Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles: Why Matt Ryan Must Outplay Michael Vick

The condition of professional football in Atlanta has made multiple polarizing shifts in the past decade, and seemingly all of them have pivoted around the status of Michael Vick.

In 2003, Vick's absence due to a broken leg caused a surging Falcons team to fall back into a deep, dark hole. Without Vick, the interest in the team was nearly non-existent.

This was the case again in 2007, when Vick was suspended after being indicted. Atlanta finished the year with a 4-12 record, and entered 2008 as a forgotten member of an already underwhelming Atlanta sports scene.

The Atlanta Falcons franchise, from 2001 to 2008, was an unstable entity that hinged ever-so-loosely on a few integral pieces, with Vick as the centerpiece.

But in 2008, the franchise finally found a concrete base. General manager Thomas Dimitroff, head coach Mike Smith and rookie quarterback Matt Ryan sewed together a product that would soon, for the first time, blanket the NFL's landscape. 

Since the franchise rose from the ashes just three seasons ago, the Falcons have won 33 games. They have achieved back-to-back winning campaigns for the first time in team history.

And, even after a 30-12 loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday, the Falcons are nowhere close to hitting the panic button. With the cast and crew they have, the assurance is that the team is stable and the loss was simply a hiccup from an otherwise healthy team.

Well, in any other situation it might appear that way. But, the Falcons enter a peculiar stage this weekend that could make the nation's perception of the Falcons shift for the first time since 2008.

Atlanta has faced the Philadelphia Eagles twice since Matt Ryan and Michael Vick have both been on NFL rosters at the same time.

In 2009, Philadelphia visited Atlanta with Michael Vick in uniform. Matt Ryan missed the game with an injury. In 2010 Atlanta and Ryan visited Philadelphia, and this time Vick was sidelined due to an injury.

Both of those matchups were diluted, and the nation, as well as Philly and Atlanta fans, was less than attentive.

That will not be the case this weekend. Sunday's matchup finally will bring Ryan versus Vick in what some might interpret as a battle between good and evil.

Okay, don't take the usage of the word "evil" too literally. Michael Vick has come a long way as a person since his imprisonment, but he left a terrible taste in the mouth's of fans here in Georgia.

Compared to the distractions and hindering effects that Vick had on this franchise late in his tenure with Atlanta, Matt Ryan has, at least so far, been the antithesis.

Ryan has been dubbed by many as a savior. Aside from being a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback, Ryan brings continuity and integrity to this organization. Despite Vick's talents, he never came close to grasping that pinnacle persona as a quarterback in a red and black uniform.

Things have changed. Vick has redeemed himself on multiple levels through hard work, impressive interviews, and efforts in off-field contributions to the community.

Suddenly, Vick looks as good as he's ever been. Not only as a player, but as a person—an enviable sports figure.

Ryan, on the other hand, has stumbled in his past few games. The Packers, who defeated Atlanta in the divisional round of the playoffs last winter, and the Bears both made Ryan and the Falcons look very average.

Despite having such a solidified team, the Falcons could be walking into a perfect storm in their own house when Vick and the "Dream Team" Eagles fly in Sunday night.

The game is going to be aired on NBC's Sunday Night Football, with likely the entire nation of football fans tuning in. These nationally displayed moments only come so often for a Falcons team that has seemingly excelled while under the radar

Many attribute the plethora of locally-aired games as a reason the Falcons have not gotten respect in the past few seasons, despite their success.

But Atlanta has not performed on the national stage often, and the fans across the country are likely going into this game thinking the Falcons' bubble, in which they so comfortably have existed for the past three years, could burst.

And what a more frightening way to have it happen then by the arm and legs of the most polarizing figure in Atlanta sports history.

The Falcons must win this game, and Matt Ryan must perform at a high level. It could be vital to the Falcons' national perception if Ryan and the rest of the team outperform the Eagles.

Is that likely?

The Eagles, with all their firepower, are surely licking their chops right now at the chance to get after the defense that Chicago saw last weekend. Vick could have a field day.

Ryan and the Falcons, most likely, will have their struggles.

If the Falcons start the season 0-2 without a spotlight, they could possibly find ways to clean themselves up before hitting the "Hollywood" of the national media.

But the Falcons cannot afford to fall flat on their face, again, on this stage in this circumstance. If they do lose, and Ryan has any type of struggles at all, the media and the public could tear up the Falcons in a very distracting way. 

And as we all know, many fans here in Atlanta might just lose a little interest in their team, and start to fall in love again with the enduring and new Michael Vick.