National Football League

5 reasons Michael Vick can lead Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowl

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Michael Vick is visiting the Minnesota Vikings after the Teddy Bridgewater injury. Here are five ways that Vick can lead the Vikings to Super Bowl LI.

The Minnesota Vikings are having to scramble to find a suitable starting quarterback now that Teddy Bridgewater will be out for the season with a dislocated knee and torn ACL. Minnesota could very well go with No. 2 Shaun Hill at the start of the year, but Hill’s inconsistency the last few years might jeopardize the Vikings’ playoff chances before the season even begins.

Minnesota has a top five head coach in Mike Zimmer, one of the best defenses in the NFC, and one of the best running backs to have ever played football in Adrian Peterson. Losing Bridgewater is awful, but the Vikings still have themselves a talented 2016 NFL roster.

For the Vikings to get back to the NFC Playoffs, their front office will need to take a big gamble on a new starting quarterback should Hill be ineffective. There are plenty of quarterbacks the Vikings could consider either in free agency or via trade.

One player that will visit with the club is former Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Michael Vick. Vick hasn’t been with any NFL team this preseason, but can still win games as a viable backup in this league in his mid-30s. Here are five reasons Vick can do the unthinkable and get the 2016 Vikings to the Super Bowl.

Oct 1, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Michael Vick (2) scrambles with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

5. Dynamic playmaking ability

Though he is not the dual-threat dynamo he once was at Virginia Tech, Atlanta and Philadelphia, Vick still has a great athletic skill set to work with in his mid-30s. His arm strength has always been there and so have his legs. Vick has never been an accurate passer and health has been his biggest weakness on the gridiron.

Given that offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s scheme is archaic, often using five-to-seven step drops and fullbacks on over 50 percent of offensive plays, it could be rudimentary enough for Vick to pick up on the fly as the new Vikings starter.

Vick plays his best ball in a more traditional offensive set. A West Coast offense exploits his inaccuracies in the short game, and he’s too small to be effective behind a lean man blocking scheme up front.

Minnesota has strong offensive weapons and a great running game with Peterson. Vick had great success in both Atlanta and Philadelphia as long as he had a reliable running game to lean on. If Vick is happy managing games, rather than trying to make plays with his feet like he did a decade ago, he could work well in Turner’s offensive scheme.

Aug 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Terrell Sinkfield (16) and running back Adrian Peterson (28) leave the field after defeating the San Diego Chargers 23-10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

4. Minnesota is once again a dome team

The Vikings are out of the cold and back to being a dome team in 2016. Brand-new US Bank Stadium is located where the old Metrodome once stood. Minnesota got by playing at nearby TCF Bank Stadium the last two years, but being back in a dome environment should really help the Vikings offense shine in 2016.

The significance of playing in a dome is two-fold: ideal field conditions and crowd noise. Instead of playing in frigid outdoor temperatures, the Vikings can open up the playbook offensively more than they have the last two years, even without Bridgewater under center.

The crowd’s ability to impact games cannot be understated either. The running game is dictated by the vocal cadence of the quarterback. Having it dead silent on offense helps Peterson rush for a ton of yards on the ground.

When Minnesota is on defense, the deafening crowd noise inside of US Bank Stadium will make the Vikings run defense appear better than it actually is. Minnesota has still built a phenomenal team the last few years and will be even better playing in a dome.

Vick starred for a dome team in Atlanta his first six seasons in the NFL. Why? The elite running game and run defense, which was aided by playing in a loud Georgia Dome. Vick knows exactly what it takes to win at home with a dome team.

GREEN BAY, UNITED STATES: Quarterback Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons throws a pass against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of the NFC Wild-Card game 04 January 2003 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. The Falcons won the game 27-7 to advance to the next round of the play-offs. AFP PHOTO/Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)

3. Vick has won in cold weather before.

Not only has Vick won at a high level inside of a dome before, but he’s played some of his best ball in less than ideal conditions outside. The Vikings will play eight games inside US Bank Stadium this winter, but will need to figure out how to win at frigid Lambeau Field and Soldier Field in NFC North play.

Vick had an MVP-caliber season playing in windy Philadelphia back in 2011. Perhaps his greatest individual performance as a professional came in the 2002 NFC Playoffs, as his Wild Card Falcons team beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. That was the first time in the Super Bowl era that the Packers had lost an NFC Playoff game at home.

The reason that Vick can succeed outside is that he is a mobile quarterback with elite arm strength. Running the football takes precedence over throwing it outside in cold weather. Vick can run or, preferably, hand the ball off to Peterson.

If it’s third and long and the Vikings need a first down, Vick’s arm is more than capable of cutting through some of the harsh northern winds associated with meaningful football games from late November through January.

Winning outside is imperative to get to the Super Bowl. Vick may be better equipped than the other options the Vikings could use at quarterback this winter to push for a Super Bowl now that Bridgewater is done for the year.

Aug 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on during the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Raiders 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

2. A strong Mike Zimmer defense

Vick should know that he is not the same player he once was. Fortunately for the veteran NFL quarterback, he has a ton of in-game experience and would have one of the best defenses in football to lean on.

Defense wins championships and the Vikings have a unit of that caliber in 2016. Zimmer has been an elite defensive coach in the NFL for years. His ability to get the most out of his players on that side of the ball has been a huge reason that the Vikings still have a chance this season, even without Bridgewater.

Vick doesn’t have to do everything to help the Vikings win games. He can be the complementary piece under center that Turner and Zimmer will need to play winning football. To get to the Super Bowl, Minnesota will have to win in the trenches and in the running game. Passing the football is tertiary at this point.

Given that he’s never had a defense of this caliber before, it may take some pressure off Vick under center as a potential Vikings starting quarterback. He had to make plays out of necessity at Virginia Tech, in Atlanta and in Philadelphia. This won’t be the case in the Twin Cities. He would have a championship-caliber defense.

Dec 20, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

1. Adrian Peterson

The 2004 Falcons got to the NFC Championship thanks to a great run defense and the DVD rushing attack. DVD stood for the last names of running backs Warrick Dunn, T.J. Duckett and Vick. Atlanta clobbered opponents on the ground that season, before having no answer for Donovan McNabb’s Eagles.

Duckett was decent and Dunn finished his NFL career as a 10,000-yard rusher, but neither is the tailback Peterson is. Peterson has defied all odds to be the best running back in the NFL in his early 30s.

For the Vikings to win the NFC, Peterson will have to have an MVP-caliber season and lead the NFL in rushing. Peterson is more than capable of doing that as the Vikings bell-cow back.

The threat of Vick scrambling will only aid in Peterson’s effectiveness on the ground. Minnesota can dictate pace of the game with a solid multi-faceted rushing attack. Given that opposing defenses will look at the Vikings as a run-first team, this could open up some spaces in coverage for Vick to move the chains aerially with effectiveness. Peterson is the best thing Vick would have going for him should he sign with the Vikings.