, 64 yards), which could have helped his gain assuredness in his durability.

Mora said that performance could help Vick this weekend.

"That unknown, 'Am I going to be able to be effective if I'm not 100 percent?' because he wasn't 100 percent at Buffalo, that will help him," Mora said. "It will give him confidence that he can function in many different ways."

The Falcons did not suffer any other injuries, Mora said. Split end Dez White is nearly recovered from a hamstring strain that has sidelined him the past two weeks and if he is healthy enough to play, he will regain his starting job from Brian Finneran, the team's leading receiver. Though White has just one catch this season, his blocking is a key reason that he is a starter, Mora has said, adding that Finneran gets plenty of opportunity whether he starts or not.

"You don't lose your job a round here because of an injury," Mora said.

What is Mora's fascination with Dez White and using him as a blocker.You mean to tell me our best receiver Finneran won't even be starting? Doesn't mora realize the last 2 games the running game has done well mainly because teams have stopped putting 8-9 men in box and the passing game is the reason.We need receivers that can catch the ball and step up when it matters.Dez White usually does a disappearing act and Finneran is Vick's fav target.This reminds me of Reg Kelly having him and crump and all reeve's did was put in kelly to block.Tight ends at least the real good ones have to catch the ball.It's called divserity and to not utilize a skilled position's talents your wasting anither way toi attack a defense.Same thing applies to Dez White.A recevier is supposed to catch the ball no1 then block not the other way around.

I hope Mora isn't getting infatuated by the falcon's running the ball the majority of the time.Same trap as last year when we face the real good teams in the playoffs they will shut down the falcon running game and then you have no passing game to counter attack leaving a one dimensional offense.

Agreed and I find it hard to believe Dez blocks that much better than Finneran, especially after the hit I saw Finn put on the Vikings DB that was running to hit Vick on his 2nd 23 yd run. Honestly Finneran is more of a deep threat too. I remember him catching a quite a few big plays back in 2002. I just don't get our coaches decisions sometimes.

I actually kind of like the call. Don't get me wrong, I am a big Finneran fan, but Mora was pretty adament about the fact that you can't lose your job due to an injury. I think that is important to know as a player. If Dez comes out and drops a couple passes, or misses some key blocks, Finneran will be back in there. Mora just doesn't want to penalize Dez for being injured.

In the short run it could hurt is in this game, but in the long run, I think that mutual respect goes a long way in building a championship club.

With that kind of mentality MC84 I guess Bledsoe should still be the QB in New England. Give me a break. Dez White has done jack and squat here in Atlanta. Can you name a big catch he has made? Can you name a first down he has made? And Blocking? There is no way, NO WAY anyone other than Griffith can block better than Finn (although I might put him in a tie with Dunn). You don't knock yourself out of games from blocking people like Finn unless you are really into it. Review any tape you want and you will see #86 in the picture at the end of a play. This is a bogus call. Dez White is not a star(nor our best player at the position), and therefore should not get some 'league protocol' on injury and starting. Watch Vick and Finn in a game. Watch their eyes, or the wink you saw them give each other after an out pass that Vick threw too low and you know Dez should not be in this game, Period.

MF1

All I am saying is that I don't have a problem with a guy getting an opportunity to keep his job after coming off an injury. I personally think Finneran will be the starter again this season. But I am not going to get outraged that Dez gets another shot to keep his job.

I am a big Finneran fan. I probably had a Finneran Jersey before you did. But I also respect the way Mora has pulled this team together, and I think this policy, the falcon filter, etc. has made this a stronger team, rather than a bunch of individual stars.

