Michael Vick’s 6-TD game, 10 years later: ‘You can’t play much better than that’ (2025)

Michael Vick remembers details of the best game of his career as if the night occurred through a different lens than some other games he played. That’s because it did.

On Nov. 15, 2010 — 10 years ago Sunday — Vick took the field against Washington with a tinted visor on his helmet. He threw the first of his four touchdown passes that evening with the visor covering his eyes. He had the first of his two touchdown runs while wearing the visor. A few minutes later, with rain falling in Landover, Md., the droplets threatened to obscure Vick’s vision.

So the shield Vick considered part of his persona came off, as if Superman tried flying without a cape. It didn’t stop Vick.

He lived through his own two eyes what a national audience still remembers: One of the finest quarterback performances in recent history. Vick completed 20 of 28 passing attempts for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles scored 45 points before halftime. They totaled more yards (592) than any other game in franchise history during a 59-28 victory. It became known as the “Monday Night Massacre.”

“Everything was crystal clear,” said Vick, now an NFL analyst with Fox, in an interview with The Athletic this week. “It made the night more vibrant and visible. I could remember everything because I saw it clear. I didn’t see it behind the tint of a visor. I saw it in the right perspective. And I’m glad it happened.”

That game added to Vick’s legacy and propelled him to new heights in Philadelphia. He was in his second season with the Eagles after serving 19 months in prison for a dogfighting conviction. Vick was the No. 3 quarterback behind Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb in 2009. The Eagles traded McNabb to Washington in 2010 and Kolb became the starter. Vick relieved Kolb in Week 1 and was so dynamic that head coach Andy Reid kept him in the lineup. Even after Vick injured his non-throwing wrist in a Week 4 loss to Washington — McNabb’s return to Philadelphia — he remained the starter when healthy. But he had not yet been rewarded with a contract befitting a franchise quarterback.

About two hours before Vick took the field against Washington, he learned that McNabb had agreed to a deal with Washington for a reported $78 million. Motivation was not an issue for Vick that season, but the contract didn’t hurt.

Minutes before kickoff, DeSean Jackson engaged in a scuffle with Washington safety LaRon Landry. That energized the Eagles’ sideline — especially the quarterback, who knew based on the script he’d received from Reid on the eve of the game that a deep pass to Jackson would be the first offensive play.

“Those two things really got me going,” Vick said.

The Eagles opened with the ball at the 12-yard line. Vick faked a handoff to LeSean McCoy, rolled back 10 yards, planted his back foot at the 2-yard line, took a step up in the pocket and fired the ball deep like a slingshot out of his left arm.

“I let it go and I thought I threw too far,” Vick said.

The ball flew more than 60 yards in the air. Jackson, the best deep threat of his era, accelerated past Landry and extended his arms.

“When he put two hands on it, I knew DeSean doesn’t drop balls, so I knew he wasn’t going to let go,” Vick said. “It was an amazing moment.”

One play, 88-yard touchdown. That’s how to start a game.

The play happened so fast it created momentum, yet no rhythm, Vick said. The Eagles offense hadn’t settled into the game. That’s why the second drive became so important. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Vick led the Eagles 63 yards on five plays. He completed two passes, handed the ball off twice, then sprinted to the edge, juked a Washington defender and dove into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown run. Vick called it “just as important or even more important” than the first drive.

After McCoy caught an 11-yard touchdown pass on the third drive, the Eagles took a 21-0 lead while Washington had run only six offensive plays. Vick knew the Eagles were hot. He also knew he was wet.

“A little rain coming down,” Vick said. “And I was concerned about my shield on my helmet, taking it off, and not having my vision impaired. … So I can remember that with the third drive more than anything.”

Vick’s was cognizant of the visor throughout the fourth drive, when he threw his second touchdown pass and the Eagles took a 28-0 lead before the first quarter finished. But it was off by the first play of the second quarter, one of the most memorable plays of the game for Vick.

