Vick back; Eagles win

Troubled QB returns to NFL in victory

Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick (7) passes under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Corey Mays (51), defensive end Tamba Hali (91) and defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey in the first quarter. Vick and the Eagles routed the Chiefs, 34-14, Sunday in Philadelphia.

? Michael Vick was a super decoy.

Getting significant contributions from their youngsters and backups, the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-14, in Vick’s return to the NFL on Sunday.

The Eagles didn’t need much from Vick, and they got nothing from Donovan McNabb or Brian Westbrook, who both sat out because of injuries.

Kevin Kolb threw for 327 yards and two touchdowns, LeSean McCoy had 84 yards rushing and one TD, and DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek each had 100-plus yards receiving and one score for Philadelphia (2-1).

Kolb became the first quarterback to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts. While he did most of the work, Vick got all the attention.

Playing his first regular-season game since Dec. 31, 2006 — 1,001 days ago — Vick ran once for seven yards and threw two incomplete passes.

“It’s a different role, but it is what it is,” Vick said. “It was a small look. We have so much in store for the future.”

Vick will have more chances to display the skills that earned him the Superman nickname back when he was a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons. For now, he’s content doing whatever it takes to help the Eagles win.

“It’s a different scenario. It’s hard. I haven’t been in this before,” he said. “I tell myself to stay loose and be ready for whenever they call my number and play within the framework of the offense.”

McNabb missed his second straight game with a broken rib. Westbrook sat out with a sore ankle. It was no problem against the Chiefs (0-3). Kolb, a third-year pro, and McCoy, a rookie second-round pick, filled in nicely.

“We recognized that Donovan and Westbrook were out,” Kolb said. “It was an opportunity for us to prove why they drafted us. We focused on dominating them.”

Vick, who served 18 months in prison on a federal dogfighting charge, didn’t have to wait long to get on the field. He entered to a semi-standing ovation for the second play from scrimmage, was split wide as receiver and came around for a fake reverse.

Overall, Vick got in for 11 plays. He lined up at receiver once, took the snap in shotgun formation nine times and was directly under center once. Kolb was on the sideline for the 10 plays Vick was in at QB.

Vick was expected to run Philadelphia’s version of the wildcat offense, but McCoy took most of those snaps.

With Vick on the field, the Eagles gained a net total of 30 yards. They got 390 without him. Or McNabb. Or Westbrook.

“We wanted to gradually get him in and get him back to game speed and knock some rust off,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said of Vick.

Matt Cassel threw for 90 yards and two TDs for Kansas City. The Chiefs remained winless under new coach Todd Haley.

“We have the talent to compete with anyone,” Cassel said. “We just have to eliminate the bad football and the penalties.”

Jackson finished with a career-high 149 yards receiving, including a 64-yard TD. Celek had 104 yards on eight catches.

The normally pass-happy Eagles were more balanced during their first two scoring drives. After Kolb connected with Jason Avant for a 10-yard gain on third-and-6, three straight running plays moved the ball to the Chiefs 5.

Then Vick, who had a seven-yard run on his second snap, fired a pass out of bounds under heavy pressure and took a hard hit. McCoy took the next snap in the wildcat and ran in for his first career TD to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.