Very true, and each coach is different and I love the way Mora and staff have this team going, but Bill Belichick is considered by most a genius at being a 'team' with one goal 'winning the Super Bowl'. Since he has won 3 of the last 4 I will take to heart that a team buys into not only what is accepted, but what is smart. Belichick kept in Brady even after Bledsoe came back from his injury and won his first Super Bowl (not fair in the sense of the league). He asked Lawyer Milloy to take less money two years later (and Milloy was coming off a Pro Bowl season and was well below asking price for his position on the market), when Milloy refused to restructure his deal for less Belichick cut him, oh and won his second Super Bowl. When J. Walker wants more money for outperforming his contract that he had as a rookiee (and is getting 500K per season the last two years) people freak out and say he is a traitor and doesn't care about his team, but Belichick asks a pro bowler to take less money on an already signed contract and he is a genius bacause he wins Super Bowls. Belichick is all about team but the bottom line is winning and the players must understand that. If guys want to win then you do the smart thing, not the right thing sometimes. In this case the right thing is giving Dez his job back, the smart thing is keeping Finn in. Ask any player in the league if they would rather give a starter his job back or get a ring and they would all take the ring. Starters an injury is a stupid rule, even more so if you aren't performing as a starter in the first place. Also I will not get into a 'who loves Finn the most' contest with you. The more Finn fans the better, and I never questioned you being a Finn fan. My point was about starters vs injury and blocking, not who has the oldest jersey, sheesh

MF1

MarylandFalcon1, I know in principle they are the same, but you really can't compare Finneran-Dez to a Brady-Bledsoe situation. First off, their different because a Super Bowl was involved, a longer period of time, and the fact that it was a different position. As I recall, Bledsoe was injured in 2001 in Week 2 and was not healthy again until January. In that span, BRady went 10-3 and led the Patriots to the playoffs, while under Bledsoe they were 0-2. With a QB it's different, because the usual rule of thumb is you play whoever you feel gives you the best chance to win. Also, had the Falcons had better results over a span longer than 2 games, it would be a stronger argument for Finneran. But going 2-0 with Finneran as the starter IMO is not a very strong case when we went 1-1 with White.

Now, I'm not saying I agree with Mora's decision, and in fact I'll say it's pretty dumb. I think the real reason that Dez is rejoining the starting lineup is because Finneran is our only accomplished flanker on the bench. I think this move has more to do with Michael Jenkins than Finneran or White himself. Finneran is the top backup at both receiver spots. Putting him in the starting lineup, takes a flanker away from depth. I know that if Jenkins ever was hurt while Finneran was starting, the team would simply just move him to flanker and promote whomever (Dez or Roddy White) during the game. BUt I think this move has more to do with practice cohesion than anything else. If Finneran is the starting split end, during the week of practice before games, who is the #2 flanker? The official site lists both Romby Bryant and Jerome Pathon as the backup flankers, but we know that the 2nd team WR unit really consists of Roddy White and Finneran.

I really think this move has more to do with Finneran working on the 2nd team during practice, instead of the team having to rely on Romby Bryant or Pathon too early. In fact, I think soem of the poorer decisions Mora has made this year have had too much of the "How will it affect my practices?" mentality than being the best football judgement. An example, is Mora's refusal to work Bryan Randall at QB this summer in the preseason.

A rule is a rule Pudge, be it 10 weeks or 2 and Bledsoe did win the AFC Champainship game at Pittsburgh so he wasn't too rusty AND he said he wanted to start the Super Bowl.

Loved the point on practices however, I think you are dead on. I was looking too far outside the box and not what what was going on inside. Thanks for the different look.

MF1

eh I respect Mora for what he's doing with the situation....who starts isn't really that important because the moment it's 3rd down Finn goes in....Finn will get his chance to play whether or not Dez is hurt...if Dez doesn't do anything when he gets back I wouldn't be surprised to see Mora bench him then....hopefully Roddy will start catching on and the he can start and Finn and Dez can both sit down....

Remember last year when Finneran layed a block on John Lynch @ Denver for TJ Duckett. Lynch was knocked out for the remainder (or almost the remainder) of the game with a concussion I believe.

That was great... Someone finally hit Lynch back.

Finneran cracked Lynch's tailbone....busted his tail so to speak....