How the Cowboys Should Defend Michael Vick

59.8: Michael Vick’s passer rating on first down

For whatever reason, Vick has struggled mightily on first down this season. He’s completed just 53.7 percent of his first down passes and thrown five picks on first down, which is pretty perplexing since the majority of NFL quarterbacks excel with a new set of chains. The Eagles are fairly balanced on first down, passing the ball on 52.5 percent of snaps. While the Cowboys always need to look out for the big play—the Eagles like to take shots downfield early, which may be part of the reason for Vick’s low completion percentage—they could get Philly in long down-and-distance situations by stopping LeSean McCoy and the Eagles’ 4.5 YPC on first down.