Rex Ryan announced Monday that Michael Vick will replace Geno Smith as the starting quarterback for the New York Jets.
Vick will be playing against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
According to Ryan "I think this is the right decision at this time" adding that it is not "any long-term deal or whatever."
Although the team has not performed well during their last seven games, Vick still sees an opportunity for the given task.
He said "I think it's a great opportunity. Any time you get named to be the starter, in any profession, in professional sports, it's a great thing. You have to relish it, but also at the same time take it extremely serious and understand what's at stake and what needs to be done."
Smith was benched during the last game as he threw interceptions on three consecutive possessions. Vick replaced him where he led the Jets to a touchdown on his first drive, but also committed three turnovers of his own.
Ryan said "My focus is just on Kansas City and trying to find a way to get a win. That's why this decision was made."
This is Vick's first starting match and he will be faced with Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who helped revive the quarterback's career in Philadelphia after he served nearly two years in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.
Vick said "I love Andy Reid for the man that he is. As far as the football game, football is football. I just want to go out there and do what's best for the team and hopefully try to get a win."
Ryan believes that Smith can make up for his mistakes and that the team is not looking at him differently.
He said "Have there been guys that took a step back and then took a leap forward? There have been guys like that. Hopefully that's what happens to Geno, but I don't think anybody in this organization is looking at him differently right now.'"
On the other hand, Smith believes that he will come back as the starting quarterback of the team. He said "That's something that you have to expect, especially with the way I performed in the previous game. It was definitely not (a performance) fitting of what I believe is the caliber of a starting quarterback. It's something that I've got to work on."
