Michael Vick's turn to lead Jets into win column

The stage is yours, Michael Vick. Now show Jets fans what you can do.

No longer is he just a bystander in another blowout or the veteran quarterback charged with cleaning up a mess created by his young counterpart. After a full week of practice with the starters, Vick finally will have four quarters Sunday in Kansas City to prove he's still got it.

But can he deliver a win?

"It's tough when you are the backup and you want to get out there and try to help,'' Vick said. "But you never know if you are going to get out there and make a difference until you are out there . . .

"Being a competitor, I wanted to be out here, I wanted to help in some way, but now I have an opportunity to try to make a difference and hopefully I can and my teammates will follow.''

Geno Smith, who started the first eight games, is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. As insurance, the Jets activated Matt Simms from their practice squad Saturday.

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is no Peyton Manning or Tom Brady, but Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium is unlike most NFL stadiums. And the Chiefs just happen to have two of the best edge rushers in the league -- Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

The Jets (1-7) and Chiefs (4-3) each have 24 sacks, and Houston has 10, the most of any player in the NFL. Houston has sacked Vick more than any other QB. Of his 361/2 career sacks, 41/2 were against Vick. Hali has four sacks, but he's third on the franchise's all-time sack list behind Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith.

"Don't get me wrong, Houston is a great player, there is no doubt,'' Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "But I like Tamba Hali.''

Fortunately for Ryan, Vick has speed on his side. His quickness and athleticism defy his 34 years. And now the Jets are relying on him to jump-start an anemic offense that ranks 28th overall. After losing seven straight games, the Jets are desperate for a spark.

"It all starts with the quarterback. Everything,'' right guard Willie Colon said, referring to the effect a QB can have on a team's performance. "How he gets rid of the ball, the rhythm, the tempo. The quarterback, he's the guy with the ball in his hands, so it all starts with him.''

The Jets' front office was determined to ride out the season with Smith, but the plan changed last week when he was benched against the Bills after throwing three interceptions in a six-play span.

The switch to Vick was inevitable, but even an impressive performance wouldn't guarantee him a starting role the rest of the season. In fact, there's a very good chance Smith will see action again.

But Vick can make the most of his opportunity against the Chiefs with his feet and his positive personality.

"I think the way I do things myself kind of rubs off on [teammates] and I think from a quarterback standpoint, you have to be that way,'' he said. "I just try to be myself. I think the competitive edge and the fire inside of me to play the game to win, and the way I love the game, and the way I play, I think that just sets a positive example.''

Jets receivers have spent extra time this week working with the JUGS machine mimicking Vick's lefthanded spirals. But all that prep work will be for naught if he can't protect the football.

Vick said he learned his lesson after being "greedy'' against the Bills. "I was trying to play like a 24-year-old Mike Vick,'' he said.

There's a chance that 34-year-old Mike Vick will be good enough.

Said Ryan, "I am not going to be surprised if we do well.''