Just a Bruise?

     Talk about deja vu and bad luck rolled into one. In his first two NFL preseason games of 2012, Eagles QB Michael Vick has needed four medical tests while completing four passes. First, he bangs his thumb on center Jason Kelce's helmet throwing a pass in the first preseason game against Pittsburgh. He ended up lasting six plays in that game before being pulled from the game. Luckily, the x-rays were negative and no harm was done. But on a Monday Night game versus New England the week after, Vick injured his ribs from a hard Jermaine Cunningham hit on-you guessed it-the sixth play. But the good news for the three-time Pro Bowl QB was that not only were the x-rays negative once again, but the x-rays revealed no broken bones or fractured cartilage. Eagles fans and the city of Brotherly Love breathed a loud collective sigh of relief upon hearing the news.
     But should Eagles fans be concerned about Vick's health? When you lose a key asset on your offensive line in Jason Peters for the season with a ruptured Achilles heel, there should be cause for concern. But Philadelphia should be at ease knowing that Vick can still run. He ran the ball 76 times for 589 yards and a touchdown in thirteen games.
     Even if Michael Vick continues to elude defenders, the concern for the offensive line still remains. The 2011 Chicago Bears are an example of how transparent protection can hurt a team's playoff hopes down the stretch. Cutler was sacked twelve more times than any other QB in 2010 and was on his way to being sacked the most in 2011 before a thumb injury against San Diego cut his season short. At the time of Cutler's injury, the Bears were 7-3 and were neck and neck with the Detroit Lions for a wild card spot. But once Cutler was shut down for the season, Chicago went on to lose their next five games and miss the playoffs.
     Let's not forget that Vick has been injured in the preseason before. He fractured his right fibula on August 16, 2003 against Baltimore and was out for eleven weeks. Eagles fans should be even more concerned about Vick's six-year, $100 million contract that he signed on August 29 (With nearly $40 million in guaranteed money).
     Philly's star quarterback guaranteed that the Eagles would be "a dynasty" a while back. But the City of Brotherly Love is hoping that Vick's Eagles won't become the start of the biggest bust of an NFL team in history.