Back and better than ever
Less than two years removed from being released from federal prison as a disgraced former Pro-Bowler and PETA enemy #1, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick put on a historic show in a 59-28 clobbering of the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football. There were all kinds of pre-game hype, what with Redskins' struggling QB Donovan McNabb receiving a 5-year, $78 million contract shortly before the game-ending rumors that his stint with the 'Skins would be short-and some verbal and physical quarreling before the game, but it all evaporated around the time Vick heaved an 88-yard touchdown pass (61 yards in the air) to receiver DeSean Jackson on the first play from scrimmage. Vick then gave the performance of the year so far, becoming the first player in NFL history to pass for 300 yards (333 total), rush for 50 yards (80 total), pass for 4 touchdowns, and run for 2 more in the same game. In the process, he moved past 49ers great Steve Young for second place on the all-time quarterback rushing list, behind only Randall Cunningham.
"I've had some great games in my day," Vick said. "But I don't think I've had one quite like this one."
The Washington home fans rained boos on their team almost immediately, as the Redskins allowed the Eagles gaudy numbers including team records for total yards in a game (592), points in a half (45), and notched the biggest leading margin after the first quarter for any pro team since 1950, at 28-0. It was 35-0 after the first play of the second quarter.
New Washington franchise QB McNabb, meanwhile, was 17 for 31 for 295 yards and 2 TDs, but also had 3 interceptions. And he ignored questions after the game about whether his appealing new contract helped numb the pain of the blowout. "At this point, I'm angry," he said.
Well, there ya have it. There have been whispers of MVP talk for Vick, who certainly makes the Eagles a different team (they've won all 4 games in which he has played every minute), but, ultimately, his skyrocketing fantasy and actual value, and re-claimed fame, make him the primary competitor to Texas Rangers' outfielder Josh Hamilton in terms of greatest recent sports comebacks. Hamilton's case will get a new edge if, as expected, he wins the American League MVP award later this week. But Vick is flying high as an Eagle, pun intended.
This game ended another week of professional football, and, after all the action, the Top Ten stands as thus:
1) Atlanta Falcons, 7-2 (facing the St. Louis Rams this week)
2) New England Patriots, 7-2 (facing the Indianapolis Colts this week)
3) New York Jets, 7-2 (facing the Houston Texans this week)
4) Baltimore Ravens, 6-3 (facing the Carolina Panthers this week)
5) Pittsburgh Steelers, 6-3 (facing the Oakland Raiders this week)
6) Philadelphia Eagles, 6-3 (facing the New York Giants this week)
7) Green Bay Packers, 6-3 (facing the Minnesota Vikings this week)
8) New York Giants, 6-3 (facing the Philadelphia Eagles this week)
9) New Orleans Saints, 6-3 (facing the Seattle Seahawks this week)
10) Indianapolis Colts, 6-3 (facing the New England Patriots this week)
You can see from this there are two must-watch games, the Philadelphia Vicks, erm, I mean, Eagles, and the New York Giants, who were in the conversation for the NFL's best team before being embarrassed on Sunday by the lowly Dallas Cowboys. And, in the other, we have another entry in the primary NFL debate of the past decade. While almost everyone would agree, in terms of sheer ability, the Greatest Current Quarterback Debate is squarely in Peyton Manning's favor (rather than Tom Brady's) it will be interesting to see them match up again, especially coming off a week in which Manning threw zero touchdowns and Brady threw for three and scored another. (FYI: the debate about which QB will look better after they retire got a HUGE new chapter after Super Bowl 44, because, of course, Manning lost that Super Bowl, leaving him with just one current Super Bowl ring, while Brady has three).
Meanwhile, in baseball, other than contract negotiations for guys like Cliff Lee and Derek Jeter, its awards time. Yesterday, recent World Series champion Buster Posey (the Giants' 23-year-old catcher, who became a superstar in the last four months of the 2010 regular season, and in the postseason month of October/November) beat out Atlanta Braves' outfielder Jason Heyward for the National League Rookie of the Year award, snagging 20 of the 32 first-place votes after hitting .305 with 18 home runs and 67 RBIs.
An opponent against whom he singled in the eighth inning of Game 5 of the World Series, Texas
22-year-old closer Neftali Feliz, won the American League Rookie of the Year award, taking 20 of 28 first-place votes after a season in which he set the single season record for saves by a rookie, with 40.
And, today, Roy "Doc" Halladay, just over a month removed from tossing the second no-hitter in postseason history in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Reds (his career postseason debut), won the National League CY Young Award unanimously, winning all 32 first-place votes. In 2010, his first season with the National League's Phillies after spending his entire previous career with the Toronto Blue Jays (and winning a Cy Young with them in 2003), Halladay was tremendous. He went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA, leading the league in wins, complete games (9), shutouts (4) and innings pitched (250 2/3). He was second in strikeouts (219) and walked only 30 batters. He becomes the fifth pitcher (after Gaylord Perry, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens) to win a CY Young in both leagues, and the third unanimous winner in the last decade (Johnson in 2003 and Jake Peavy in 2007).
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