Beating Vick would be biggest win of Matt Ryan’s career
Matt Ryan has accomplished a lot but a win over Michael Vick would be the biggest of his career. (Brant Sanderlin/AJC)
It may sound strange considering Matt Ryan won 33 games in his first three seasons, won games that got the Falcons into the playoffs, won games in the fourth quarter and has beaten Green Bay (twice), New Orleans (twice) Baltimore and the New York Jets, among others.
But a win Sunday would be the biggest of Ryan’s career.
The Falcons play Philadelphia, a potential Super Bowl team. More importantly, the game is the first meeting between Ryan and Michael Vick as starters. (Ryan was injured during the first meeting between the teams with Vick coming off the bench; Ryan started the second meeting but Vick was injured.)
Regardless of who wins this game, there still will be Ryan fans and Vick fans, Falcons fans and anti-Falcons fans. But this will be Ryan’s first chance to win a game over Vick, who at his peak probably had a bigger hold on this city than any athlete in history.
Vick’s post-prison rebirth has been an amazing story, and the fact he is playing for one of the NFL’s premier teams makes it even bigger. For those who’ve held a grudge against Vick since he was instrumental in trainwrecking the Falcons franchise, that has been difficult to take.
There is no question the Falcons made the right call on Vick. He had inflicted too much damage on the franchise, betrayed trusts and burned bridges. Beyond the fact that there were no guarantees he ever would be a premier player again – and the odds certainly were against it — the team couldn’t wait around for two or three years without a starting quarterback. Going after Ryan was the absolute correct move.
But Vick hangover still exists, and this is Ryan’s opportunity to ease that.
It’s only the second game of the season. But if the Falcons win, Ryan won’t have a bigger one on his resume.
By Jeff Schultz
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405 comments Add your comment
DawgDad
September 15th, 2011
1:20 pm
BIRD: Agreed, wholeheartedly.
Dick Tracy
September 15th, 2011
1:22 pm
You can spin it anyway you wish..TEAM is the main thing..QB can’t do crap without blocking and recievers getting open= best team wins..not QB?
Go Falcons, you have alot to prove.
Richard
September 15th, 2011
1:25 pm
I don’t think this is a make or break game for this team. I think we will probably lose this one, even though I desparately want them to win, as I hate Philly. However, I think we will end up 2-3 in the first five, but finish out 11-5 or 10-6 and sneak quietly into the playoffs where we will have a better showing than last year. It’s kinda like when the Braves had a poor April and everyone wrote them off. Well, look where they are now.
And to all you Ryan haters and doubters: 1 mediocre game in the playoffs last year and poor showing against one of the NFC’s best defenses is not near enough evidence to support the “Ryan can’t get it done” theory. I seem to remember a couple of years ago when Peyton threw 11 ints over three games last year and 6 ints in one game a few years back, but I never heard people saying that he was over the hill or he had lost “it.” Try being a real fan.
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
1:28 pm
0-7 coming(yes preseason counts) up. And this one maybe historic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
September 15th, 2011
1:30 pm
As pathetic as CHOKE is already, with all those draft picks thrown away for Gonzalez and Julio the falcons. Will be a disaster for years to come.
CHOKE is a franchise killer
Vick #7
September 15th, 2011
1:32 pm
There will be more vick fans in the dome than falcons fans! Vick rules!!! ryan—overrated. Blank should have kept vick instead!!!
Brave Hokie
September 15th, 2011
1:36 pm
“It’s kinda like when the Braves had a poor April and everyone wrote them off. Well, look where they are now.”
& perspective such as these explain why Atl is such a pathetic sports town…
djthescorpian
September 15th, 2011
1:38 pm
My concern is the tight end position. I haven’t heard anything about what Tony Gonzalez is doing except making excuses. I remember when we had Algie Crumpler (before he got hurt), he would be Mr. Clutch when none of our receivers were open. It seems like the Falcons Management is letting this guy get a free pass based on what he did for KC and not what he bringing to the table. Yes, he can block, but guys are covering him like a blanket and Ryan doesn’t throw to him very often. I won’t say he’s soft, but I think we need a younger corp of TE’s in the mix. Secondly, an effective OL will make the difference in a win. Yes, a good game plan can help, but it can never cover up missed plays, turnovers, and bad execution.
