ESPN just posted an article on Michael Vick restructuring his deal and signing with the Philadelphia Eagles for one more year. The article provides a great example of meaningless statistics.
Vick seems equipped to run the aggressive, up-tempo offense that Kelly is bringing to the Eagles from Oregon.
However, Kelly’s offense is predicated on designed runs, which Vick has struggled with. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 6.7 yards per rush on scrambles but just 1.7 yards per rush on designed runs, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Is 6.7 yards per scramble good? Is 1.7 yards per designed run bad? We don’t know the answers to these questions unless we know how other quarterbacks in the league performed. With statistics context is everything.
Football, like many things, is complex. Maybe 1.7 yards per designed run isn’t great. Does that mean Vick can’t do designed runs? Maybe it means that the threat of him running has forced defenses to play more men on the line of scrimmage, thus opening up the passing game. The truth requires examining the whole story.
Speaking of examining the whole story, what is the difference between a scramble and a designed run?
A scramble means that the passing play has broken down and the quarterback is trying to salvage the play by running for a few yards. The number of yards gained in this situation is really a function of the quarterback’s Houdini skills and speed. If you watch film of Michael Vick it is clear he excels in both categories.
A designed run is when the coach calls a play that intends for the quarterback to run. The success of designed runs depends on a quarterback’s running ability, but it’s also heavily influenced by the design of the play and when in the context of the game it is called. Coaches, not quarterbacks, design and call plays. If Michael Vick failed at designed runs (which we don’t know is true since his 1.7 yards are not in the context of other players at his position in the league), it is probably the fault of the coaches since it is clear to anyone who watches him play, the man knows how to run.
The idea that Michael Vick is good at scrambling but not designed runs just doesn’t make any sense. Statistics should not replace common sense.
