Unless you never watched an NFL pregame show this year or listened to a word Bob Costas said all season, you're aware that after the 2006 season Michael Vick went to federal prison for almost two years. Upon his release, the Eagles took a chance on him and two years later... He's led them to an NFC East title and a playoff appearance. This will be Vick's first playoff start since 2004 and he says he's excited.
"It's exciting. Obviously, this is a very intense time, but this is what you play for. This is why you play so hard in the regular season and try to accumulate as many wins as you can, so you can play in the postseason."
As any good Eagles fan knows, that last playoff start Vick made in 2004 was the NFC Championship game in which he came to Philadelphia as a Falcon. He was asked whether he viewed Philadelphia as a difficult place to play at the time?
"Yeah, I mean, Philadelphia's always going to be a tough place to play. I've witnessed it first hand, and it was tough. This weekend, I know they'll bring that enthusiasm, bring that cheer, bring that fight with them, and we're going to need the 12th man this week."
The big question this week of course is how he feels after picking up the quad contusion against the Vikings?
"I think come Sunday I'll definitely be 100%, based on the way I feel now, and [I'm] just confident. I give a lot of credit to the trainers, in helping me get back to a position where I can go out and compete, and [I'm] just thankful."
Vick said he looks forward to facing the great defensive players the Packers will be bringing to Philadelphia.
"Just a very dangerous group. Clay's playing some of the best football you'll ever see out of a NFL defensive player, and Charles-he's Charles Woodson. He's been making plays since the beginning of his career. So, it's great to compete against those guys, but sometimes it brings out the best in everybody."
On whether he has seen more of an assortment of blitz packages over the past five or six weeks?
"Yeah, we've been seeing blitzes since my first game. My first game against Detroit, we were getting zero blitzed the entire game. So, the blitzing is just something that's been happening over the past couple of weeks. Defenses, they have coaches, too, professional coaches that do a great job of scheming. They've just been beating us a couple of times. We found a way to fix it and we're just moving on."
On what he expects the atmosphere to be at Lincoln Financial Field?
"Obviously, this is my first playoff game here, so I expect to be like any playoff environment-exciting, unbelievable, lots of cheers, and lot of boos for the opposing team."
On whether he feels like this is a new era of Eagles with him under center?
"Well, I'm just trying to do what I'm capable of doing, and that's playing good football. Doing it with a young group, a lot of people didn't expect us to be in this situation and give us a chance or had doubt that we would make it. Yeah, it's a new era, so we're just trying to go out and make our mark, and play good football."