The Philadelphia Eagles will go only as far as Michael Vick can take them in 2012.
Last year's 8-8 campaign was a pure disappointment, but if Vick were healthier and more careful with the ball, this team could have done more. There's optimism in Philadelphia heading into this season. A restocked defense fuels that hope, but let's not kid anyone, Vick has to deliver.
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"Nobody has come to me and told me, 'Your future lies in this season.' What I do know is that this is a big year for us, because we've got all the pieces in place. It seems like everything is there for us," Vick told the Philadelphia Daily News. "What I say is, this team is in position to make a run ... This is what the organization builds for, to put a team together that can go out and compete. It takes years to put a team together. When you finally get to that moment, you're like, 'OK, here we go. Let's go get it.' "
That moment never arrived last season. His numbers (18 touchdowns to 14 interceptions) don't entirely tell the story. He wasn't the player of 2010, who scorched defenses and lifted his team.
With a brief respite before training camp, Vick told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport he'll bury himself in film study. He's used these months to revisit every error, every poor decision on the field from last year.
We spoke with former Giants center Shaun O'Hara on Friday and he described Eli Manning's offseason work in a similar light. Never resting, always tweaking his game. It's a lot to ask Vick to match what Manning did last year, but Eagles fans -- and Vick himself -- expect nothing less.