Ryan leads Falcons and finally takes center stage over Vick
Matt Ryan threw four touchdown passes and led the Falcons to one of their biggest wins with him as their starting quarterback -- over Michael Vick and the Eagles. (Jason Getz/AJC)
When Matt Ryan became a Falcon on draft day in 2008, Michael Vick was sitting in a prison cell at Leavenworth. So there was no ceremonial passing of the torch. Maybe just an easing of Arthur Blank’s headache.
To Ryan, Vick has been only a shadow, a ghost, a name he hears in press conferences. But the reminders have been constant, particularly with Vick’s remarkable rebirth in Philadelphia, and the biggest question going into Sunday night was how Ryan would handle his predecessor’s return.
“To me, having not been here and having not played with him and understanding how difficult it is to play regardless of what the circumstances are in this league, I wouldn’t allow myself to get caught up in it,” Ryan said late Sunday night.
Was it really that easy? Or is this just one of those things where we’ll never really know how much it has bothered him? No matter. Even if Vick’s first start against the Falcons — and against Ryan — stirred fans and maybe some members of the organization (Blank?) into a far greater frenzy than Ryan, this much is certain: The exorcism is complete. The Falcons didn’t just beat Philadelphia, 35-31. They beat Vick.
Ryan beat Vick.
Yes, we are reminded constantly it’s all about team. Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez and so many others certainly played key roles in this game. But Ryan is the face of this team. A team that used to be Vick’s, in a city that used to be Vick’s, in a league that used to Vick’s 24/7 — and recently it seems like it is all over again.
If the Falcons had lost, Ryan’s face would’ve been targeted for most of the pies. That’s just the way it works in football, and certainly in Atlanta, given the backdrop.
It wasn’t nearly the best game of Ryan’s career. But in some ways, it might’ve been the most impressive. The Falcons had flat-lined. Ryan had two interceptions. The air had gone out of the offense and the building. Ryan was getting hammered behind an ever-collapsing offensive line. Philadelphia had turned a 21-10 deficit into a 31-21 lead. Even with Vick now on the sideline and looking woozy, the game appeared over late in the third quarter. Vick would win again, just as he did as a backup in the Georgia Dome in 2009, when he ran for a touchdown and threw another in a 34-7 Philly win
Ryan was injured that night. But he watched. He saw. He knew what it meant.
On Sunday night, with the Falcons losing by 10 points, Ryan showed his greatest strength. He didn’t change.
“In the huddle, he just said ‘Let’s go down and score. We’ve got this,’” wide receiver Harry Douglas recalled.
And the Falcons did. Twice.
Through nearly three quarters, Ryan completed only 8 of 17 passes for 102 yards. But he came out firing in a no-huddle offense. On first down, he completed a 17-yarder to Roddy White (”You want to get that first big play to get you moving,” he said.) Then came a 13-yarder to Gonzalez, a 14-yarder to Julio Jones, a 15-yarder to Douglas. He went 7 for 9 on the drive, the last being a one-yard touchdown flip to fullback Ovie Mughelli to close to 31-28.
It was like Ryan suddenly plugged the team into a light socket. He even called his own plays in the no-huddle.
“He was going up to the line, calling the plays that he likes to call, and he was getting the ball in good positions for us,” White said.
The winning touchdown drive was mostly about Turner, who broke off a 61-yard run on first-and-17 from the Falcons’ 13. But Ryan hit Douglas and Gonzalez on consecutive passes, the latter coming on third down to set up Turner’s go-ahead touchdown.
“I thought our quarterback really showed his toughness,” coach Mike Smith said. “He took a number of shots and he kept going. When you’ve got guys like that, you’ve got a chance to be successful. He’s a tough Irishman.”
In the end, it was Ryan who brought his team back, rebounding from a poor opener in Chicago. It was Ryan who threw a career-high four touchdown passes and won the game, while Vick was sitting in the locker room with a concussion, a sore neck and three turnovers (two led to Falcons’ touchdowns).
