PITTSBURGH -- Hard as is it is to believe New York Jets quarterback Michael Vick is in his 12th NFL season.
Yes, 12th.
It doesn't seem that long ago that Vick entered the league as the No. 1 overall draft pick and with the greatest of expectations.
Vick's blinding speed and slingshot for a left arm never translated into the superstardom that was forecast for him with the Atlanta Falcons. And he endured a stunning fall from grace when he served jail time on dog-fighting charges.
Vick has since rehabilitated his image and made the most of a second chance. Now with his third team, the Jets have turned to Vick with their season spiraling out of control. The Jets have lost eight consecutive games and Vick has taken over at quarterback for the struggling Geno Smith,
He made his first start for the Jets last Sunday and completed 21 of 28 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown in a 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here is what the Steelers are saying about Vick:
Safety Will Allen: "I've got horrible memories of a young Michael Vick, No. 7 in a Falcons jersey [when Allen was with Tampa Bay]. The hardest thing playing against him is he's a definite run threat and definite pass threat with a strong arm, and he's left-handed so he can throw across his body or throw a way that you're not used to seeing. It's hard to really stop that. We've just got to plaster receivers when he starts to scramble and let our front seven guys stop the run and stop him from scrambling. Hopefully that will be enough."
Coach Mike Tomlin: "They have been able to do some things in terms of pocket movement by design. He is able to do some things by ad-libbing as plays break down or the pocket breaks down that creates issues that may affect the menu in terms of what you desire to do. When you pressure a guy like this guy, you have to be really sharp. It needs to be balanced pressure. Sometimes you can overload sides and stuff when you pressure quarterbacks that aren't quite as mobile. If you give this guy an escape lane, he is going to abuse it."
Cornerback Brice McCain: "He's still an elusive, fast guy. He's strong-armed and has a zip on the ball. He's still Michael Vick and you can't simulate Michael Vick in practice. He doesn't like to get hit that much now but he still can run a little bit."
Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau: "I don't see much difference in him. Maybe he's a 4.4 instead of a 4.2. But trust me a 4.4 is pretty damn fast. He still throws the ball with a flip of the arm 45 yards without any problem. He can reach any spot on the field. Vick is Vick. I thought maybe his first game in there he was a little rusty, but I didn't see that [last week]. We're going to see a good quarterback. I know that."
Outside linebacker James Harrison: "You can't take liberties with a guy like that. If you've got outside contain then you need to keep contain. You can't go and try to take the inside route knowing that you have someone to cover you because if he squeezes the pocket and breaks contain, he'll get there and run for 30, 40 yards."