On a first-and-10 from Washington’s 48-yard line, Vick looked toward his right. He saw Jeremy Maclin covered one-on-one by cornerback DeAngelo Hall, Vick’s friend from Virginia Tech and the Atlanta Falcons. Hall had been involved in the play earlier in the season when Vick was injured.

“The only way to get even with him was to beat him deep,” Vick said.

Vick hurled a high-floating pass down the sideline over Hall, putting enough air on the ball to allow Maclin to turn his body to make the catch.

“I put it in a position where only Maclin could get it,” Vick said. “He caught it and fell out of bounds. … It was him or nobody.”

Maclin made the catch and rolled into the pylon. The official signaled touchdown. It wasn’t overturned during a review. The Eagles took a 35-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter. On the “Monday Night Football” broadcast, Mike Tirico said he’d “never seen anything like this, ever.” Ron Jaworski pointed out how Vick’s eyes remained downfield the whole play. Unlike earlier plays, Vick’s eyes could be seen.

The touchdown pass to Maclin was Vick’s ninth pass attempt and ninth completion of the night. The ball didn’t touch the ground until his 11th attempt. When he looked back at finishing 20 of 28, he lamented that it wasn’t 28-for-28. That’s the type of night it was for Vick.

“I don’t think I ever went that long without throwing an incomplete pass,” Vick said. “I know I had a lot of streaks of passes without an interception, but this one was by far the coolest.”

Vick said the discussion on the sideline was to keep pushing for points and not allow McNabb to bring Washington back into the game. That was especially emphasized after Washington scored two consecutive touchdowns to make it 35-14. The Eagles had two drives without points, a shock to their system after scoring on the first five possessions.

They scored 10 more points before halftime, including Vick’s second touchdown run of the night. Jon Gruden said on the telecast that he didn’t “know how you can stop this guy.” The Eagles went into halftime with a 45-14 lead. It was their first time reaching 40 points all season.

“There was so much motivation to show the world, show people I still had it on the big stage on Monday night,” Vick said. “Donovan had that big contract. I wasn’t envious. I was motivated and happy for him. But (motivated) to show people I could still play.”

In fact, when Vick thought about the game, the touchdown pass that gave him the most pride might be the least remembered. In the third quarter, after Washington opened with a touchdown, Vick led the Eagles on an 11-play, 71-yard scoring drive. He converted three third downs on the drive, including a 13-yard scramble on a third-and-10. On third down from the 3-yard line, with Washington trying to at least hold the Eagles to a field goal, Vick made the play that sticks with him. He pump-faked twice. He scooted to his right, away from his dominant hand. He didn’t tuck the ball to run. He kept scanning the field and buying time. That allowed Jason Avant to get open. Vick fired a pass across the formation to Avant in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

“When I hit Jason, especially after the scramble and feel of the pocket presence and feel of the game, it exemplified where I was at,” Vick said. “That play set me up for success for the rest of the season because I felt more than capable with the feel of the game, movement, pocket presence, poise. I felt I had it after the play.”

That helped give the Eagles a 52-21 lead. An interception returned for a touchdown one minute later helped make it 59-21. By that point, the Eagles had secured a historic victory. There was no need to push it. Vick passed the ball only three more times. There wasn’t much of an opportunity for him to throw a career-high five touchdown passes or run for a career-high three touchdowns. Six total touchdowns were good enough.

After the game, he told reporters it was the best he had ever played. Ten years later, Vick stood by that statement.

“You can’t play much better than that,” Vick said. “Even the wheels, I had my wheels going.”

The Eagles rewarded him with a new contract a few months later. He was their Week 1 starter for the next three seasons. Vick said that night was the proof the organization needed of his renaissance.

Vick will be remembered as one of the most exciting players of his era. Nike commercials early in his career showed the “Michael Vick Experience,” with Vick’s play portrayed as a ride at an amusement park. But the experience was never better than that night 10 years ago.

“That game,” Vick said, “showed the world, showed me, I could still play.”

(Top photo: Gail Burton / Associated Press)