He's waited six long years for this opportunity, so what's two more days?
Quarterback Michael Vick admits that he often wondered if he'd start another playoff game in his career. Having been to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, Vick says he won't take Sunday's game against the Packers for granted.
But Eagles fans across the world can hardly wait another hour (let alone 48 of them) for kickoff to arrive, Vick said Friday that he's in no rush for Sunday, using every moment for additional preparation.
"It's going to come," Vick said Friday. "Sunday's going to come. As a player, you don't want to rush it. You want to take all the time getting prepared in your preparation. You really don't want to rush anything."
When Vick last started a playoff game, it was on the very turf he'll step foot on Sunday afternoon. In January of 2005, Vick's Atlanta Falcons came to Philadelphia in search of their first NFC Championship since the 1998 season. As it turned out, the Eagles defense stifled Vick and wound up in Jacksonville for Super Bowl XXXIX.
Vick remembers that night well, and admits that it's a strange coincidence that he's back in South Philadelphia for his next playoff start.
"Yeah, that's ironic," Vick said. "The last playoff game I played was on this field and it was for the NFC Championship, and it seems like so long ago. I'm just excited about the opportunity that I have now, to play in another playoff game. This is something I dreamed of the last three years, and finally I have the opportunity."
Vick has been known to save some of his best performances for the bright lights of playoff football. His first experience in the postseason took him to Lambeau Field, where the Green Bay Packers were undefeated in their storied playoff history. But Vick led his underdog Falcons to victory on a single-digit night in northern Wisconsin.
A tantalizing performance against St. Louis followed the very next season, as Vick completed 75 percent of his passes that night while throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for 119 yards on eight carries.
With a history of electrifying performances in postseason play, one can only wonder:
What does he have in store for Sunday afternoon?
-- Posted by Josh Goldman, 4:25 p.m., January 7
