Was anyone surprised that New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith was benched against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday? We all saw how poorly Smith had been playing, so we knew there was a chance he could get the hook regardless of how much support Rex Ryan has thrown behind him publicly. Apparently Michael Vick was the only one who didn’t see it coming.
On Wednesday, Vick admitted that he wasn’t prepared heading into Sunday’s game.
“Maybe I didn’t prepare or I wasn’t prepared, but I’ll tell you what, it won’t happen again,” he said, via Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I learned a lesson last week: always stay ready, always be prepared. That left a bitter taste in my mouth that I wasn’t able to go out and put points on the board or even help this team in any fashion. So this week has been a different work week from me [and] throughout the rest of the year, it’s going to be totally different for me as far as my preparation.”
Had Vick played well in relief of Smith, he would probably be starting against the Denver Broncos in Week 6. Instead, the 34-year-old looked just as lost and completed 8 of 19 passes for just 47 yards. The offense looked no better with Vick than it did with Smith.
How does this happen? Vick is a 14-year veteran who knew his team’s starting quarterback was in danger of losing his job. You would think he would have been practicing like he was going to get a shot at some point, which we all knew would happen. Now he’s back to riding the pine, and in the (rare) event that Smith plays well Vick may not get another shot.
