Falcons Return to Higher Ground

With a New Coach and New Stars, Atlanta Puts 2007 Behind

ATLANTA Arthur Blank made his way down a corridor in the depths of the Georgia Dome and headed into the Atlanta locker room less than two hours before an NFC South showdown against Carolina 10 days ago. He spoke to his first-year coach, Mike Smith, and then brought Smith outside the locker room to meet a well-wisher.

Blank continued to the field, where he stood along the sideline and shook every hand, patted every back and warmly greeted every acquaintance in sight. Had there been a baby or two around to be kissed, he undoubtedly would have done that, too.

It's good to be the owner of the Falcons these days.

The tribulations of last year, from the Michael Vick scandal to the team's on-field collapse to the embarrassingly abrupt departure of rookie coach Bobby Petrino, are fading memories.

"What was last year?" Blank said as he stood on the sideline that afternoon. "I don't remember. What year was that?"

A few hours later, the Falcons' rebirth continued. They beat the Panthers, 45-28, behind standout performances by hard-running tailback Michael Turner and prized rookie quarterback Matt Ryan.

Things got even better when they won in San Diego, 22-16, last Sunday to improve to 8-4. They're a game out of first place. They're in the thick of the running for an NFC playoff berth, and they are the feel-good story of the NFL season only months after the franchise seemingly was in ruins.

"I'm happy about where we are," Blank said. "I'm thrilled for Atlanta. I'm thrilled for our fans. They went through a lot last year. The NFL went through a lot last year with our situation. So I'm glad that's behind us."

Two days after the Falcons' triumph over the Panthers, their former standout quarterback was back in the news. Vick was in court last week in Sussex, Va., to plead guilty to a state dogfighting charge. He received a three-year suspended jail sentence and probation, and resolving the state charges made him eligible to serve the final portion of his 23-month federal prison term in a halfway house.

That could enable Vick, who's serving his federal prison sentence in Leavenworth, Kan., for his role in a dogfighting operation based at a property he owned in rural southeastern Virginia, to hasten his prospective return to the NFL. But it won't happen in Atlanta, even if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reinstates Vick from his indefinite suspension from the league following Vick's scheduled July 2009 release from prison.

"I think he'll get a second chance somewhere in the NFL," former Falcons coach Dan Reeves said by telephone last week. "It won't be in Atlanta. They don't need a quarterback there."

Indeed, Blank has said the Falcons have moved on and won't bring back Vick, who remains under contract to the club. The team's immediate success with Ryan starting as a rookie has underscored that.