Eagles working to assimilate Michael Vick into the offense

By JIM REEVES

revo@star-telegram.com

My favorite line from Michael Vick’s debut as a Philadelphia Eagle on Thursday night came from Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Ford, who noted that there were maybe a dozen Vick supporters parading around Lincoln Field and maybe half that many animal rights protesters, but that in dog terms, that added up to about 42 of the latter.

In that sense, there was a strong edge for the dog lovers.

The protests, it seems, were about as meaningful as Vick’s six plays in the game.

Vick was 4-for-4 passing, which is about twice his normal completion percentage, but two of those were simple shovel passes and only one, a 13-yard dart to Hank Baskett, really amounted to much.

In the four series in which Vick played, the Eagles actually lined him up as a slot receiver once but, more surprisingly, moved quarterback Donovan McNabb out to wide receiver on three plays.

McNabb was not happy that the first-team offense scored just three points in those four series while the Eagles were trying to figure out how they’re going to assimilate Vick into their offense.

"At some point, you have to get a rhythm going, get going down the field and move the chains," a clearly irritated McNabb said. "Then you can try some things."

Yep, as the Cowboys learned last year with T.O., it’s hard to generate offense when you’re trying so hard to please and accommodate one player.

Overall, Vick’s first game as an ex-con was uneventful, on and off the field. Some entrepreneur outside the stadium was selling T-shirts for $25 that crassly read: "Michael Vick, That’s My Dawg," but the price had reportedly dropped to 10 bucks before the game was over.

A march by the NAACP to support Vick never materialized.

My wife wondered Friday morning if Vick was also having to do community service, in addition to his prison time, as part of his mea culpa and was disappointed when I said probably not.

I think she was hoping he might be available the next time she has to do backyard Poop Patrol.

Not a bad idea at that.

Tough decision

Releasing Jason Jennings, manager Ron Washington said, was the toughest decision the Rangers have had to make this season.

"We sat up, beating ourselves up on that decision until after midnight Wednesday, me, Mike [Maddux], Jackie [Moore] and Jon [Daniels]," Washington said. "Then we took it up again Thursday morning. We just felt like there wasn’t anything else we could do.

"We know he’s better than he’s been showing and we know how much he’s contributed to our team this year. But we just couldn’t keep putting our other guys behind the 8-ball. Really, our hands were tied."

Through the first half of the season, Jennings had the best breaking ball on the team, was a terrific teammate and was the one middle-innings guy Washington could count on, but that changed after the All-Star break. It’s part of the transition of where the Rangers once were, to where they are now and where they’re headed in the future.

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