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Dallas Cowboys: Michael Vick sees himself in Dak Prescott

By Steven Mullenax

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: Former Atlanta Falcons player Michael Vick walks on the field prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome on January 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 01: Former Atlanta Falcons player Michael Vick walks on the field prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome on January 1, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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In today’s NFL, former Atlanta Falcons superstar Michael Vick sees himself most represented by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his play style.

When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael Vick with the first overall selection in the 2001 NFL Draft, the young quarterback instantly became the most exciting and electrifier player in the league. 16 years later, a retired 37-year old Vick sees his game most represented in today’s NFL by Dallas Cowboys‘ second-year passer, Dak Prescott.

When Vick entered the league, the former Virginia Tech star was known for his outstanding athletic prowess, his jaw-dropping ability to scramble out of the pocket and for possessing one of the strongest arms in football. He was the entire package. And Vick led the Falcons from a 4-12 record in 2000 to a 9-6-1 record and a playoff win in his first season as the full-time starter just two years later.

Infamously, Vick’s professional career was halted in 2007 after he was incarcerated for 18 months for his part in funding and participating in an illegal dog fighting operation. Released by the Falcons, the veteran quarterback signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. Vick would win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award for his play the following season.

All-in-all, Vick spent 13 seasons in the NFL, retiring in 2016. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times during that span. Vick ended his career throwing for 22,464 passing yards, 133 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. He also rushed the ball for 6,109 yards and 36 scores.

Recently hired as a NFL studio analyst for Fox Sports, here’s how Vick responded when asked if there is a current young NFL quarterback that he sees a little of his game in…

"“I see some of my game in Dak [Prescott],” Vick told Colin Cowherd on his FS1 show The Herd on Monday. “But I think Dak protects his self extremely well and he does a good job of getting the ball out of his hands. He doesn’t hold it. If you time him in the pocket, it’s probably 2.3 seconds on average when the ball is coming out, so he’s not holding it. Early on, when I was learning to read defenses, I held the ball just a little too long and then relied on my instincts.”"

Obviously both passers share similar qualities as mobile quarterbacks, although Vick was arguably a much more dynamic runner than Prescott, who is a bit more brutish, using his 6-foot-2, 240 pound frame to bully his way downfield. But Dak is also a much more cerebral player at this point of his young career than Vick was, running as a last resort rather than a first response.

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Although Dak Prescott is likely to be flattered by the comparison, his game is certainly more pocket-based than the wild west-style Michael Vick displayed during the early 2000’s. And Dak has a much better supporting cast around him than Vick ever did in Atlanta. Prescott’s record and stats prove that. And it’s likely the reason the reigning Rookie of the Year winner will have much more success than Vick ever did.

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