Eagles vs. Falcons: Matt Ryan's Struggles Will Be Accentuated by Vick's Return

Hopes were high for Matt Ryan when the Atlanta Falcons drafted him out of Boston College with the 3rd pick in 2008. While the regular season results have been acceptable, postseason failures paired with the awe-inspiring play of former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick have fans in Atlanta grumbling.

It will all come to a head Sunday night when Vick returns to the Georgia Dome with his high-flying Eagles.

Philadelphia defeated the St. Louis Rams in Week 1 while Atlanta failed to score an offensive touchdown in a loss to the Chicago Bears. An 0-2 start in a division with three strong contenders would put Ryan behind the eight ball right away.

The Falcons went 33-15 during Ryan's first three seasons, including two trips to the playoffs. However, they lost in the first playoff game both times. Ryan threw three touchdowns and four interceptions in those two starts.

Ryan's early postseason struggles should be kept in perspective, though. A guy by the name Peyton Manning didn't have much luck during his first few trips to the playoffs and has turned out to be one of the best quarterbacks off all time.

Meanwhile, Vick has returned to his dynamic, playmaking self since being released from prison. Vick had 30 total touchdowns last season and turned the ball over just nine times. His 100 quarterback rating was 18 points better than any season he had with the Falcons.

Vick is also a magnet for other talented players as proven by Philadelphia's offseason spending spree. He seems like a genuinely changed person and every good game he has casts a larger shadow over Ryan.

Fair or not, Ryan has to deal with it. The fourth-year quarterback was asked this week about all the Vick jerseys he still sees every week and he didn't have a comment.

He might not want to admit it publicly, but Ryan would love to beat Vick and his “Dream Team” tonight. It would take a lot of pressure off his shoulders and would put the Falcons back on track. As the old cliché goes, winning cures all wounds.

The other element in play is race. An ESPN report on today's Sunday NFL Countdown talked with several members of the black community in Atlanta who agreed that there was pride in the Falcons having a black quarterback.

While you would hope that is only a minor issue in the grand scheme of the Vick or Ryan debate, there is no doubt that it is a factor.

Ryan is a good, but not great quarterback at this point in his career. When Vick is healthy, he's a great quarterback with the ability to change the entire course of a game in a heartbeat. Ryan will never have Vick's physical skills, but he has the talent to lead the Falcons deep into the playoffs.

In the short term, the talented Eagles secondary will give Ryan fits all night. If Vick comes out and has a big game in a Philadelphia win, Ryan will be looking at a lot more questions about his place with the franchise moving forward.

As if he needed any more pressure.