The Monday Night Football schedule for the 2013 regular season kicks off with an intriguing showdown of explosive, dual-threat quarterbacks as Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles travel to our nation's capital to square off with Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins in a divisional game. The Redskins won both contests last season, 31-6 and 27-20, but Vick missed both games due to a concussion that cost him six games last year. Griffin, who didn't play in the preseason, will be returning to game action for the first time since he sustained a torn ACL in the first round of the playoffs in January. Both quarterbacks are known for being extremely athletic and making plays with their feet, as well as their powerful arms.
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles
After a sensational 2010 season in which he threw for 21 touchdowns (with just six interceptions) and ran for nine more, Vick appeared to have not only finally proven his meddle as a passer, but also catapulted himself into the upper-echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
He was then rewarded with a six-year, $100 million contract with almost $40 million in guaranteed money. It's been all downhill ever since. After a solid, but unspectacular 2011 season from Vick that saw the Eagles fail to live up to the lofty expectations of competing for the Super Bowl, Vick came back in 2012 and performed even worse.
Aside from his usual injury issues, Vick looked overwhelmed in his futile attempts to lead the Eagles into the end zone. His 78.1 quarterback rating was the lowest of any season in which he played at least 10 games, and his completion percentage, yards per attempt, passing touchdown numbers all declined for the third consecutive season. Even more alarming is the fact that his running numbers also took a significant dive, with 589 yards on the ground in 2011 compared to just 331 in 2012. Perhaps most frightening of all is the fact that he ran for just one touchdown in both seasons, the lowest since he played in just five games in 2003.
With a restructured one-year contract and a new head coach in Chip Kelly, Vick is no doubt eager to show he can bounce back again and secure one last big payday as he heads into his mid-30s. While Vick certainly has the skills to operate Kelly's up-tempo offense, a new coach with a new concept doesn't always bode well for older quarterbacks. Second-year signal caller Nick Foles showed flashes of his potential last season, so Vick may be on a short leash to open the year.
The situation isn't all bad for Vick, however. He still has the tools to be successful, and he has plenty of deadly weapons at his disposal in LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown, DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and James Casey. He'll need all of them as he faces a solid Redskins defense that will benefit from the return of sack specialist Brian Orakpo, who was lost to an injury in Week 2 last season. While their defensive back situation leaves a lot to be desired, their stout linebacking corps are known to give quarterbacks problems. There are certainly better defenses out there, but the Redskins are a playoff-potential team eager to build on the success of last year.
The story remains the same for Vick as he is the epitome of a boom or bust fantasy quarterback, regardless of who he plays against.
It's best to take a pass on Vick until he proves he can still be a reliable fantasy quarterback.
Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
It's mind-boggling to think that Griffin will be starting in Week 1, just eight months removed from his devastating knee injury in the playoffs. Taking a page from Adrian Peterson's book, Griffin embarked on a hellish rehabilitation regimen and vowed he would be ready for the start of the 2013 season. Sure enough, the second year trigger man made good on his promise when he was named the starter last week.
Before his injury, Griffin took the league by storm with his blazing speed and accurate arm. Griffin was expected to make plays with his feet, but it's unlikely that many people predicted he would eclipse Cam Newton’s 2011 single-season rushing record for a rookie quarterback with 815 yards, with seven touchdowns thrown in for good measure.
The big question upon being drafted was his ability to be productive as a passer, but the Baylor alum completed 65.6 percent of his throws with 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 15 games last season. That was largely without the services of tight end Fred Davis, who missed nine games with an Achilles injury, as well as Pierre Garcon, who missed six games due to a plantar plate tear. With both of them healthy, Griffin was two proven targets who know how to make plays and will help ease Griffin back into his position.
Obviously the big question all season will be whether RGIII's knee can hold up. Although it is a huge concern and you should proceed with some caution, it should be noted that Carson Palmer suffered a similar injury in 2006 and came back on a similar timetable to have a sensational follow-up season. Even though knee injuries are always a tricky deal, Griffin says he is completely ready to go and has had no setbacks so far. It almost seems sacrilege to say, but Griffin has supplanted Vick as the ultimate high-risk, high-reward fantasy quarterback.
Griffin will be facing an Eagles defense that is in transition mode and projects to be in the bottom half of the league in terms of yardage and points allowed as well as fantasy points scored. With a new coordinator and relatively few impact players, the Eagles will have a great deal of trouble improving on the paltry 13 takeaways they generated last season. At this point, every quarterback that starts against the Eagles should be an automatic lock on your starting roster.
RGIII may be coming back from a horrific injury, but he's still very young, very talented, and very motivated to prove himself once again. It may seem like a risky start, but it's hard to vote against the reigning Rookie of the Year, especially with head coach Mike Shanahan calling the shots.
Projections
Vick: 200 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 2 interceptions, 45 rushing yards
Griffin: 245 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 30 rushing yards