Michael Vick's headlining run with the American Flag Football League is over after one tournament game.
The quarterback's Roadrunners squad fell to Ocho, 26-13, in the second half of Saturday night's doubleheader action at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia.
As the pros took the field for the first time, it became evident whichever team adjusted to the flag game quicker would likely win the contest. That ended up being Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's Ocho squad, which found success on the arm of former Texas A&M standout Jerrod Johnson.
The quarterback connected with Jeremy Ross on a beautiful pass down the middle of the field for the game's opening score and kept that connection going later with another touchdown. In between, Ocho showed it was the better team in the details department, efficiently moving the ball between the quarters of the field and pulling flags effectively. It was that small difference that helped Ocho grab an early lead and hang onto it once Vick's Roadrunners put it together offensively.
Trailing 19-7, the Roadrunners forced a stop deep in their own territory, then quickly moved the ball down the field. Vick's pump fake lured Chad Johnson into the flat, leaving Aaron Rouse -- who's spending most of his time these days campaigning as part of his run for Virginia Beach City Council -- wide open for a long touchdown reception down the sideline. That cut the lead to 19-13, and prompted a little criticism from a notable former star watching from home:
Vick's squad got one more chance, but a bobbled pass on fourth down resulted in an interception that sealed the result with less than two minutes to play.
Vick got things going offensively for the Roadrunners in the first half, working out offensive kinks before firing a low-flying bullet to former Giants receiver Steve Smith, who made a diving catch and reached the ball over the goal line for six. Not much else worked from there until late, with Vick's Roadrunners struggling to move the chains with consistency and Vick himself drawing a significant flag-guarding penalty in the final minutes of play.
The Roadrunners' Jarrett Boykin had nine receptions by the time the game reached its twilight, serving as a productive target for Vick, who removed himself once the game was out of hand, tossing his jersey into the stands and talking a little friendly trash with Chad Johnson as the final seconds ticked off. Johnson didn't do much offensively, failing to record a reception and allowing his lone carry and shifty moves to serve as proof of his enduring athletic ability.
Johnson and his quarterback of the same surname advanced to face the winner of Godspeed-Holdat, who will play Sunday evening. He also had a response for Owens' tweet: "Call me."
As for Vick?
"I'm retired," the quarterback told NFL Network's Kay Adams.