Ryan downplayed the significance of this night.
“We have a big game against Tampa Bay next week,” he said, as if reading from a cue card.
Something tells me it means more than he will ever admit. It certainly did for others.
By Jeff Schultz
•
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC; friend me at Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
766 comments Add your comment
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:51 am
Real Talk, keep living the dream. Ryan 1, Vick 0. Pains you to say, but there is NO WAY, NONE, that Vick ever has or ever will be able to do what Ryan did in the 4th quarter. Ryan called audible after audible in the 4th quarter in a hurry up offense. And the running game might have stunk, but when it mattered most, Turner BURNED the Eagles for what? 60 yards? The DOME is RYAN’s HOUSE! Now all you that keep wanting to hold on to the Vick dream, whatever that is, BURN those jerseys and get a jersey of a REAL QB, #2 and Matt Ryan. (Oh and for those of you who think Vick has totally changed and didn’t want to win this game REALLY bad, did you enjoy as he was being booed off the field his scoreboard pointing? Surprised he didn’t flip the fans off again!)
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:52 am
Ryan is a 4th quarter QB. I think he’ll go to the HOF and definitely be in the Falcon’s Ring of Honor in the Georgia Dome when he retires. Matty Ice “retiring”? That’s a long ways away, and I’ll hate the day I see it happen. Now he just needs to win some playoff games to be solidified as a bonafide QB. An elite QB. He’s a great player.
BG
September 19th, 2011
7:52 am
It’s been said over and over, no huddle wins.
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:55 am
Ryan is arguably the best QB in Falcon history. I say he is because he’s the ONLY QB to lead us to back to back winning seasons, but he’s led us to back to back to back winning seasons and will lead us to our 4th back to back to back to back winning seasons. With Ryan at the helm, we always have a shot. He will also be the QB to bring the franchise their first Super Bowl. May not happen this season, but he’ll get us one before it’s all said and done.
suwaneefalcon
September 19th, 2011
7:56 am
You won because
September 19th, 2011
5:53 am
Vick got hurt, nothing more, and you know it.
Get use to this today Falcon fans. The morons who are Eagle fans will fly this flag all week. I guess Vick being gone hurt their defense as well. IDIOTS! I agree with all of you calling for Baker to be moved. He has no business protecting Matt’s blindside. Needs to be done before Ryan gets hurt.
REAL TALK
September 19th, 2011
7:56 am
PLAYOFFS WINS
VICK 3 RYAN 0
nonworkingSOB
September 19th, 2011
7:57 am
Is Chris Collinsworth MikeVick’s agent? I heard so much praise and glorification the first 3 quarters, I thought contract negotiations were going on. Suddenly, Matt Ryan is the greatest. Chris needs to get away from all that. Falcons won- despite the o-line, because Ryan is the better overall QB.
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:57 am
Times been to prison
Vick 1, Ryan 0
Times flipped off the fans
Vick 1, maybe twice, Ryan 0
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:58 am
Real Talk, you mean Vick 2 and Ryan 0. And Playoff losses, Vick 3 and Ryan 2.
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:58 am
Oh and who won last night? RYAN
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
7:59 am
Funny thing, if Abraham hadn’t been offside’s TWICE on 3rd and long you could have taken 8 points off the board. Then you would have seen the real score.
REAL TALK NEEDS HOOKED ON PHONICS
September 19th, 2011
8:00 am
Nice grammar Real Talk. Vick is what we thought he was: ultra-talented, exciting, turnover prone, and a little soft at times. It is what it is. That hit wouldn’t have taken Ryan out of the game, I’m pretty sure of that.
