Vick-Footwork.

[Guttpuppy]

By MATT WINKELJOHN
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Greenville, S.C. -- Quarterback Mike Vick has spent about 11 weeks this offseason working on his footwork with quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson. Falcons coaches say it was a problem late last season and will continue to be a point of emphasis in the preseason.

"I think as the season went on, I got tired and I got lazy with my feet," Vick said.

Coach Dan Reeves has said Vick will play quite a bit in preseason games. "The only way he's going to get better is to play," Reeves said. "We're not going to run him, but try to get him comfortable in the passing game."

Johnson said he has plenty to work with.

"Mike can flat-out throw it, that's the bottom line," the former wide receivers coach said. "But he can be a great passer, and we're trying to take those fundamentals and sharpen them. Mike's completion percentage decreased later in the year, and part of that was because his body was beaten up.

"We're . . . trying to get his feet right every time. A lot of times his base is too tight, which forces him to take a big stride, and sometimes [the] ball is too high or too low."

Vick, who rushed for 777 yards last season while scoring eight touchdowns, is ready for the work.

"I'm not going to run as much as I did last year because I'm learning how to play the game," he said. "I don't care what people say. I know I'm going to be better inside the pocket."