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
1:39 pm
ancient proverb “Dont throw tire jacks/cinder blocks if u live in a glass out house”…
JSS
September 15th, 2011
1:39 pm
If you couldn’t take 20 yard losses you should have raised a stink about the porous O-Line and the receivers who couldn’t get free from simple coverage schemes except for Crumpler…. That is not an excuse, that is a fact… It speaks volumes that only one of those clowns is still in the league…
Jason Lane
September 15th, 2011
1:41 pm
Off subject: Georgia is overdue for another Professional Football team, if this happens the anti-Falcons fans would really have a reason to hate the Dirty Birds. S.N. If you’ve been thinking about getting a team going bring me on board!!!
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
1:41 pm
Poor Patty Ice…..
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
1:43 pm
Also those receivers back then couldn’t catch a Frisbee….Hands of stone….. ^^^^^^^^^
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
1:45 pm
Gonna need some popcorn for this one boyz…Vick is about to put on a career performance….Patty Ice…well we’ll see the usual…rag arm…can’t get it downfield…immmobile…..meanwhile Vick will be tearing it up….should be fun
KakNiqueTree
September 15th, 2011
1:46 pm
Absolute correct move? Jeff, hope you weren’t one of those who hoped the Falcons had drafted Glenn Dorsey back then! haha
Really?
September 15th, 2011
1:46 pm
If Vick were in Buffalo, would it really be that big a game? Any decent QB can thrive in Philly’s offense, period. The fact is Philly has owned us no matter who is QB…McNabb..Kolb…Vick. This is a big game for the fact that is may have playoff implications down the road. This is a big game because we are 0-1. Is this a big game because of Vick? Only to the morons who still wear his jersey. Any man who would pick a dog up and slam it repeatedly to the ground just to watch it die needs psychiatric help well beyond time served. I’m glad we have a stand up QB in Matt Ryan, win or lose Sunday.
Ask yourself a question, who would you rather have dogsit for you?
Gray Mule
September 15th, 2011
1:46 pm
Nope. It’s not going to be Falcon’s QB vs Eagle’s QB. Not at all. It’s going to be their defensive secondary vs our defensive secondary.
Chicago recievers were usually covered tightly (Ha!) with a defender within 10 or 15 yards most
of the time. Boy, what a pass defense the Falcons have. Hire some hookers and send them
out to play defene. Gotta believe that they would stick closer to their man and also know what
to do with passes!
On top of our pass defense, our tackling consisted of waving at the runner as he sped down the
field.
We sure showed Chicago an explosive offense, didn’t we. Wow! Wasn’t it great! Expect more of
the same on both sides of the ball this week along with watching their punts roll to a stop. Musn’t
take a chance of fumbling the ball, you know.
I’ve been a Falcon fan since their birth. This just hurts. Against the Bears, they were PITIFUL.
Gray Mule
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
1:46 pm
WILL BE AT DOME WEARING MY #7 FALCONS JERSEY! GO VICK!!!
jarvis
September 15th, 2011
1:47 pm
I’ll be pulling for Philadelphia this weekend.
Really need a sweep of the Cards.
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
1:48 pm
If I hear the name Matty Ice again I’m going to throw up….more like Patty Puddle
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
1:48 pm
SUPPORT VICK FALCONS FANS PLEASE WEAR #7 JERSEY TO THE DOME!
Really?
September 15th, 2011
1:49 pm
Richard…I completely agree.
People forget that Ryan has led us to 3 consecutive winning seasons. Vick…ummmm, not quite so much. As far as the Philly game being big, to take it another level. Remember who we lost to in the NFC Championship when Vick was QB. Exactly, Philly will always be a tough pill to swallow. Hope we are ready to bring it Sunday.
Scott Case
September 15th, 2011
1:49 pm
I like Matt Ryan and I am pulling for him because he is a falcon. I want falcons to win. Mike vick, I like him and he did Altanta a favor to leave and his self. He would never became the QB in Altanta that he has under Andy Reid. I do not think the falcon defense can stand up to Philly offense. Falcon defense made JAY look great. I hate to see the outcome of this game. Falcons lose by three touchdowns.I hope I am wrong.