Now as for our defense, I’m still not a Van Goober fan at all. He got outschemed all night. And what is with all the talk about Lofton and Weatherspoon? Have either made a play all year? People are ready to put Lofton in the Hall of Fame and I don’t think he or Spoon have ever made a tackle for a loss. All of their tackles are 20 yards downfield. And don’t get me started on Dunta “Deserve the Money” Robinson… Also Dunta “ever play in the preseason” Robinson. News flash coaching staff: the guy is not nearly that good to be able to sit out all preseason.
ROD
September 19th, 2011
8:01 am
Guys, lets not go crazy here. Yes, the Falcons won the game. Yes, I know some of you want to make this Mike vs Matt. Lets face it, if Michael would have stayed in the game, they probably would have won. I’m a Falcons fan, but that defense is HORRIBLE. Please fire that defense coordinator. Everyone knows, to make Mike run to the right. They kept pushing him to his strong side which is his left. As for Matt Ryan, don’t make it seem he had a great game. He is still trying to force the balls. He’s not throwing the ball away. He still has a lot to learn. Think about it, if Macklin would have caught the ball, then we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about Matt Ryan took center stage. He’s an average QB, but lets not go crazy here. He’s not Peyton, Brady, or Rodgers, but I know you all want to put him there. Mike Vick had a better game than he did, and if he was there, they would have won. The Falcons didn’t stop anyone. Where’s Edwards? I thought we were supppose to have the two best Defensive ends in the league. They need to fire the defensive/offensive coordinator. Also, please keep Owens off the field. He should be thankful that ball was dropped. I know some of you do not want to let go the VICK situation, but we all need to move on. He has, so why don’t you. The FALCONS won by the skin of their teeth, but we need to stop this SUPERBOWL mess. Defense wins ball game, and the defense I’ve seen the last two weeks, will not beat Green Bay, New Orleans, and probably the Eagles in the playoffs.
Jake
September 19th, 2011
8:02 am
I think Tony G should retire…….in about five more years. What a great performance.
BET
September 19th, 2011
8:02 am
Child please a third sting QB nearly beat the Falcons…Ryan played well, but we all know if MV7 stayed in the game no way Falcons win
ATL Native
September 19th, 2011
8:02 am
1 – Mike Mularkey has got to go. The “standard” game plan has to change from run on first, run on 2 & 9 and short pass on 3rd. How obvious is it that, when Ryan is allowed to call the plays, the offense opens up and moves the ball better? In the past 3 years, the roster has been filled with much better players. The athletes on the team came together and won – not the coaching.
2 – Brian Van Gorder has got to go. The “standard” game plan has to change from extremely soft zone coverage. Every week there are blown coverages because players let opposing receivers through. Manning up takes all of the guess work out of coverage and frees up players for possibly pressuring the opposing QB. In the past 3 years, the roster has been filled with much better players. The athletes on the team came together and won – not the coaching.
Blank, Dimitroff and Smith have done a great job with purging the past and filling the roster with athletic players. The process is working, but MM and BVG are holding the team back.
REAL TALK
September 19th, 2011
8:03 am
Falcons will not win a Super Bowl with Matty Ice at quarterback. Don’t blame Sam Baker.
Matt Ryan has class and dignity!
September 19th, 2011
8:03 am
Matt Ryan is a QB the Falcons can be proud of. Ryan has class and dignity to go along with poise and ability and most of all intelligence!
REAL TALK NEEDS HOOKED ON PHONICS
September 19th, 2011
8:04 am
Facts are facts: Vick can’t finish a full season and never has. Last night he was unable to finish only the 2nd game of his season. Fun to watch, sure, but durable, absolutely not. And he still carries the ball like a loaf of bread. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks, pun intended.
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
8:05 am
Rod, Your offense has to be on the field to win in the 4th quarter. Check the stats, the Eagles had the ball a total of 4 series in the 4th quarter. And if Abraham hadn’t been offsides TWICE on 3rd and long, the Eagles would have only attempted field goals, and take off 8 points. Vick is and always will be injury prone. The DREAM TEAM, mostly made up of the defensive players they went out and grabbed GOT BEATEN down by Ryan in the 4th quarter. 4 TD passes. Dream On!
