"He played the quarterback position so very well," said Mornhinweg. "He's always been a great player. He's improving every week playing quarterback."

What Mornhinweg meant, of course, is that Vick continues to evolve as a complete quarterback. He was a supremely talented player when he joined the Eagles way back in the summer of 2009, and then he transcended the offense last year as he stepped in for Kevin Kolb and now he has grown, and improved and week by week made the kind of strides that mark the great ones.

Oh, Vick has had his ups and downs this season. He has turned the football over far too many times. The entire offense has, really. But Vick carried the ball too loosely in Atlanta, was picked off by the Giants and 49ers and then had it all melt down in a torrent of turnovers in Buffalo.

Vick didn't stop working. The Eagles beat the Redskins to save the season, took a week off and then returned to what Vick calls "the new season."

It is his mindset, the team's mental approach: Take it one game at a time in the new season.

Vick's tempo has been noticeably different the last couple of games. He drops back, makes his reads and gets rid of the football. Boom, boom, and the ball is gone.

The performance against Dallas was masterful as Vick accounted for 279 passing yards, 2 touchdowns and a passer rating of 129.9. Beautiful.

Next comes a challenge against the Chicago Bears and an opportunity for Vick to complete the circle of progression. Chicago did a number on Vick a year ago, forcing four fumbles (recovering two) and intercepting a pass. Vick had his moments and his statistical line was awesome -- 65.9 completion percentage, 333 passing yards and a score, another 44 yards running -- but the Bears accomplished what they wanted by penning Vick in, pressuring him and taking advantage of Vick holding on to the football too long.

So how far has Vick come? We will see on Monday night. The Bears don't do a lot of exotic things, but they play extremely sound, very physical football. Vick stood in front of his locker on Saturday and mentioned Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers as the obvious one-two punch of the Bears defense, and Vick lauded them as "Hall of Fame" kind of players.

Chicago twists and stunts up front and blitzes now and again, but for the most part the Bears win battles man to man and they are outstanding at stripping the football and forcing turnovers.

Vick must be secure with the football and follow up the turnover-free masterpiece from Sunday with a similar effort. The Bears know the Eagles have a complete offense, one that is equally dangerous on the ground and in the air. The first priority among the galaxy of standouts is Vick, who runs and passes and breaks defenses down with his multi-dimensional skills.

In the end, though, Vick must be more than a "great player." He must be a "great quarterback" week in and week out for the Eagles to reach their full potential.

NEWS, NOTES AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT

• Brandon Graham is on the 53-man roster now, but will he dress against Chicago? The Eagles dressed only four ends against Dallas and had no problems. Juqua Parker is doubtful with his ankle injury and Phillip Hunt, inactive last week, is itching to play. Graham, the guess here, will dress. The Eagles want to see him knock the rust off and play a handful of snaps.
• Chicago has not used the tight end much in the passing game this season, the first time the Eagles have faced an offense that doesn't feature its tight end in the passing game. Why would I not be surprised to see the Bears try to establish their tight ends on Monday night?
• Jay Cutler is not going to want to take a ton of chances against the Eagles' defense and is likely to, as he has in the past couple of games, get rid of the football quickly. I really hope Juan Castillo orders up an aggressive game plan and challenges the Chicago wide receivers in press coverage as much as possible.
• To kick or not to kick to return man Devin Hester? Here's to hoping Alex Henery kicks off eight times through the end zone and Chas Henry has a quiet night.
• If you are going to the game, remember to celebrate as the Eagles have an Alumni tribute to a bunch of players from the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as former head coach Buddy Ryan. If you can't make it to Lincoln Financial Field, watch the halftime tribute live on PhiladelphiaEagles.com