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
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
3:30 pm
Biggest win of Matt Ryans career would be the NFC Championship after there victory over the who dat up there… oh yeah , them Eagles !
Chris
September 15th, 2011
3:32 pm
Chandler was my fav Falcon QB…………..
Brave Hokie
September 15th, 2011
3:32 pm
Overrated RYAN:
Watch what publicly state what you want to go with Vick when he gets off the bus Sunday:
This is the ‘South,’ and some archaic anti-homosexual laws are still “on the books”…
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
3:33 pm
yeah . he was mine too, of them all. I never dreamed that team would make it to the Superbowl though was a total shock!
Ravenlicious
September 15th, 2011
3:36 pm
Dang ScottBraves Fan…..if you had Vick you wouldn’t have to worry so much about the offensive line…he would improvise….but since you have the statue known as Matty Rag Arm Ice back there…..be worried…be very worried
BBIB
September 15th, 2011
3:36 pm
It’s pretty sad how a topic like this shows the brainwashing of racial divide.
ctfalconsfan
September 15th, 2011
3:37 pm
Big Play Ray Buchanan, is that you??
I can safely say that you were certainly better than Robinson..
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
3:39 pm
I think Dan Reeves having heart problems and heart surgery inspired that 98 team to play the way they did. Inspiration and belief in a cause can take a team far higher than its potential .
ctfalconsfan
September 15th, 2011
3:39 pm
I like Peachtree Bart myself but Chandler almost took us to the top of the mountain..
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
3:42 pm
He probably could still play, old man Ken Stabler did, maybe Blank should call em up and make em an offer! lol
Stick
September 15th, 2011
3:49 pm
I hope the Falcons can hang with the Eagles just to make it interesting,but after the Bears toyed with them, I see an Eagles 40 point romp. It is what it is bro
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
3:50 pm
“Hate to play race card but a lot of Vick’s problems were caused because he’s a young African American male. I hope people realize his struggle.”
Then what was young Bush jr’s excuse?.. two DUI’s, drug possession while behind a wheel, two bankruptcies?
Everyone has struggles in life.. but not all of us are born with a not go to jail card/cards.
MV7 had to learn that the hard way and boy did he ever….He’s turn his life around and has repented from his sins..
Question is have you Neo so quick to throw stones surrounded by glass all around you?
The brainwashing is full affect for centuries…
JRW
September 15th, 2011
3:51 pm
The Falcons must establish the run against a defense that is susceptible to it. If the Eagles get a 10-14 point lead and force the Falcons into a pass first offense it is going to be a long night against that defensive backfield. IMO.
where is teague?
September 15th, 2011
3:51 pm
overrated ryan, you wud stick up for someone who lied to you in your face after u gave him 30 mil guaranteed? really? u cant be that stupid. i love vick but he made his bed and he had to sleep in it. blank probably still loves him but what vick did he cud not bring him back. what, we were supposed to wait on him for two years not even knowing if he wud be the same qb? no sir, that is why you are on here blogging and not running a team. i love vick but not against my falcons! u r full of mularkey. and speaking of mularkey, can someone sew him some b***s because i dont think he has any.
Chris
September 15th, 2011
3:51 pm
Peachtree Bart is my solid 2nd favorite, and he had a great arm. But Chandler, who did not possess the strong arm, certainly had the most prescise “touch” on his passes…and yes he took us to the SB.
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
3:55 pm
This game maybe over by the end of the 1st quarter?
Big Play Ray
September 15th, 2011
3:56 pm
Damn straight I was better than Robinson or any of the rest of them fools
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:00 pm
Yeah I like Michael Vick too and all but the thing about him is as he gets older those legs are going to give out and then hes just a ordinary QB
I’m ready for that Sunday night game….. both teams are good football teams, seriously, probably go down to who has the Ball the last minutes of the game to get the Winner !
May the Best Team Win ! Lets get it On !
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
4:05 pm
yea he’ll get old alright, after about 42 years of age……lol
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:07 pm
Then he can drink Geritol and keep on running! ha
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
4:09 pm
Buster Blank if you real extremely bright, you would hire Dr. Dan Reeves as a consultant since Mckay is clueless…
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
4:13 pm
REMINDER: WEAR #7 SUN NIGHT!!
Big Play Ray
September 15th, 2011
4:14 pm
REMINDER: WEAR #34 SUN NIGHT!!
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:19 pm
Just wear Red and Black and scream and holler and whatever everytime the Eagles have the ball to make it hard for them
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
4:24 pm
Just read Mr. Vick won a courage award in 2009! Is there anything this man hasn’t accomplished? WEAR #7 SUN NIGHT!!
Jeff Francoeur
September 15th, 2011
4:25 pm
How come you big strong mens don’t wear MY uniform when I am back in town????
JSS
September 15th, 2011
4:31 pm
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:19 pm
“Just wear Red and Black and scream and holler and whatever everytime the Eagles have the ball to make it hard for them”
Yeah you guys can really intimidate people with your machismo!
Here’s an example of the vaunted “Protect The Dome!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrVi2My2u9M
JSS
September 15th, 2011
4:35 pm
Funniest thing I’ve relating to the Falcons on the Internet…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31ydzkbjTrY&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Dude went to a buffet!
JSS
September 15th, 2011
4:38 pm
Jeff, you can delete that video, but it is too funny! I apologize for posting due to the vulgarity…. But it is still funny!
Big Play Ray
September 15th, 2011
4:38 pm
I averaged 3.9 interceptions per year for my 12 seasons;Prime Time only averaged 3.7. Why ain’t nobody talkin about Big Play??? #34 Babv.
Ronald Millsaps
September 15th, 2011
4:42 pm
On ESPN today, Skip Bayless and a black commentator whose name I didn’t see said Michael Vick probably would be cheered Sunday night since Atlanta is 70% black, with the latter endorsing the idea, saying that racial ties run deeper than team loyalty.
