In 2004, Vick ranked 11 th in the NFC with 902 yards rushing and scored three TDs. His rushing yards were 3 rd all-time amongst QBs. He averaged 7.5 yards-per-carry, 2.5 yards better than the runner-up, Rams RB Stephen Jackson. Not since Deion Sanders has a player been more dangerous with the ball. He may be the fastest player in the league when he turns upfield despite not having the fastest 40 time. He has great football speed and is a very natural runner. He also has a cannon arm and can throw on the run. Most important in Vick's favor is the fact the team wins with him in the lineup. When he was out in 2003, the Falcons won only six times as they trotted out various imposters to try and win games. A healthy Vick translated to a berth in the NFC title game. Defensive changes (3-4 to 4-3) were a big reason for the upturn in fortunes also but Vick received most of the accolades and some MVP votes.

As a QB, Vick's passer rating has been in the low 70's his entire career. 20 QBs had a higher rating last season, including Houston's David Carr, Denver's Jake Plummer, Tennessee's Billy Volek and NY Giant's Kurt Warner. Now no one would place these signal callers above Vick, but it is an interesting stat. Vick was sacked 46 times, second only to Carr's 49. However, Carr attempted 145 more passes. This number is way too high for a QB with Vick's agility. He also fumbles the ball more than you would like. As a West-Coast QB, Vick seems like a poor fit. Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb and Steve Young all struggled early in the system as well. It calls for quick progressions and an ability to quickly diagnose a defense. These don't play to his strengths, which are making things happen off broken plays. Does he have the cerebral ability to grasp the nuances of Bill Walsh's system? Time will tell.

A national publication this week released their Top 100 football players. Vick was ranked 12 th . I find this amazing as he has a career QB rating of 76.4, has a TD/INT ratio of 36-27 and a career completion pct. of 53.6. He may not be the 12 th best QB. These are very average numbers for a starting QB and pale in comparison to most starters in the league. Players like Priest Holmes, Tony Gonzalez, Torry Holt and Jason Taylor were rated below him. These are elite players who are some of the very best at their positions. I feel Vick is the most over-hyped player in the league but does have untapped potential. He may be a super-talented player but has yet to show it.

The final word on Vick could go to Raiders' owner Al Davis and his famous, “Just Win, Baby.” In that respect, Michael is holding his own. Just ask Peyton Manning.

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Last week I was blown away with my Lions pick. Trailing 10-6, WR Mike Williams caught a 44-yard pass deep in Bear territory. Offensive pass interference was called and even the announcers thought it was a terrible call. After that it was a progression of dropped passes, poor passes and incomplete passes. A bad game all around.

I'll try to rebound with two plays this week. I'm still on the Bengal bandwagon and think they can get by the Bears. I also like the over in this matchup. Chicago QB Orton gained some confidence last week and WR Muhammad is still a threat. However, I still think the Cincinnati offense can put points on the board against a defense that wasn't really challenged by Detroit . As for the over, I was impressed by the Bears' running game and feel they can score some points against an improving but not yet elite defense. Seven of Cincy's last nine road games have gone over the number as well.

Take the Bengals at -3 and the over of 39.

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