Michael Vick To Start Against Patriots

The answer is in: Michael Vick will start Friday night in the preseason opener against the Patriots.

It’s probably best not to read too much into Chip Kelly‘s decision. Vick and Nick Foles will split the first-team reps, and Foles will start next week against the Panthers.

Vick and Foles will rotate by series in the first quarter. Matt Barkley will play in the second and third quarter, and Dennis Dixon and G.J. Kinne are likely to see action in the fourth.

“It was Mike’s day in the rotation, that was the easiest way to do it,” said Kelly. “We’ll make sure the rotation works out that Nick will get the start next week. We met with those guys this morning, they were great with it, so that’s kind of our plan going in.”

Kelly is hoping that each QB will get somewhere between 12 and 20 snaps. There’s a possibility either Vick or Foles could see action in the second quarter if they don’t get to the desired number of snaps in the first.

“I’ve never been in this situation before in my life. I’ve been in positions where I’ve had to compete for a job coming out of college, but it’s never been this severe. But I’m just taking it in stride, man. I can’t control the future, I can’t predict the future. I can just control what I can control. I can’t do it all. I can’t to everything. But the one thing I’m gonna do is have fun.”

With Vick and Foles rotating in and out, how cant they develop a rhythm?

“You’re going to get your shots, you’re going to make plays,” said Kelly. “If at the end of the day you say, ‘Well I didn’t really get a chance to get in a rhythm and the other guy did, then…You’re in there, you go. If you’re worried about what else is going on around you and that’s going to be what you blame, we have a big sign in our locker room: ‘We’re mentally and physically tough, we work hard and we don’t make excuses.’ And I don’t anticipate that from those guys. They have been fantastic since I’ve been here, so that is not an issue.”

Some other position notes:

— Allen Barbre will get the nod at left tackle with Jason Peters nursing a sore hamstring. Dennis Kelly is out for at least the rest of the preseason following back surgery and Kelly is trying to build depth at the tackle spots.

— Brandon Boykin and Bradley Fletcher will start at cornerback, and Nate Allen and Patrick Chung are your safeties. It’s a safe bet that Cary Williams (hamstring) will not suit up.

— Besides Peters and Williams, Antonio Dixon (hamstring), Ed Wang (knee), Damaris Johnson (hamstring), Felix Jones (hamstring) and Russell Shepard (hamstring) were sidelined for Thursday’s practice.

As for receivers, it sounds like Jason Avant would start opposite DeSean Jackson in a two tight-end set, and Cooper will start if it’s a three-receiver set.

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