A lot of things run deeper than team loyalty, as in morality, and morality has nothing to do with race. If we’re going to cheer/boo Vick based on his off-the-field actions, we should boo him, whether we’re white or black. (A black man tried to tell me the other day that the Falcons mistreated Vick……….even having the nerve to say that Vick was innocent since he “just hosted” the events in question. Yeah, I had a response.)
To the commentator in question, cheer what? Do you think a man’s being black overrides his actions and somehow makes them right? If you do, you’re performing an act of racism. Also, would you cheer Matt Ryan if he had done the same thing?
Ryan isn’t quite as good as his hype, but he’s thankfully not nearly as bad or irresponsible as Vick was under the Mora regime, with the lone exception of the Panthers game in Atlanta in 2004, an era where Vick overthrew, underthrew, whined, moaned, and made an obscene (yes, this word has a concrete definition) gesture to a fan. The Georgia Dome was indeed primarily Vick’s house, but he did what he did, and honestly, the Falcons organization apparently tried to cover it up. Now we have a new quarterback, new personnel in the organization, and a new direction.
No matter what happens on the field Sunday night, let’s keep race out of the equation, folks, and let’s not assume that every black person in Atlanta wants Vick back under center. Lest we forget, one black receiver wanted Vick on the bench and Chris Chandler under center. In other words, not every black or white person is so shallow, stupid, or racist to base everything on skin color.
Falcons 31, Eagles 24.
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:43 pm
With 8 minutes left and GB on the Superbowl run and a score like that was nothing left to stay for. Saints came close to beating Packers Thursday a week ago, if not for that fumble Saints had probably would have won and beaten the Packers, but you right, those fans right around Atlanta will get up and go but thats not how the whole State feels.
JSS
September 15th, 2011
4:48 pm
That dude can talk, he needs a show!
Overrated RYAN
September 15th, 2011
4:50 pm
WEAR #7 SUN NIGHT!!
Big Play Ray
September 15th, 2011
4:53 pm
I done told y’all to wear #34 Sunday night! Abe gonna make #7 wish he’d stayed at home.
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:53 pm
I don’t get into that race thing either myself. Look at it as it is, you given an opportunity to play pro black or white, and what you do with it is on each individual. If you messup, then you pay the dues. Its sort of same thing with football teams too, one side takes up for thier Team, brags there the best and they gonna whup up on your team and then the anger gets going and we all know how that winds up!
There isn’t one Team in the NFL better than the other Team ! Its who comes up with the Win on that Sunday!
Heck, for all we know the Panthers or the Raiders might win the Super Bowl this year !
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
4:54 pm
Dude this is a blog, not a book^^^^^^. LOL
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
4:55 pm
Goooo Ronald, u r the man!
Chris
September 15th, 2011
4:58 pm
Who was the receiver that wanted Chandler over Vick?
Chris
September 15th, 2011
5:00 pm
I’ll bet it wasn’t Crumpler that wanted Chandler over Vick!! …just sayin’
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
5:01 pm
It’s been reported that after death by week 3 the the human body skin has decompose to the point that you cant tell whether it had brown skin or pale skin or red skin.. Blah blah blah…
But guess whats left, pearly white bones and teeth……..lol
And when you stand before your maker he wont give a crap what race you claim cause there’s only one children.. Its call the human race genius…
Bible Belt? Go figure Neo?
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
5:05 pm
what was that they had in paper they called em The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Chandler, Big Ray, Anderson and was it Peerless Price?
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
5:07 pm
Dan Reeves, could take both Ice and MV7 to a SB. He is that good of a coach!
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
5:16 pm
Everybody got lost over on page 7, lets run get them!
Chris
September 15th, 2011
5:16 pm
Chandler took Reeves to the SB; not the other way around!!
Don't Feed Iggles Trolls (It Isn't 1960 Anymore)
September 15th, 2011
5:17 pm
The Falcons will win this game. Big. Plain and simple. All of you fair-weather fans, naysayers and “yeah-buts” should be happy we have a team that contends and is viewed as a championship contender instead of a #1 overall pick contender. Stop blaming Mularkey, BVG or anybody else. It comes down to execution.
You can call the same pass play 10 times in a row and if it works then in some of your opinions, the OC/HC is a genius. If it fails or sputters and the Falcons lose then you want to run him out of town. Tell me one team that wins the Super Bowl every year or is in it every year and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you too.
This is a process. That has been said since Mike Smith’s ink dried on his contract. Expectations are high since we’ve been good for the last three years and I expect a playoff victory too. But I’m not jumping off the bridge or hitting the panic button just because the Falcons have lost two in a row (counting Green Bay). If any of you actually pay attention, you’ll notice that during the current regime the team responds well when they lose, often crushing the next opponent or at the very least winning the game.
I can’t wait for Sunday night. I’ve heard a hundred times that the Falcons can’t win this game or that game – especially this game. They said that about the Vikings game in 1998, too.
Chris
September 15th, 2011
5:20 pm
And don’t forget the Vikings game in ‘74 when they were the Purple People Eaters and the Falcons beat ‘em 15-0 on five field goals!
Michael M.
September 15th, 2011
5:21 pm
I absolutely agree 100 mil times like the 100 mil they gonna give Vick, Atlanta win
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
5:22 pm
Eagles 24 Falcons 6 at the half..
Moss dropped a towndown pass right before the half or else the score would have read 21-6 @ the Half in that NFC game of 98..Game over… But the bum dropped it…lol
Chandler going Deep....
September 15th, 2011
5:32 pm
Hey Ronald go have a cold one while the new MV7 and Andy Reid dismantles the falcant’s…