Phil Sheridan: Reid rolling the dice with Vick

It is part of Philadelphia sports lore, the time Andy Reid told Allen Iverson he didn't think the temperamental 76ers star could play for him.

Iverson countered that, having played football in high school, he knew the NFL was different from the NBA, and he'd be different, too. Football coaches aren't just talkin' 'bout practice; it's the cornerstone of everything they do.

A decade later, Reid is living out a high-stakes version of that pipe dream.

The similarities between Iverson and Michael Vick have been covered. They are from the same area in Virginia. They are undersized for their sports. They have made up for their relative lack of size with mercurial speed, an athletic sixth sense, and a playing style that is equal parts reckless and fearless.

Their competitive drive comes from the same Hampton Roads toughness and fierce individualism that also led them into well-chronicled difficulties. The question with Iverson became whether he could adjust his attitude and his game enough to become part of a championship-winning team. The answer turned out to be no. At 36 - five years older than Vick - Iverson is out of the NBA, trying to figure out a way back in.

Now that same question is being applied to Vick, who will turn 32 in June. And Reid's remaining chances to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia essentially ride on the answer.

In admitting he "goofed" while putting his defense together last season, Reid also acknowledged Vick's role in the 4-8 start that derailed the team. He expected Vick and the offense to "carry the defense, and the defense would gradually get better and better and better. It didn't work out that way. I thought the turnovers hurt us."

Reid and his staff overloaded Vick with new responsibility in recognizing defensive fronts and assigning the blocking schemes. The ensuing confusion led to turnovers, breakdowns, and injuries. Vick missed three games and parts of three others.

"It's an important question, and [Vick] realized that," Reid said. "He realized that the last four teams standing in the playoffs, their quarterbacks started the whole season. He knows that just from film study that there are times in a game when he can go down and save himself from some hits. Now it's just a matter of doing that. I think he understands that there's a problem."

But can he change? Iverson couldn't. He continued to throw his body into the breach until it wore down. Vick's predecessor, Donovan McNabb, tried to change during his career with mixed success. He didn't run as much, but he still took hits other quarterbacks avoided because he believed he could turn broken plays into big plays.

McNabb was only a year older than Vick will be in June when the Eagles decided to move on from him. That's a bit skewed by the fact that Vick was spared two years of wear and tear, but that doesn't change the fact that one hit or awkward step could result in a major injury. Vick has acknowledged needing to adjust and avoid some of those hits, but that Hampton Roads toughness takes over once he's between the lines.

"You're just dealing with a competitive, competitive guy," Reid said. "Steve [Young] was the same way. A competitive guy that thinks and knows he's one of the best players on the field and can score at any time. He has the speed and ability to do that. But like anything in life, there's a time and a place for everything, and . . . some guys are a little bigger than you. It's a tough, tough deal.

"He knew it. He knew it when he was hurt. It drove him crazy when he was hurt. . . . He knows how it affects the football team."

Time is not on Vick's side. Generally speaking, if a quarterback is going to reach the Super Bowl, he has done so before he's Vick's age. John Elway and Troy Aikman were 26 the first time they went. Eli Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Brett Favre were 27. Tom Brady was 24, Ben Roethlisberger just 23. Drew Brees was 31. Peyton Manning and Jim Kelly were 30. McNabb was 28.

Young was 33, but had been delayed by backing up Joe Montana for some prime years. Doug Williams (32), Rich Gannon (37), and Brad Johnson (34) were veteran journeymen who had one pop-up season.

Meanwhile, a crop of potential stars led by Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will enter the league next month. Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford, Alex Smith, and Matt Ryan could surpass Vick soon, if they haven't already. There is an elite group - the Mannings, Rodgers, Brees, Brady, Roethlisberger - already ahead of him.

Can Vick change enough to join that group? The answer may decide Reid's ultimate fate here.

Larry Brown, Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Jim O'Brien, and Maurice Cheeks know the feeling.