MondayMorningWritingCoach
September 19th, 2011
8:05 am
Wow, fine literature! Vick was not “only a shadow, a ghost, a name he hears in press conferences” but also the player Ryan saw in person defeat the Falcons with rushing and passing TDs! How can you beat such a player? But somehow Ryan did it and Schultz wrote about it!
darryl roy
September 19th, 2011
8:06 am
Ryan calls better plays than Malarkey! Mularkey is the most predictable play caller in the league. He constantly puts our gifted offense in the hole on downs. They have to work way to hard just to get a first down!
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
8:06 am
BET the third string QB didn’t score did he?
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
8:07 am
What is a laugh is that WHO IS THE BACKUP IN PHILLY? None other than the HEAD CASE called Vince Young. Oh God, I wish he had been playing last night, the Falcons would have had an easier time in the 4th quarter, not that they needed it.
REAL TALK NEEDS HOOKED ON PHONICS
September 19th, 2011
8:07 am
“If Mike Vick had stayed in the game..” huh BET? If if’s, and’s and but’s were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas too. The sad thing is for all of you Vick lovers is that he won’t ever finish a full season in the NFL healthy. It has never happened and as he gets older it surely won’t be happening. He went a full 6.5 quarters this year before getting knocked out. Its called Karma.
Pound Sand
September 19th, 2011
8:08 am
Like any great football game, it comes down to dedication, perseverance, strength of character and the willingness to stay in until the end to get the job done. One QB has these qualities the other does not. Enough said.
REAL TALK NEEDS HOOKED ON PHONICS
September 19th, 2011
8:09 am
By the way, that was a horrendous personal foul call on Abraham too. He barely bumped Kafka..
Drew
September 19th, 2011
8:10 am
The real liability of Mike Vick is that when you build your offense around him, it doesn’t work withOUT him. And the way he plays, they’re going to be without him A LOT. The game is 60 minutes long, the season is 16 games long… and without Vick, the Eagles are sunk. Just like the Falcons used to be.
REAL TALK NEEDS HOOKED ON PHONICS
September 19th, 2011
8:11 am
Yep, would have actually preferred Vince Young over Kafka. And the person we couldn’t stop wasn’t Vick, it was McCoy.
Big Dog 98
September 19th, 2011
8:11 am
When your QB runs around in the NFL, it is only a matter of time before he gets KO, injured or fumbles.
BET
September 19th, 2011
8:12 am
Falcons fan…talk at end of season.,..let’s see where bird are then…this is a bad team!!! Very lucky in Dome…3rd string can’t throw it and catch it…his throw at end of game was perfect…receiver let him down. but all that aside, the Falcon defense is terrible…
Dumbo
September 19th, 2011
8:12 am
Like a big Ga pine, swaying in the wind…but still standing in the end. enough said!
Insider
September 19th, 2011
8:14 am
ESPN is reporting that Vick may miss next Sunday’s game.
FalconDawg
September 19th, 2011
8:16 am
How about Julio running down trying to block on that long Turner run?
Silly -O - Philly, beat by hillbilly
September 19th, 2011
8:16 am
Falcons won because, well, Vick was Vick. Hit him hard, hit him often and he cracks. This is his book and yet another chapter was written with attestations about how to beat him, which is “beat him” like the dog he is. He can’t help it. Hit him and he panics, scrables and then…ooops, fumbles by the gaggle. Same ole Vick…glad he is gone. Now Falcons, let’s move on and win baby, just win!!
Stepchild
September 19th, 2011
8:16 am
FALCONS ARE SUPERBOWL BOUND!!! With Sam Baker holding it down, Matty not able to complete many throws to Wide receiver & Tony Gonzalez being the ONLY mis-match…..Oh yeah baby…..here we come!!! Explosive Turner!!! Everyone dogging him needs to apologize!
