Knapp : Vick :: Square Peg : Round Hole

Falcons' offensive coordinator Greg Knapp has taken a lot of heat for, well, not being very good at what he does. Don't get me wrong, he's not Maurice-Carthon bad, but he has mismanaged Michael Vick to the point where Atlanta owner Arthur Blank is considering a naming a Falcons Study Group headed by James Baker and Lee Hamilton. From Thursday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Vick is at his best without handcuffs. It's not just that he is more entertaining, he also is more dangerous. Knapp ... admitted earlier this season that trying to fit Vick into an offensive system was more difficult than he anticipated. So maybe the system has too much framework.

I guess this speaks as much to Knapp's abilities as it does to Vick's. When an offensive coordinator admits that his system "has too much framework" for the quarterback, then you have to wonder who's to fault.

For 31 other quarterbacks, having a system is a good thing, but Vick is different. (Can you imagine Brad Johnson not having a system? He'd get killed.) Different in a "He's a running back who can throw really, really far" kinda way. At least Knapp finally realizes that Vick is a lot better when he's not forced to run the West Coast Offense since it relies on touch and accuracy, possibly two of his biggest weaknesses as a passer. But here's the question: will making a few changes be enough for the Falcons to salvage the season?