Michael Vick: 'I have to put Eagles on my back'

Robert Klemko, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Michael Vick can't go anywhere to escape the disappointment with the Philadelphia Eagles. Not even a charity mission to Superstorm Sandy-ravaged Atlantic City, N.J.

The quarterback is making a $50,000 donation to the Red Cross' relief efforts, and he spent part of his Tuesday speaking to high school students and visiting a local shelter for displaced residents. More than a few people wanted to know why the Eagles lost 28-13 Monday night to the New Orleans Saints, making both clubs 3-5.

The Saints have an excuse for a poor first half: Their season was blown of course by the NFL's bounty investigation.

And the Eagles?

"People want to know the reason behind the loss, so I had to break it down to them," Vick told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. "You just let them know that it's just football. It takes a total team effort to win football games. Young kids have to learn that and learn not to point the finger early."

If the occasion of four losses in a row at midseason is too early to point fingers, when is the right time? Vick's younger brother, Marcus, assigned blame Monday night, demanding a trade for his brother during the game in a curse-filled Twitter rant that criticized the offensive line. He has since apologized.

Michael says he had a heart-to-heart with his brother, and is assured that won't happen again.

"Coach wasn't seeing into it, and my teammates weren't seeing into it, and nobody said anything about it," Vick said. "They know me as a person and they knew I would get to the bottom of that and they knew that I'd handle that."

But his brother's outburst isn't nearly Vick's chief concern. His offensive line has been ravaged by injuries. Starters Jason Peters, Jason Kelce and Todd Herremans are lost for the season. Vick has been pressured, hit or sacked on a third of his dropbacks this season, and he's thrown the ball away a league-high 17 times.

At this point, Vick feels as if he needs to "kinda, sorta" put the team on his back.

"I have to make plays that I know I can make and kind of put the team on my back a little bit," Vick said. "But we have a lot of great players, and I've just got to play at a high level. I've got to bring everyone else with me."

Vick said he was worried about injuries early in the season, forcing him into bad throws. That mentality is no more.

Vick said he refuses to worry about coach Andy Reid's long-term future with the team. Reid long ago tied his tenure in Philadelphia to Vick's success. Vick is due $16.5 million if he's on the roster next season. Reid's contract is up after next year, but Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said in August he needed to see "substantial improvement" from the team for the coach to keep his job.

Instead, the Eagles have regressed, fueling speculation that Reid and Vick's jobs are in jeopardy.

And though Vick has admitted to feeling the pressure from the media in several instances this season, he and Reid aren't discussing matters beyond Sunday's NFC East game against Dallas.

"We don't think about it and we don't talk about it," Vick said. "We think about the next game and how to win it. That's what's most important. Everything else is a distraction."