Preparing for the elusiveness of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is almost as hard as facing him on the field.
The Green Bay Packers admitted they did not try to find a player to mimic Vick's speed during practice this week because it's just too difficult.
"It's hard to simulate him," said Dom Capers, the defensive coordinator. "In the past, there's times when you might take a receiver or something and put him back there, but they aren't going to throw the ball the way you want it thrown."
Instead, the Packers had Matt Flynn, the back-up quarterback, play Vick's role in practice as the team prepared for today's play-off game at Philadelphia.
The way the Green Bay's defence are playing - opponents averaged only 15 points per game against them during the season; only the Pittsburgh Steelers did better - the Packers think they can stop just about anybody.
But they have a healthy respect for Vick. Ryan Pickett, a defensive lineman, said he does not relish the challenge of catching him.
"I absolutely hate it," Pickett said. "It is not fun chasing that guy around. But you've just got to keep heat on him."
This will be the second time this season the Packers have faced Vick. When the Packers went to Philadelphia in September, Kevin Kolb started for the Eagles and the Packers prepared for a traditional drop-back passer. But when Kolb left the game with an injury, Vick stepped in and nearly led the Eagles to a comeback victory.
"We didn't expect him to play much at all, so our game plan wasn't suited for Vick," Pickett said. "He came in, and we just basically played the plan that we had for Kolb. But you can't play him like you play Kolb. It'll be a big difference."
Vick expects the Packers to be ready. "Obviously, when I came in the game we was already down 13 points or whatever the deficit was," he said. "They just sat back and played their scheme.
"Obviously, now I know they'll have some things cooked up and they'll do some different things. But it's football. We all have to adjust and make plays and be professionals."
And with the Packers now planning for Vick, Charles Woodson, the cornerback, said he hopes Capers will concentrate on rushing the passer.
"We know what we're going up against," Woodson said. "We know how dynamic that Vick is. He's a very big part of what they do, of what they're doing.
"He makes a lot of plays with his feet, but we've got to make sure we stay aggressive and make him run if he has to and make sure that we do our job in the back end. But aggressive, that's the way we like to play."
Blitzing Vick seemed to work well for the Minnesota Vikings in a surprising victory over the Eagles in the second-to-last game of the regular season, although Vick said a leg injury limited his ability to scramble in that game.
"I hurt my leg on the first play of the game and it hurt me," Vick said.
"I couldn't do the things I wanted to do. I couldn't push up in the pocket. But I won't use that as an excuse."
Schedule
Yesterday's games
New Orleans at Seattle, late
NY Jets at Indianapolis, late
Today's games
Baltimore at Kansas City
Green Bay at Philadelphia
