Journeyman and one-time superstar Michael Vick couldn’t get the Steelers a win stepping in for starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger against the Ravens. As he often does, Vick tantalized at times, flashing pieces of what makes him a special football player. Vick gained 33 yards rushing, more than the 27 yards rushing Roethlisberger had in all of 2014. But it’s obviously a very different Steelers offense that has a QB rushing that much. Plus the effect wasn’t always salutary: he couldn’t get a crucial first down rushing the ball on 4th-and-2. And he was sacked four times.
Vick threw for 124 yards on 19-of-26 passes. Had it been 125+ yards on 20-of-26 passing, the Steelers would likely have won the game. Vick missed Antonio Brown for with a late 4th-and-1 attempt, before Baltimore drove for the game-winning field goal. Still there was a lot to like in Michael Vick’s play, his active feet and his good completion rate. But are the Steelers a team that can play that way? Time will tell: Big Ben is reportedly out 4-6 weeks.
