Michael Vick

A person familiar with the team's thinking says the Eagles are strongly considering releasing quarterback Michael Vick . The person says the team might cut Vick no matter what police conclude during their investigation of a shooting that followed his birthday celebration in Virginia Beach, Va., last week. The person spoke to The Associated Press early Saturday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The Eagles issued a statement on Saturday saying "any report or speculation that suggests the Eagles are considering releasing Vick are not true.

Every Monday morning, the day after my favorite day of the week but still hours before that week's slate of games officially wraps up with “Monday Night Football,” I will bring you my weekly premature NFL power rankings. Why Monday? Because who wants to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday for power rankings? Why 11 teams? I don't really have a good answer for that one. I've always liked odd numbers. What am I basing them on? Who my gut tells me are the toughest teams to beat that week.

Kolb deserves a chance David Teel Newport News You don't trade your Pro Bowl quarterback unless you're sold on his replacement. And you don't bail on that replacement 30 minutes into the season, no matter how inept he was, no matter how electric his backup. Kevin Kolb's first-half struggles Sunday probably had Eagles fans pining for Donovan McNabb, shipped to the Redskins during the offseason. And when a concussion sidelined Kolb, those fans reveled as Vick's skittish arm and unparalleled feet nearly rallied Philadelphia past the Packers.

- The Ravens defense had a chance to silence the critics who questioned its performance against the run in last Monday's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Instead, the unit may provided more ammunition. Quarterback Michael Vick amassed 371 yards passing and punched in the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard keeper with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter to propel the Philadelphia Eagles to a 24-23 win and the Ravens into a week of re-evaluation. Vick engineered a 10-play, 80-yard drive to record his second game-winning touchdown series this season.

ESPN posed a question a few hours ago that has created a storm to rival Hurricane Irene: What if Michael Vick were white? In an essay posted just posted online that will appear in the Sept. 5 issue of the magazine, columnist Toure wrote: "Race is an undeniable and complex element of Vick's story, both because of his style as well as the rarity of black QBs in the NFL. A decade after he became the first black QB to be drafted No. 1 overall, about one in five of the league's passers is African-American, compared with two-thirds of all players.

PHILADELPHIA // After Michael Vick tossed four interceptions, was sacked twice, and finished with a 50.9 rating in the Philadelphia Eagles' 17-16 win against the Cleveland Browns, the quarterback has been poked and prodded by media and fans alike. One line of questioning has involved Vick's state of mind as the Eagles prepare for their home opener against the Ravens this Sunday. But offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg simply pointed to Vick's ability to engineer the game-winning, touchdown drive against the Browns as Exhibit No. 1 in his faith in Vick's confidence level.

Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis' mind is bound to race wildly today, consumed with deducing the moves of unpredictable, enigmatic and gifted Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. As the play clock ticks down and Vick barks out signals, Lewis will peer across the line of scrimmage to glean hints of what Vick might do next. Vick's impact is seemingly limited only by his imagination.  As the Ravens square off with the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, containing Vick is of paramount importance.

I agree that Michael Vick will play pro football again - it's just that he'll be doing it in Canada with its wide-open style, or in the Arena Football League, where some club might be desperate to sell tickets. This is not to say that Vick doesn't deserve another chance to play in the NFL. That's not for me to judge one way or the other. But there's just too much working against it. For starters, it is difficult to say when exactly Vick will be eligible to play in the league again. His guilty plea in Virginia yesterday on dogfighting-related state charges helps clear the way for an early release from federal prison, perhaps to a halfway house, according to reports.

Unless we learn that Michael Vick's sordid dogfighting past isn't in the past, I don't see how the NFL can keep him off its character-stained fields. And if Vick gets into someone's training camp in July after he receives an early release from federal prison, he'll be there in September, or October, or November. Two reasons: supply and demand. If he walked out of prison today, he would be better than the starters of at least five teams who are in quarterback-crisis mode: the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and, oh yes, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Let's all take a deep breath. Neither the NFL nor the Atlanta Falcons should kick out Michael Vick just because of an indictment, and just because he "sounds" guilty. It didn't happen with Kobe Bryant or Ray Lewis, and as we know now, it shouldn't have happened to the Duke lacrosse players. OK, exhale. Vick still deserves to suffer just for his name being linked with what it's being linked to. Just like Bryant and Lewis and the Duke lacrosse players. He will suffer. As harshly as those other examples were judged by the public, hourly and for a seemingly endless time, this might set a new standard.