Stick
September 15th, 2011
1:50 pm
Ryan can’t touch Vick on toughness…………..Fed Pen grew Vick up and made him one tough Mother
Really?
September 15th, 2011
1:52 pm
Then Cedric Benson must be a beast….
Stick
September 15th, 2011
1:52 pm
I predict Comander Vick will lead his troups over Atlanta by 24 points or more. Falcons will need new drawers when this one is over.
Really?
September 15th, 2011
1:54 pm
BTW, if you sit in front of me and wear a Vick jersey, I will pour beer on you….wouldn’t want you to miss out on the Philly home crowd atmosphere. Hope to see you on Sunday.
It’s time we bring back the Dome Field advantage.
Najeh Davenpoop
September 15th, 2011
1:54 pm
Y’all continue to do Matt Ryan a major disservice by expecting him to live up to Vick, when Ryan has nowhere near the same talent level or ceiling as a player. An elite quarterback is not necessary to win a Super Bowl. Appreciate Ryan for the good but not great player that he is, hope Dimitroff can surround him with enough superior talent to win a Super Bowl, and for God’s sake quit overhyping him like y’all have been doing for the last three years. He’s not an elite quarterback and unless/until he learns how to make plays down the field and make plays when the plays breaks down, he never will be. That’s not that big of a deal, but it is reality, and it’s about time y’all came to grips with it.
Najeh Davenpoop
September 15th, 2011
1:57 pm
And for the record, the guy who really has the power to determine Sunday’s game is Michael Turner. He is the Falcon who has the ability to exploit the Eagles’ weakness on defense and keep the ball out of Vick’s hands. The Eagles have inexperienced linebackers who are prone to overpursuing. The Falcons would be wise to run misdirection and counter plays with Turner between the tackles, wear down the Eagles’ front seven, and control time of possession. If they win, that is the most likely way they will do it.
Really?
September 15th, 2011
1:58 pm
Najeh, right on. Mike needs a big game which ultimately comes down to what every great team needs…big play from our O line and pressure from our D line.
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
1:58 pm
Gotta suck to watch the Ferrari of a QB you used to have show up and play your team while you have to watch you Volkswagon every week…
ctfalconsfan
September 15th, 2011
2:02 pm
Mularkey’s play calling ability puts us at a huge disadvantage against every other team.
He is probably coaching more Pro Bowlers than almost all other OC’s in the league and this offense continues to struggle. Not just talking CHI but look back at last season.
Ryan needs to step up and audible his way around mularkey’s nonsense.
Maybe Matt and the O could stay after practice and install some draw plays, SCREEN PASSES and a reverse or two so they will be ready for the game. (Just bypass Mularkey)
Stick
September 15th, 2011
2:02 pm
Really?
September 15th, 2011
1:54 pm
Vick is a field marshal now and will not be denied. Your boy Ryan and his team looked like a Jr.High team against the mighty Bears. We will have a thousand wearing 7 at the game and we will romp all day……………..Your team is not tough enough for Philly brawl
bigeasy830
September 15th, 2011
2:02 pm
It should be viewed as a game between 2 teams that are Super Bowl contenders for the NFC. Matt Ryan’s first play-off win will be his biggest game. This game is far less significant than last years games against the GB packers, if falcons win that game they may have won the Super Bowl. Now if Philly and the falcons would have meet in the Play-offs last year, now thats a different story. Who cares about a story line for you columnist, The Falcons are trying to win it all this year and so are the Eagles, either way this is just another regular season game.
ctfalconsfan
September 15th, 2011
2:03 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
September 15th, 2011
1:57 pm
And for the record, the guy who really has the power to determine Sunday’s game is Michael Turner. He is the Falcon who has the ability to exploit the Eagles’ weakness on defense and keep the ball out of Vick’s hands. The Eagles have inexperienced linebackers who are prone to overpursuing. The Falcons would be wise to run misdirection and counter plays with Turner between the tackles, wear down the Eagles’ front seven, and control time of possession. If they win, that is the most likely way they will do it.
—————————————-
Pound Turner between the tackles???? Mularkey is this you???
jhughes
September 15th, 2011
2:05 pm
Najeh i have a question what makes a QB an elite QB?? stats? wins? pro bowls? come from behind wins? Playoff wins?? Where is the cutoff on good and great?
