Panic at the Vick-sco: I write blogs, not tragedies. Well, maybe not considering what happened Sunday night. Maybe you heard, maybe you didn’t, but Michael Vick has a concussion. Welcome to the world of Arian Foster owners. What to do? First, have somebody ready for Sunday. With the NFL’s new concussion rules, it’s going to be nearly impossible for him to play. Make a move for the best backup QB you can, because you’ll be playing him a lot – not just this week.
If you have to give up a starter at a different position, give up a starter. Vick has shown he still has the propensity to be unable to avoid contact (even from his own team). He’s not changing his style of play so expect there to be more weeks like this where his playing status is in question. Good news is, with the QB position being so deep, you should be able to obtain someone readily.
If you want to go free agent, Rex Grossman is still widely available in a lot of leagues, so snap him up. Not a lot of other big-timers out there (sorry Jason Campbell). Everyone else is a dice roll. You need a consistent point-getter. Don’t go cheap like Adam Rank in Vegas. He actually told me he likes to hang out at a certain sports bar there because the beer is cheap, like it’s college.
I know it’s risky, but if you can’t obtain a worthwhile QB, then handcuffing Vick is a good option by picking up Mike Kafka. He moved the team pretty well on Sunday night and would have won the game if Jeremy Maclin didn’t turn into Stonehands from ‘Necessary Roughness’. Philadelphia likes to do the same things on offense regardless of QB’s – Kolb to Vick, Vick to Kafka.
There won’t be a change in style except Kafka won’t run as much, obviously. You can expect good (but non-Vick) production from him. Don’t be afraid of Vince Young — Kafka has possession of the backup job now due to Young’s injury — and VY won’t be thrown into the fire, except as a last resort. Kafka played in a high octane offense in Northwestern (remember 532 yards passing in the 2010 Outback Bowl), who I believe play 8 receivers on every down, so he’ll be well accustomed to distributing the ball in Philadelphia.
New Jack City: Been a long time since Uptown Nino Brown ruled the Cash Money Brothers. It seems like it’s been that long since Steven Jackson missed a game (one in 2009). I know his strained quad/hamstring doesn’t have him officially out for tonight, but plan on not having him.
Head coach Steve Spagnuolo said he’s a ‘tough call’ for Monday, and is a game-time decision. I know Spagnuolo said he rested him all week with the strategy he could play tonight against the Giants, but don’t believe it. All the early reports have him as next to out. This strikes me as Spagnuolo making sure New York spends extra time preparing for Jackson, when there’s no way he’ll play.
Hamstrings linger (I miss The Cranberries) and St. Louis isn’t going to pull a Kubiak, and put Jackson out there only to see him get hurt again (again, see Foster, Arian). If you need a pickup, grab Cadillac Williams. You may only have him for a week, but he’ll get the bulk of the work in the running game. Not Jackson-type production, but you have to take what’s available.
If you’re playing him at a flex and you need someone? If Hakeem Nicks is out for the G-Men, grab Domenik Hixon. If Nicks plays, look to snag Brandon Gibson or Greg Salas. Salas will be in the slot. I know, I know, but you’re desperate.
- Jason Smith
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