Eagles vs. Falcons: Week 2 Matchup More Than Just a Game for Falcons

Coaches and players say it all the time.

"Just another game."

It's become known as "coach speak." You know, what you say to the media when you want to downplay something.

Well, the Atlanta Falcons host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, and no matter what the Falcons say, this is more than just another game. This is critical for the team's confidence, its swagger and its season.

Sure, an 0-2 start wouldn't be the end of the world, and the Falcons will probably grab a playoff spot, one way or another. But in terms of where this team is at, tonight will be a great barometer: Will the Falcons proceed toward elite status or fall to the elite?

It's a bit ironic, that such a critical matchup would come against Michael Vick, the former Falcons star who has since rebounded with the Eagles after a prison term.

But that is even more reason why this game is important for the Falcons. You lose to Vick, it almost feels as if you're taking a step backward to a time when, well, Vick was quarterback of the Falcons. There's little worse than a former player coming back to haunt you.

Regardless of what happens in Week 2, this game will remain with the Falcons until they potentially meet the Eagles again in the postseason. A brutal loss can have a way of sticking with a team, especially one this significant.

I'm not saying that the Falcons have to win this game. In fact, it would be a surprise to some if they did. But they're playing at home, in front of all their fans, and an argument could be made that more pressure is on them to deliver.

You lose this game badly, the media gets into it, the fans get into it, and it has a chance of potentially snowballing, much like what happened with the Dallas Cowboys last season.

Momentum is key in the game of football, as it is in most sports. A bad loss here could hurt the Falcons' psyche moving forward.

Every time Vick comes back to Atlanta, a place that will always stick with him regardless of where he plays, it's a chance at redemption in his eyes, no matter what he says.

The Falcons have a chance at redemption on Sunday after their Week 1 loss, and no amount of coach speak will trump that fact.