Interesting article from the Panthers Insider.

Mike Vick and the Vickans, err, Falcons roll into Charlotte this weekend for their first meeting of the 2004 season. Maybe you've heard of him. He's the owner of that Red/Black/White #7 jersey that you are now seeing in your sleep...


You’ve seen him pimped on commercials, in print, and on the web. Michael Vick is everywhere. He’s been featured in high-profile commercial campaigns and has been the centerpiece of the Atlanta Falcons’ franchise total reconstruction from the ground up.

Even when he was injured in 2003, he was the talk of the NFL. How he was injured, how the Falcons suffered without him, and how he’d dominate when he got back.

Last season, Vick helped lead the Falcons to an overtime win against the Panthers in his first game back. Vick was 16 of 33 passing for 179 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception. He was sacked 3 times, and fumbled once. However, Vick also ran 14 times for 141 yards, with a long of 43 yards and 1 touchdown. The Panthers allowed 224 yards rushing total in that game, however, and this is a big however, Dan Morgan and Mark Fields both did not play in that contest. Carolina sorely missed their linebackers, as the statistics would indicate.

This season, Vick has been less than stellar. The Falcons are 3-0, but Vick has yet to shine, save for a career-long 56 yard scamper against the Cardinals. #7 has thrown two touchdowns and two interceptions in 4 games. He’s fumbled twice against San Francisco in week 1, didn’t fumble the next week against St. Louis, and twice again against the Cardinals for a total of 4 fumbles in 3 weeks. Vick has been sacked 5 times against Arizona, once against St. Louis, and 4 times against the 49ers, for a total of 10 sacks in 3 games. For the season, Vick has completed 37 of 61 passes for 457 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, for a QB rating of 81.1 in three games. Those are hardly numbers that would rank Vick even in the top half of the NFC, let alone the NFL, yet he remains the talk of the national radio and television stations.

ESPN’s Joe Theisman can’t talk enough about Vick. Every week, he pontificates about how great Vick is. This week, all of the ESPN analysts picked Carolina to win the upcoming game… except Theisman.

Even in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Concord Mills Mall, there were more Vick jerseys than Panthers jerseys during the summer… and this after a year where Vick missed most of the season, the Falcons were horrible, and the Panthers narrowly lost the Super Bowl. It’s the sheer fact that he could explode at any minute for a mind-boggling run and change the course of a game like no one since Barry Sanders that puts those jerseys on the racks.

But just as soon as the Falcons can meteor to the top with Vick, they can plummet to the depths of the ocean without him, as the 2003 season would attest. Vick is vital in the Falcon’s success, and if you can stop Vick, you stop the Falcons…

Or at least that is how it used to be.

Vick has played mediocre the last 3 weeks, and they’ve still won.

Can it be that there is more to the Falcons than just Vick?

Yes.

Just don’t tell Joe Theisman that.

 

http://panthers.theinsiders.com

Chris Weinke: What does the future hold?
By Troy Gravel PantherInsider.com
Date: Sep 25, 2004

Chris Weinke was a fourth round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2001. To be more specific, he was the 11th pick of the fourth round, 106th overall. In the four years he has been with the Carolina Panthers he has seen his ups and downs. His rookie season he started 15 games and passed for more than 2,900 yards. In NFL history only one other rookie QB has passed for more yards, that being one Payton Manning.

2002 started his downward spiral. Weinke went from 15 games starting the previous year to only getting the starting nod one time in 2002. He actually played in 6 games that season and threw for 180 yards on 17 out of 38 attempts. Not good for a former Heisman Trophy winner, Florida State standout and the “Future” of the Carolina Panthers.

The job of Starting Quarterback was handed over to Rodney Peete in the summer of 2002. A Veteran in the NFL and one who has seen action at such places as Oakland, Philly, DC, Dallas, and Detroit, Peete was a steadying influence to a team that had set an NFL record for consecutive losses the previous season. Peete proved to be a valuable asset to the Panthers Organization as they went from a 1 and 15 team under Chris Weinke to a 7 and 9 team with Rodney Peete at the helm. Something had to happen however as Peete would be the ripe old age of 37 going into the 2003 season. Would Chris Weinke earn his starting job back and learn under the tutelage of Rodney or would the Panther Organization look to bring in someone else, or draft yet another Quarterback and start the whole process all over again?

As luck would have, be it good or bad for Chris Weinke, the Panthers decided that they would take precautionary measures and sign Jake Delhomme from the New Orleans Saints. During preseason of the 2003 season, Chris Weinke shined and looked to be the obvious starter, if not surely, the backup to Rodney Peete. But halfway through the first game of the season, as Carolina looked to be on the verge of yet another loss, Peete was benched and Carolina went to the backup. No it was not Weinke, it was, as everyone knows by now, Jake Delhomme!

Everyone knows how the rest of the season played out. Delhomme carried the Carolina Panthers on his shoulders, all the way to the SuperBowl. He had some help along the way, with key plays from the likes of Deshaun Foster, Steve Smith, John Kasay and Stephen Davis carrying the rock like no other running back in the Panthers 9 year history. The question that arises in this journalist's mind is "what is going to happen to Chris Weinke"? Is this former Heisman going to be relegated to riding the pine his whole career? Does it really matter what he does out on the field, or is he ever going to be given a fair shot at earning the backup position? Does Carolina even see him in their future and will he be expendable after his contract ends in 2005?

Chris was once quoted on ESPN, “The biggest thing for me is to do what I did throughout camp last year and the preseason and just let it play out. Eventually something has to happen. Either it will work out here or I will go somewhere else.” He has stated in the past that he didn’t like riding the bench and couldn’t see himself doing that for two more years, but that is exactly what he has done. After this season is over, Chris’ contract will be up and it doesn't seem that the Panthers would sign him to another contract. PantherInsider.com tried to contact Thomas Condon, Chris agent, but at the time of the writing of this article he has not responded.

One would wonder if there is any need for a 32 year old Quarterback with only 4 years experience in the NFL. Maybe the Miami Dolphins with their obvious need at QB, maybe the Buffalo Bills as a backup to Drew Bledsoe, one could only speculate at this time. One thing that is for sure however is that Chris has been a standup guy for the Panthers Organization and I for one hope he finds a home somewhere and makes the most of his situation, whatever it may be.

 

>> they would take precautionary measures and sign Jake Delhomme

i don't think is even close to representing Fox's reasoning for signing Jake.

 

Even in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Concord Mills Mall, there were more Vick jerseys than Panthers jerseys during the summer… and this after a year where Vick missed most of the season, the Falcons were horrible, and the Panthers narrowly lost the Super Bowl.

When did Charlotte anex the city of Concord, it is Concord Mills in Concord. :huh:

 

It may not be. I mean Bruton is in trouble for cutting down trees with Charlotte right? Even still with selling the land off.

 

I should have been more specific and written "The charlotte area" - I wrote that at 10 Pm after not having sleep for about 3 days with a newborn in my left arm... cut a brother some slack!

BTW, if anyone wants to write for the site I'm trying to offer a small stipend so I don't have to do it - seriously.

 

Good thing I posted your article on here.

 

preshadit.

I'm nowhere near a professional writer, as you can see... but they came to me and asked if I'd administer their panthers site and I accepted. I still need writers though, hence my hack job -

 

You could post the article on here first, let them take their hots, then post it on the other site. That's what have done. Works GREAT!:xyzthumbs

 

i always thought ya da bomb bat

oh, and congrats on the new brat