Vick: I’m Trying To Do the Best I Can

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick spoke to the media today for the first time since injuring his ribs Monday night, saying he’s at about 80 percent health.

Asked about trying to avoid injury, Vick told Robert Klemko of USA Today, “I’m trying to do the best I can. I can only do what I can do. I’m feeling better. Hanging in there. Trying to make it to September 9.”

Andy Reid said yesterday that if this were the regular season, Vick would likely be ready to play.

“Really, in-season, you’d probably have him in there for the game,” Reid said. “As I’m standing here today, unless I’m drastically changing something, I’m not going to play him [the rest of the preseason].”

Vick lasted six snaps in the first preseason game before injuring his thumb against the Steelers. He lasted six plays again against the Patriots before taking a big hit from linebacker Jermaine Cunningham.

“I just let everything happen in that moment,” he said. “I can’t go to the line dictating what I’m going to do. I can’t go to the line trying to predict everything that I’m going to do. That would hurt your game a little bit, because I might miss somebody getting open. I have to go through my progressions to the best of my abilities.”

Reid defended Vick yesterday, saying there was little the quarterback could have done on the play to protect himself.

“He was trying to make somebody miss, and he wheeled backwards about 15 yards,” Reid said. “He had an available receiver down the field, and he was trying to make a play. To tell him that he can’t make that throw, you’re not going to tell him that. You just want everyone to do their job so that doesn’t happen back there. It was when he spun around that he got caught with that.”

Left guard Evan Mathis got beat on the play and took responsibility for his miscue after the game. Vick spun to escape pressure and ended up getting hit when he launched a deep ball intended for DeSean Jackson.

Nick Foles will get the start Friday night when the Eagles take on the Browns in Cleveland. Mike Kafka continues to recover from a fractured left hand.

As I described this morning, the last six injuries Vick has sustained since the start of the 2011 season have occurred behind the line of scrimmage when he was attempting a pass.

Click here for the full post, which examines myth and reality on the theories surrounding Vick’s health.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.