Tvshooter
September 19th, 2011
8:17 am
Speaking of turnovers- 3rd down and long, and John Abraham lines up in the neutral zone? That was a touchdown there, and then his getting called…no matter that it was a really bad call…for roughing the passer? Even Collinsworth said it was a bad call and he’s openly cheering the Eagles in this game.
Penalties accounted for 14 points for the Eagles…it’s professional football, guys please play like pros. These penalties are KILLING the team.
But great win last night in the Matt Ryan Dome!
Loyal Falcons Fan
September 19th, 2011
8:17 am
If “if” were a fifth, I’d be drunk right now! The Falcons got the W. Point blank period. Everyone knows that Vick plays like he’s invincible & he STILL holds the ball like a loaf of bread. Falcons haters need to be saying IF Vick didn’t have 3 turnovers, THEN we would have won. The Falcons as a whole still have a lot of work to do, but I think they’ll be fine once everyone is on the same page. Keep working hard Falcons & fans don’t give up! They need us by their side!
Vick represents Philly well...
September 19th, 2011
8:17 am
…he has a criminal record!
Selma
September 19th, 2011
8:18 am
I don’t think anyone in Atlanta believes the Falcons are Super Bowl-bound this year. But it’s great to win a prime-time game, and I enjoy rooting for players who work hard and lead decent lives off the field. Michael Turner has had 21 100+ yard games with the Falcons – what an unsung hero he is.
Insider
September 19th, 2011
8:18 am
Vick was not hospitalized and was cleared to travel with the team back to Philadelphia, but will have to undergo concussion-specific testing before he can be cleared to return to practice or play in a game.
SG
September 19th, 2011
8:18 am
What some say in Philly about the game. Like the ref to MV being like a high-wire act.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/130096718.html
FalconFan
September 19th, 2011
8:19 am
BET, but isn’t that one of the WONDER DREAM TEAM members that dropped that pass in the 4th quarter? The throw was perfect the receiver dropped the ball. Can’t blame the QB huh? You are contradicting yourself in a BIG Way. BTW, even if Vick come back next week, he WILL go down again. He is a fragile QB. Not like Ryan when in the 4th quarter they put him in a Banana Split. What did Ryan do, got up, walked it off and pushed the Falcons to a TD. I bet that Vick plays 10 games at the most this year. He lost the game for them too. That one fumble and the interception created 14 points for the Falcons. You had the refs that for 1. Didn’t call a helmet to helmet hit on Ryan in the first quarter, 2) a VERY bad call on Abraham for what, HOLDING UP THE QB and got called for a 15 yard penalty and 3) trying to protect “who let the dogs out” Vick in the pocket. It was so funny the announcers were trying to build a story line saying Vick was spitting up blood. Even after the sideline reporter said he wasn’t spitting up blood, he was spitting it out from bitting his lip, they still said he was spitting up blood. I can only imagine they wanted to try and build the story up for Vick coming back, but he is going to be out a lot, so get used to it. The Falcon fans got used to his one handed fumbles A LOT, so get used to that too.
NUNNA!!
September 19th, 2011
8:20 am
Falcons win..
If Vick was QB in the 4th and didn’t get hurt it would be an eagles cake walk..
So,While Vick was in the game:
VIck -1
Ryan-0
And you know its the truth
Selma
September 19th, 2011
8:20 am
It would be nice to get Todd McClure back. I think the offensive line and defensive secondary continue to be areas of real concern. I hope Julio Jones really develops into a star. What impresses me about him now is his obvious hard-nosed work ethic. He has his head in the right place.
waynester
September 19th, 2011
8:20 am
I was very critical of Baker’s performance last night. After sleeping on it and watching again I’m wondering if there was something going on injury-wise that we don’t know about since he played so technically unsound and seemed physically incapable of getting low enough. Thankfully, he doesn’t play this way every week since we don’t have anyone who I think could do better right now.
ps
Dunta DID lead with his hat. The shoulder got there second…..
pps
Other than N.O., there’s no team in the league I’d rather beat than obnoxious Philly…thanks Falcons!!!!