Mediocre Team
September 15th, 2011
2:06 pm
Forget the Ryan & Vick angle there is only one of two outcomes for the Falcons
1) If the Falcons win it proves nothing except that they are 1-1 & Matt Ryan continues to play well only in the Dome
2) If the Falcons lose then everyone will start to wonder if this squad is just a mediocre team, who happen to catch a lot of breaks last year & should have finished close to .500
I don’t think Philly is a proven Superbowl contender either, just yet, the one game against St. Louis was not a measuring stick, due to the lost of Steven Jackson early on which would have put more pressure on Phillys D & less pressure on St. Louis’s QBs because Bradford also left the game due to injury.
I am a bit skeptical about this Falcon squad because the defensive scheme is making teams WRs look like pro-bowlers & Matt Ryan has not looked very sharp the last 2 games against teams that cover well. Another poor showing at home will not help this young teams phsycological demeanor heading forward. VanGorder’s & Smith needs to make adjustments on D during the game sometimes & stop relying on the game plan they came in with, great defenses adjust to great offenses. Oh yeah where was William Moore & Ray Edwards Sunday .
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
2:09 pm
I’d imagine there will be a lot of Eagles fans there Sunday. Atlanta homefield advantage is so lame..
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
2:09 pm
WEAR VICK FALCONS #7 TO DOME SUN NIGHT!!! Show some SOLIDARITY!!
bigeasy830
September 15th, 2011
2:10 pm
@najeh your last 2 post were right on point, my points when I was very critical of Matt Ryan was to put light on those points. But, I have gained a lot of respect for Ryan over these last 2 years. I think he can be elite and I think thats why Dimitrof went out and got Julio Jones cause Ryan needs the weapons ala Payton Manning. Mularkey is no longer an asset for Matt Ryan he is now a problem. Mularkey initially hid many of Matt Ryan’s weakness, doing so enable Matt Ryan to flourish. But now it’s time to take the training wheels off. Matt Ryan and the Falcons must attack down field they have too much talent at WR not to.
My Hope
September 15th, 2011
2:10 pm
They drive Vick underneath the turf. “They” won’t because “they” would be vilified from the black community for being an uncle tom.
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
2:12 pm
Really? said….
BTW, if you sit in front of me and wear a Vick jersey, I will pour beer on you….wouldn’t want you to miss out on the Philly home crowd atmosphere. Hope to see you on Sunday.
It’s time we bring back the Dome Field advantage.
<<>>
Mediocre Team
September 15th, 2011
2:13 pm
Don’t downplay the significance of the game because of the Vick vs Ryan circus. This is more of an organizational game, if the Falcons lose, this will be the 3rd straight loss against a team that made last years playoffs, so are they progressing or regressing???
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
2:16 pm
DON’T FORGET FALCONS VICK JERSEY SUN NIGHT!! Support this Man people! Such an Inspiration to all of us!
Stick
September 15th, 2011
2:17 pm
Really? will be shocked when we take over the Dome and stomp his Jr.High Falcons into the turf just like Green Bay did last year. It will be our Dome but remember it’s just a stinkin game bro
reebok
September 15th, 2011
2:18 pm
This game will be over in the 3rd quarter. The Falcons’ pitiful defense – which they did nothing to improve during the offseason – will get destroyed by Vick.
ctfalconsfan
September 15th, 2011
2:19 pm
Overated Ryan,,lol yes MV7 is a great role model for our youth..
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
2:21 pm
WEAR FALCONS VICK JERSEY SUN NIGHT!! Show Mr. Blank he made a huge mistake by not standing up for #7!!!!
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
2:21 pm
I feel sad for Falcons fans…first off domed Stadiums suuck, football is meant for outdoors, and as far as domed stadiums go, it’s one of the worst. The NFL game day production down there is so JV…such a poor place to play…no fan support….rag arm at QB…and an overhyped team. Thank You lord for not having me born and raised in Atlanta.
Mediocre Team
September 15th, 2011
2:23 pm
Asomugha probably will cover Roddy, Eagles Cromartie has not practiced all week so Julio Jones may see alot of shadow cover 2 with help from Samuel underneath. This will be Mularkey’s real test can he outwit playoff type defenses. Likely not, final score Eagles 28-20