Michael Vick
photo by Jimmy Cribb, Atlanta Falcons.com
The Nike adage “Be Like Mike” is making a comeback. Only this time it has nothing to do with a 6'-6" leaper out of North Carolina, rather a 6-foot stallion from Virginia Tech. Michael Jordan changed basketball forever, and Michael Vick is on his way to doing the same to football.
In Vick’s first full season at quarterback, he revived the Falcons from three years of misery to Super Bowl contention and better yet, better things may happen in the upcoming season.
Coach Dan Reeves gets to pick up right where he left off, as almost every ’02 Falcon comes back with the same possibility of the Falcons’ first ever back-to-back winning seasons in mind. And with Vick planning an air attack that would complement their fierce running game, it’s entirely likely that the Falcons will win the majority of their games this season. As for the air attack, it’ll be led by Vick’s newly acquired sidekick WR Peerless Price.
The type of football this team played last season rejuvenated football interest in a city that is typically loyal to its athletes, and it’s this excitement that Vick and company have stirred up that will soon propel them to greatness.
In some ways it seems that this team threw conventional-style football out the window and decided to play with the approach that once the ball is snapped, whatever happens, happens. And to their credit it worked and got them a lot of time on the highlight reels.
What to Expect…
In summary, it’s fair to expect last year’s team with maturity and a few new faces added into the mix. RB Warrick Dunn enters his second campaign as a Falcon after rushing for 927 yards and seven touchdowns and catching for 377 yards and two scores last season.
WR Peerless Price and MarTay Jenkins were key off-season acquisitions who will add horsepower to the passing game. Price caught 94 passes for 1,254 yards and nine touchdowns in ’02.
TE Alge Crumpler is another young star in Atlanta with huge potential; he hauled in 36 passes for 455 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Defensively DE Patrick Kerney leads an undersized line, which is one place of needed improvement.
LB Keith Brooking will lead a dominant linebacker corps this season. Brooking led the Falcons with 140 tackles in ’02.
Look out for decisions to be made in the defensive secondary most likely concerning where CB Ray Buchanan will play. With a few secondary positions up for grabs, there are a load of possibilities for opening week.
Don’t miss…WR Peerless Price has come into a perfect situation in Atlanta, where he will serve not only as the #1 receiver but as Robin in a Batman and Robin duo with Michael Vick.
Price stepped into the role of a prominent NFL receiver last year with 1,254 yards and 9 touchdowns, but chances are these are numbers that can be surpassed this season with the help of Vick.
Price, a former UT Volunteer standout, has supposedly ruled the first few days of camp adding even more hype to the potential of the upcoming season.
Schedule
The Falcons 2003 schedule is certainly no piece of cake. They play NFC South opponents Tampa Bay and New Orleans twice each, but in the same way get the Panthers twice. In week six Atlanta travels to St. Louis for a Monday Night contest against the Rams. Two weeks later the Falcons play host to the Eagles. And in week 11 the Titans travel south for a game in the Georgia Dome.
The Tennessee contest is followed by games against the Texans and Panthers before the Falcons travel to Indianapolis and Tampa Bay to showcase what exactly they will bring to the table in the playoffs if the playoffs are in the picture. The Falcons finish the regular season at home vs. the Jaguars.
In The End
Falcons go 10-6 in the regular season to place 2nd in NFC South. As a wildcard team, they march to the NFC Championship, where they win to move onto the Super Bowl. If they make it that far, I refuse to bet against them, so I say the sky is the limit for this bunch, possibly as soon as this season.
Peerless Price
photo by Jimmy Cribb, Atlanta Falcons.com