FalconDawg
September 19th, 2011
8:21 am
Selma, the Falcons looked bad the first two games but I still believe they can get it together. The fact that they won last night despite looking terrible for the most part says a lot. There was a time when we would have been blown out playing like that.
AhhhhhhhhKitties
September 19th, 2011
8:22 am
Congrats Falcons.
That Dunta is a Punk. Especially the way he roused up the crowed after he made his helmet to helmet hit. What a turd.
Insider
September 19th, 2011
8:22 am
The evening was bloodsport, nothing less, and Vick did not survive intact. The Atlanta Falcons came at the Eagles with a physical ferocity that danced near the line of propriety for much of the night, and which stomped over the line once or twice. Dunta Robinson, who gave DeSean Jackson a concussion last season with an illegal, head-to-head hit, clobbered Jeremy Maclin just as illegally last night. That was the most notorious act, but not the only one.
Vick was banged around and then banged around some more. The play on which he was hurt, deep into the third quarter, was more of the same — thrown to the turf, kind of whipped around, his head maybe then colliding with teammate Todd Herremans. The result was the quarterback, laid out in a pile, and then unsteady on his feet, and then escorted to the sideline where he reportedly was spitting blood.
That was his night, then: booed by his former fans in his former hometown, then bloodied, then banished to a medical evaluation.
And with that, and the Eagles’ 35-31 loss to the Falcons, we are now to be consumed with the doubt about Vick that follows this quarterback like a shadow.
What now?
What, again?
Vick got hit too much last year, and he got hit too much last week against St. Louis, and he got hit too much against the Falcons. He missed four games last year and was less effective at the end of the season because he was so beaten up. He knows the issue, everybody knows the issue, but here we are again. Here we are, wondering if they can count on him being there long enough, and healthy enough, for them to win a championship.
This was going to be his night. The No. 7 jerseys came in two denominations and at least four colors: red, white, black and green. For all of the people wearing them in the Georgia Dome, and for everyone else watching, Vick meant something just a little bit different.
Hero, villain, victim, role model, convicted felon, reformed citizen; those are just some of the sociological labels that people will argue over for as long as Vick is a public man. That is a given. That is not the issue.
Because here is the other list: dynamic, fearless, reckless, careless, courageous, confounding. They are not about the man, but about the football player. That is the problem.
Vick is in his third season of his second professional lifetime, and we still do not know. He is at the beginning of a significant financial agreement with the Eagles at a critical point for the franchise, and we still do not know.
Breathtaking runner. Then turnover-plagued runner. Then fearless pocket passer willing to take a wallop. Then author of a brutal interception.
Red, white, black, green. Which?
And can he stay healthy?
This is more than about the ups and downs of playing the hardest position in professional sports. Quarterbacks make mistakes. Everybody gets it. The difference here is that Vick always seems to be on the high wire, always seconds away either from taking our breath away or leaving us to let loose with an anguished gasp.
Maybe the problem is that all of us watch the game through eyes accustomed to Donovan McNabb, who played a steady, predictable, effective style of game for years with the Eagles. That might be some of it — because Vick is admittedly so jarringly different.
Whatever the reason, here we are.
Mike Vick has fallen off of the high wire, again.
Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/130096718.html#ixzz1YOt8bkVB
Watch sports videos you won’t find anywhere else
Tvshooter
September 19th, 2011
8:23 am
And btw-Ray Edwards-great pick up, but you might want to try doing some extra cardio. Try running some extra wind sprints or something. You ran out of gas about 20 yards into your should have been a touchdown fumble recovery.
I think this exposed a problem with the defense-same as UGA-conditioning. our secondary looks tired by the 3rd quarter. Imagine had the Eagles done a Tom Brady and gone no huddle right from the start.