Amid Few Protests, Vick Makes His Debut

Eagles 33, Jaguars 32

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 27 -- Michael Vick made his preseason debut for the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, with no dynamic plays on the field and supporters appearing to outnumber protesters in and around Lincoln Financial Field.

Vick, who missed the last two NFL seasons while serving his federal sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation in Virginia, played a half-dozen plays for the Eagles in their 33-32 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, all in the first half.

"It was great to finally get out there and get my feet wet and get a feel for the game again," Vick said, calling himself pleasantly surprised by the warm reception he received from the fans.

He entered the game at quarterback on the Eagles' second offensive play, 11 seconds into the game, and received mostly cheers from the crowd. Vick played five of his six plays at quarterback, and lined up at wide receiver for one play without the ball being thrown to him.

Vick ran for one yard on his lone rushing attempt. On that run, he didn't look like the quarterback who once seemed just about impossible to tackle during his days with the Atlanta Falcons. But that probably was to be expected, after such a lengthy period away from football and so few practices to prepare.

He completed all four of his passes for 19 yards, flipping the ball forward twice to rookie tailback LeSean McCoy and throwing a screen pass to wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Vick did have some zip on one pass, a 13-yard completion to wideout Hank Baskett.

"I wanted to get him between five and 10 snaps and get him back in the swing of things," Eagles Coach Andy Reid said. " . . . So we kind of got accomplished what we wanted to get accomplished. . . . He did okay."

Donovan McNabb, after starting the game at quarterback for the Eagles, sometimes lined up at wide receiver with Vick on the field at quarterback.

This was the first game in which Vick was eligible to play after signing with the Eagles. He's also eligible to play in their preseason finale under the terms of his conditional reinstatement by the league. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is to rule by Week 6 of the season on Vick's eligibility to play in regular season games.

Vick's debut didn't give the Eagles a first-half boost. They trailed the Jaguars 17-6 at halftime and their offense was booed by the crowd at times in the first half. Vick spent the second half on the Eagles' sideline, his helmet replaced by a baseball cap.

Vick's day began at a bankruptcy hearing in Newport News, Va., in which a judge approved his plan to repay creditors, with the stipulation that Vick must retain a personal financial planner. The plan previously had been ratified by creditors who reportedly are owed a total of more than $20 million.

Vick caught a flight to Philadelphia and followed McNabb onto the field for pregame warmups shortly before 5:20 p.m. He did some stretching and threw a few warmup passes after shaking hands with others on the field, including Jaguars players and coaches.

Outside the stadium, supporters and opponents of Vick's return gathered, but in small numbers. There was no organized protest, and only a few signs were visible denouncing Vick's dogfighting involvement.

A group of approximately 15 to 20 supporters, including representatives of local civil rights groups, was present.

"We're here to show our support for Michael Vick . . . because we're tired of a one-sided dialogue," said J. Whyatt Mondesire, the president of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP. "We're tired of people saying that he should not be given a second chance because of the horrible nature of the crime. He paid the price for his terrible crime. He's gone to jail for 18 months. He's lost almost two years of his professional career. He's lost millions of dollars. Now it's time for him to have a second chance."

There were few protesters. Three women carried a sign with one picture of a bloody dog face and another picture of a bloody dog paw, and reading: "Murderers Are Not Role Models."

One of the women, who refused to give her name, said: "I haven't seen him, in the two weeks since he's been here, do anything but practicing. If he is really so remorseful, he needs to show it. . . . We're here to speak for the animals."

One man in an Eagles jersey who saw the sign booed as he walked past.

Some fans wore Vick jerseys to the game, both from his Falcons days and Eagles versions.

A woman, Clarissa Sherrow of Nottingham, Pa., carried a sign supporting Dalmatian Rescue of Southwest Virginia. The sign read: "The Rescue in Your State Could Use Help."

But she said she wasn't opposed to Vick playing for the Eagles.

"People deserve a second chance," Sherrow said. "Hopefully he has learned his lesson. Hopefully he gives back to the rescues and does community service and shows he's a good person. . . . I'm not protesting. It's just getting the word out."

The police presence outside the stadium was increased only slightly, with a few members of the department's civil affairs unit who wouldn't usually be present.