Two weeks ago underneath Dolphin Stadium, Michael Vick defiantly stood before members of the press and chided those who questioned his ability to beat defenses with his arm. “From here on out, I don’t want to hear that question,” he boldly stated after carving Miami up for 228 yards passing. Midway through the second quarter of Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay it looked like Vick would have to invoke the Fifth Amendment in order not to answer questions about his inconsistencies. The Falcons trailed 13-0 and he was wildly off target. His passes sailed over, under, and around open receivers. It seemed that the Buccaneers, a team who has a knack for making him look bad, were once again turning the NFL’s most exciting player into the second coming of Heath Shuler. That is when Vick decided he truly did not want to hear it any longer. After having the wind knocked out of him at one point during the first half, he got up off the canvas, twice leading the Falcons to a lead.
His 4 for 15 start became a distant memory as he would connect on 13 of his next 17 passes. The Falcon passing game finally got a little rhythm to it. Receivers made tough catches. Vick placed passes into spots where only the guys on his team could catch them. He maneuvered around the pocket with precision, notching the second 300 yard passing game of his career. For the third week in a row, the Falcon air attack responded when their opponent bottled up the team’s first option, the run. During this stretch Vick is completing 64 percent of his passes and averaging 248 yards through the air. What everyone was waiting on is finally happening. Vick’s passing stats are now matching the impressiveness of his physical ability. Falcon fans are dancing in the streets of Atlanta. Well, not quite.
Not even the golden-armed Vick was good enough to lead Atlanta to a win over the Buccaneers. As astonishing as it may sound, the new Vick might not be good enough to pilot one of sports’ truly lost ships out of the doldrums. The loss Sunday sent the Falcons’ record to 6-4. They have little time to get over the stinging defeat as they travel to Detroit for the annual Thanksgiving Day game. After that they travel to Carolina. In fact four of their final six games are on the road. A franchise that finally appeared to be making a break from its history is all of sudden following a very familiar script. In the 39 year existence of the franchise, the Falcons have never had back-to-back winning seasons.
Not after the 2002 playoff triumph at Lambeau Field, remember Vick missed much of the next season with a broken leg. Not even after the 98′ Super Bowl team, two guys named Jamal and Chandler would miss much the following season with injuries. The culprit this year is not injuries, but a disintegrating defense, mental mistakes, and just plain bad luck. For the first time in the Jim Mora era and for the first time since Vick was named starter, the Falcons have lost two home games in a row. Last week Green Bay’s Samkon Gado rushed for 103 against defense that has been unable to stop the run.
This week it was Cadillac Williams looking fully recovered from a bad ankle and gashing the Falcons for 116. Atlanta also uncharacteristically committed 11 penalties providing the Buccaneers with 87 yards. Then to top it off, Warrick Dunn inadvertently jarred the ball lose from Vick as he stepped up to block the blitzing Derrick Brooks. The Buccaneers recovered and kicked what turned out to be the game winning field goal. Even with Vick’s outstanding performance, the 2005 Falcons lost Sunday’s game in a fashion that would have made the 1995 Falcons proud. With the schedule the Falcons have in front of them, an 8-8 record is not out of the question. Then again with the always dangerous and ever improving Vick, they could very easily win their division. If the former happens though and the Falcons fizzle out down the stretch, Michael Vick would have become a complete quarterback without anyone noticing.