By Scott Garbarini Oct 24, 2006, 21:35 GMT
- Michael Vick had a lot to say in the days following the Atlanta Falcons' bitter 27-14 loss to the New York Giants last Sunday. One week later, the star quarterback backed up his words with one of the most prolific passing performances of his career.
Vick was critical of his team's offense after the disappointing defeat, saying the unit was becoming too reliant on its potent run game and increasingly predictable. He even suggested that head coach Jim Mora Jr. didn't fully trust his abilities as a passer.
If Mora had any doubts about his quarterback's aptitude for throwing the football, Vick did his best to erase them in Sunday's thrilling 41-38 overtime victory over Pittsburgh at the Georgia Dome. The dynamic signal-caller racked up a season-high 232 yards and a career-best four touchdowns through the air, while continually bringing the Falcons back in a wild game which saw the lead change hands six different times.
Vick's final throw of the day turned out to be his most important. With Atlanta facing a 3rd-and-9 on their opening drive of the overtime session, he side-stepped the blitz of Steelers' safety Troy Polamalu and fired a bullet to tight end Alge Crumpler. The play went for 26 yards and brought Atlanta deep into Pittsburgh territory, setting up Morten Andersen's game-winning 25-yard field goal.
'Moments like that are the main reason I am a Mike Vick fan,' said Mora of the play. 'For all the talk about what Vick can't do, I like to talk about what he can do. And he does things that no other football player in the history of the game at that position had the ability to do. I think that play was another indication of his greatness.'
The Steelers came out determined to slow down Atlanta's powerful ground attack that was averaging a league-best 232 yards per game. And for the most part, the defending world champs did a good job in containing the run. The dangerous Polamalu was often employed up close to the line of scrimmage, which held Warrick Dunn (26 carries, 69 yards) in check but gave Crumpler a wealth of room in which to operate.
Vick and his favorite target took full advantage of those open spaces, as Crumpler hauled in six passes for 117 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.
'It is great to bring Mike back to a high after seeing him saying he was at his lowest last week,' Crumpler said. 'I knew he could not do it by himself; we just needed to step up and make some plays happen.'
Crumpler's trio of TD catches also tied a Falcons' single-game record set five times previously, most recently by Terance Mathis against St. Louis on November 19, 1995.
HOLDING THE LINE
Atlanta played without two of its stars on the defensive line in end John Abraham and tackle Rod Coleman, but both replacements came up with strong games in the pair's absence. Jonathan Babineaux recorded four tackles, a sack and a forced fumble in place of Coleman, while fellow second-year man Chauncey Davis compiled three stops and a sack while filling in for Abraham.
Davis' sack, which occurred midway through the third quarter, also knocked Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger from the game with a concussion. Two plays later, Babineaux stripped the football from running back Willie Parker and recovered the fumble at the Pittsburgh 36. The turnover set up a Dunn one- yard touchdown run which put Atlanta up by a 28-24 count.
Abraham has been plagued by a groin strain suffered in Atlanta's season- opening win at Carolina and then underwent surgery on Tuesday for a previously undisclosed abdominal injury. The three-time Pro Bowl selection, who has played in just two games so far, will miss at least three more weeks.
Coleman, who hurt his toe in the New York game, hopes he can be back when the Falcons visit Cincinnati this Sunday.
JUST FOR KICKS
The Falcons almost had the game won in the waning seconds of regulation, when long-distance kicker Michael Koenen drilled a 56-yard field goal. However, the Steelers were able to get a timeout just prior to the snap. Koenen then misfired on the re-try, but Polamalu was flagged for running into the kicker to give Atlanta another chance.
Mora then elected to use Andersen on the shortened 52-yard try, but the 46- year-old came up well short and the game remained tied.
'I have never seen it,' said Andersen on the use of two kickers on a game- winning attempt. Mike kicked a great ball. He is a phenomenal talent. They decided to put me out there for a shorter one and I got under it a little bit, it was right on target.'
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
Starting left guard Matt Lehr was handed a four-game suspension by the NFL for violation of the league's steroid policy. Lehr was replaced in the lineup by Tyson Clabo, who was making his first career start. Clabo spent most of 2005 on the Falcons' practice squad after being waived by Denver during the preseason.
The offensive line suffered another blow during Sunday's contest when right guard Kynan Forney separated his right shoulder late in the third quarter. The Hawaii product suffered the same injury in Atlanta's victory over Arizona back on October 1 and his status for the upcoming game with Cincinnati is not yet known.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Falcons play their first road game in a month this Sunday against a Bengals squad that will be playing an NFC South opponent for the third straight week. Cincinnati rebounded from a last-minute loss at Tampa Bay in Week 6 to post an impressive 17-13 triumph over Carolina this past Sunday. At 4-2, the Bengals currently stand in a first-place tie with Baltimore in the AFC North.
The Falcons and Bengals last met in the Georgia Dome on September 22, 2002, with Atlanta cruising to a 30-3 win.
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