Michael Vick made his return to Atlanta as a starter on Sunday night, and for three quarters it looked like his Philadelphia Eagles were on their way to victory. But suddenly everything turned, leaving Vick on the sidelines and Mike Kafka, the unlikeliest of quarterbacks, in the huddle for the Eagles.
Falcons Vs. Eagles: Michael Vick’s Return Ends With Injury, Philadelphia Loss
Vick's injury didn't directly result in a Falcons win -- Atlanta made its own breaks and earned the victory with a strong fourth quarter. But Vick was the story, for better or worse. And it was an interesting story regardless of the outcome.
Scanning the crowd, the Vick jerseys were easy to spot, with large amount of fans sporting the the number 7, either in Falcons or Eagles colors. Yes, there was even at least one person who decided to burn a Vick jersey before the game. Watching how the fans reacted to Vick added intrigue to the high-powered matchup on the field.
While Vick led the Philadelphia offense, Falcons fans booed and cheered against him, even letting him hear it as he left for the locker room. But it was clear he still held a place in Atlanta sports fandom. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to see the game out, suffering a concussion in the third quarter that kept him from finishing the game.
As Vick was attended to in the locker room, Atlanta's new franchise quarterback went to work and took advantage. Matt Ryan found Ovie Mughelli for a one-yard touchdown in the fourth, then led the Falcons on the game-winning drive, capped by a three-yard Michael Turner run. The Atlanta defense held on down the stretch, squashing the Eagles' hopes by batting down a last-second heave to preserve a 35-31 win.
Vick’s return was far from a movie script or story book, but the actual football -- regardless of the side stories -- kept fans entertained throughout the night.
For more on this game, check out our Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation and our Falcons blog The Falcoholic. To catch up on NFL Week 2’s action, visit our StoryStream.
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