Ravens inside linebacker Jameel McClain has had a busy week preparing for a Philadelphia Eagles offense led by quarterback Michael Vick and running back LeSean McCoy. On top of that, McClain will also be getting ready to play a regular-season NFL game in his hometown of Philadelphia for the first time in his career. Here are some of his thoughts heading into the game. How many family and friends do you expect to be at Lincoln Financial Field? I'm going to tell you what's the crazy thing.

Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis' mind is bound to race wildly today, consumed with deducing the moves of unpredictable, enigmatic and gifted Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. As the play clock ticks down and Vick barks out signals, Lewis will peer across the line of scrimmage to glean hints of what Vick might do next. Vick's impact is seemingly limited only by his imagination.  As the Ravens square off with the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field, containing Vick is of paramount importance.

Kevin Cowherd Ravens 24, Eagles 19 First away game is always tough. And Philly crowds are as warm and fuzzy as the exercise yard at San Quentin. But Joe Flacco and the new-look Ravens' offense will prevail. Edward Lee Eagles 27, Ravens 21 The Ravens' offensive line will face its toughest challenge with the Eagles' depth in their defensive front, disrupting Joe Flacco's timing with his receivers. And the defense will miss outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, who would have contained quarterback Michael Vick.

When the Ravens play the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and Eagles quarterback Michael Vick inevitably finds a creative way to escape the pocket, the Ravens will have to worry about something much more dangerous than Vick scrambling down the field for a sizable chunk of yardage. The bigger concern will be not losing track of Philadelphia's wide receivers, who can get behind Baltimore's defensive backs if their eyes are glued to Vick. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh likens Vick to a very familiar foe: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who has burnt the Ravens before with deep throws after extending plays outside the pocket.

PHILADELPHIA // After Michael Vick tossed four interceptions, was sacked twice, and finished with a 50.9 rating in the Philadelphia Eagles' 17-16 win against the Cleveland Browns, the quarterback has been poked and prodded by media and fans alike. One line of questioning has involved Vick's state of mind as the Eagles prepare for their home opener against the Ravens this Sunday. But offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg simply pointed to Vick's ability to engineer the game-winning, touchdown drive against the Browns as Exhibit No. 1 in his faith in Vick's confidence level.

From the distinctive Virginia drawl of his cadence to dashing out of the pocket and rocketing throws on the run, Tyrod Taylor is performing his best imitation this week of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. The Ravens' backup quarterback is operating on the scout team, providing the defense with a sneak preview of how Vick operates heading into kickoff Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. “I'm trying to mimic some of the things he does on offense, that's the job of the scout team quarterback,” Taylor said.

The attorney representing a Severna Park man accused of holding dogfights at his home said yesterday that investigators had slapped together a weak case after becoming "emotionally caught up" in the outcry that followed the Michael Vick case. With gun charges recently dismissed against Kevin Jay Green, 44, lawyer Andrew White argued that the $750,000 bail set after the dogfighting conviction of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback was too high. Anne Arundel County District Judge William C. Mulford II refused to lower it to $50,000, noting that Green still faces serious charges.

A Baltimore group dedicated to rescuing abused and abandoned dogs and cats has been selected to foster three pit bulls formerly housed at kennels in rural Virginia owned by suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who was convicted of federal dogfighting charges. The dogs have been taken to Maryland and are being housed with various "foster families," according to members of Recycled Love Inc., a volunteer nonprofit organization. The locations of the dogs are not being made public for fear that someone interested in having a "Vick dog" might steal them.

Every morning, Monday through Friday, blogger Matt Vensel will hook you up with reading material -- mostly on the Ravens but with some other Baltimore sports stuff, too -- to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday. That way he'll have an excuse to do the same to start his workday, too. RUNNING IT BACK The Ravens hope to avoid a letdown against the Philadelphia Eagles after a dominant win over the Cincinnati Bengals. … Backup inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe played more snaps Monday than starter Jameel McClain.