Saturday, November 25, 2006

Jim Mora Sr. Is Off-Base: Is This Because Michael Vick's Black?



Recently, Jim Mora Sr. made a comment that Michael Vick was a "coach killer." I really think that's an off-base statement, and I've got to wonder to what degree Michael Vick's skin color has to do with this. I mean if Mora Sr. was the coach of the Falcons, would he have started, let alone draft Vick?

I say no.

I state this based on a lot of drive-time hours spent listening to the elder Mora on Fox. One day, Mora said that he'd routinely hire any coach with an Italian last name. He did say this, went on and on about it, and I fumed. I was thinking "I guess that's a weird way of saying he'd never give a young black head coach a chance."

Wow.

So I immediately formed the view that the elder Mora may have a race issue that clouds how he sees NFL talent, including Michael Vick. Mr. Mora, I've got news, the problem with the Falcons passing game rests in the design of the passing game, not in Michael Vick.

I was just watching the NFL Network's telecast replay of the Falcons / Ravens game of last Sunday. I noticed that the passes called by Mora Junior's staff -- Greg Knapp -- were all five or seven step drops or play action. No three step drops. None of the quick passes to receivers who are standing on the line of scrminage. Nothing to take the pressure off the Falcons offensive line. Nothing.

The passes were the same one's I've seen the Falcons run game after game -- in other words, they're predictable.

So when the passing pocket collapsed, as did happen often, Vick was forced to run.

This is bad coaching in action. The Falcons are great at designing running plays for Vick, but terrible -- and I mean just bad -- at creating a great passing system.

And Michael Vick gets blamed for a problem that would have given backup Matt Schaub a separated shoulder.

Geez.

The Falcons need to fix their passing game, before it's too late.

3 comments:

  1. Of course it's because he is black. No white quarterbacks get criticized in the NFL when they play like dirt. Just ask Jake Plummer, Mark Brunell, and Kerry Collins, for example.

    Seriously, stop with the race card. Vick is being treated fairly, and to suggest it is because he is black is pathetic.

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  2. Zennie Abraham9:09 PM

    Wrong. And what does the term "race card" mean? Where did you get it from? Why do you use it? If you knew the answer, you'd not apply it.

    Wrong. Vick is criticized for reasons that are related to his skin color and the position he plays: quarterback.

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  3. Zennie Abraham9:10 PM

    Moreover to ignore the factor of race is pathetic.

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