Michael Vick: Matt Ryan Will Crumble Under Cheers of 'We Want Vick' in Atlanta

Atlanta won’t roll out the red carpet for Michael Vick on his return as a starter to the Georgia Dome, but they’ll be on their knees begging him to stay by the end of the game. 

The Falcons had Super Bowl expectations entering the season and they still do, but a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles would be a painful one.  If Week 1 is any indicator of how Sunday night’s game will play out, Vick will dominate Matt Ryan.

A loss to the Eagles wouldn’t be devastating for Atlanta.  Losing back-to-back games against two NFC title contenders could be a confidence crusher, though.  The Falcons are coming off a 30-12 beat down against the Chicago Bears while Philly blew out the St. Louis Rams 31-13.

Former Falcons head coach Dan Reeves believes Vick will have plenty of motivation to clip the Falcons wings in Week 2.  He told PhillySportsDaily.com that Vick was betrayed by the organization saying:

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“When Mike really needed them, they turned their back on him, in my opinion.  They could have been a big supporter and they let him go.  I think it could have been handled differently.  I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the organization’s standpoint, but I thought they could have been more supportive and instead they severed ties with him.”

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Against the Rams, Vick didn’t dominate through the air, but he still threw two touchdown passes.  Where he did the most damage was on the ground as he rushed for 97 yards.  Atlanta is in a tough spot because they must force Vick to win the game with his arm, but containing the electric athlete gives him more time to get the ball to DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Steve Smith, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy through the air.

Ryan is coming off a game where he put up solid numbers throwing the football, but an interception and a lost fumble destroyed any chance the Falcons had to beat the Bears.  He was also sacked five times. Against the Eagles pass rush featuring Trent Cole, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, he’ll be under major pressure again vs. Philadelphia.  Facing Nnamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Ryan will be forced to maintain his composure or suffer the consequences of an interception going the other way.

It may be a stretch to say that Falcons fans will actually be chanting “we want Vick” by the end of the game, but No. 7 will make his return to ATL as a starter one to remember and Atlanta will long for the days he was rocking black and red.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.