Falcons May Fly Without Michael Vick

No, Joey Harrington isn't Michael Vick.

Then again, in the Falcons offense, that might be a good thing.

I've long been one of Vick's biggest on-field supporters. As I watched the Atlanta O last night, though, I couldn't help but conclude that Vick wasn't the man to run it.

Is Joey Harrington the ideal fit for Bobby Petrino's pass-happy, spread-the-field system? Probably not. But from the looks of it, he just might be able to make-do.

Sure, there were some plays last night where fans could sit and say, "Vick would have avoided that sack and picked up twenty yards." At the same time, there were more plays where fans could sit there and say, "Vick would never have completed that pass."

Harrington's numbers weren't mind-blowing, and haven't been all preseason. More importantly, though, his performance hasn't indicated that he's going to cost his team games—or a shot at the playoffs.

In recent seasons, the Falcons have been dominant on the ground—thanks in large part to Vick's rushing totals. In 2007, the passing game looks to be their strength—thanks in large part to the fact that Vick is no longer under center. 

More generally, the Falcons have undergone a change in blocking and playcalling philosophies. The running game has struggled thus far in the preseason, and was utterly uninspiring against the Bengals.

The passing game, on the other hand, was surprisingly efficient.

There's no telling what the Falcons are going to do this season—no other franchise faces more questions. Maybe Vick's suspension will doom the Birds...or maybe it will be a rallying point for a playoff contender.

Whatever the Falcons do, they'll do it differently than they did during the Vick Era. That Era, by the way, only produced two playoff berths...so change might not necessarily be a bad thing.