Vick receives two firsts in season against Falcons

By Larry Hartstein and Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Michael Vick scored two firsts against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.

In the third quarter he scored his first touchdown of the season in Sunday's game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons, running 5-yards and making the score 20-0.

Later in the fourth quarter, he threw two passes that led to the Eagles scoring against the Falcons, making the score 34-0.

According to reports, throughout the game fans chanted "We want Vick!"

The former Falcon quarterback got into the game early against his former team.

He ran twice on the Eagles' opening drive against the Falcons, gaining 7 yards. Each time his appearance drew a mixed reaction from the Georgia Dome crowd.

Vick first trotted onto the field at 11:24 a.m. for warm-ups. He followed Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and heard brief cheers from fans gathered at the entrance.

Playing his first game in Atlanta since returning to the NFL following his dogfighting sentence, Vick immediately went up and hugged Falcons team photographer Jimmy Cribb.

Vick then spoke to wideout Michael Jenkins before chatting with owner Arthur Blank at midfield.

Falcons defensive end John Abraham later ran across the field to give Vick a handshake and a hug. Several other players, including defensive end Chauncey Davis, also made their way over to talk to Vick.

When Vick left the field half an hour later, he drew more cheers and waved to the growing crowd, which was dotted with fans wearing his Falcons and Eagles jerseys. Some even sported a combination of the two.

But when he returned at 12:12 p.m., Vick heard some boos mixed in with cheers. Vick also got a mixed reaction when he walked to midfield as one of three Eagles game captains.

Outside, on a sidewalk across from the Vine City MARTA station, five animal rights demonstrators carried signs such as, "Vick: We have not forgotten" and "Punish the deed, not the breed."

"Mike Vick is the face of dogfighting in the NFL," said Candace Hunziker, of the group In Defense of Animals. "We want to see the day when Mike Vick stands for anti- dogfighting. We do forgive what he did. We just won't forget."

The demonstrators were far outnumbered by Vick fans like Jamal and Marcheria Jessie.

"We're dog lovers and we have dogs, but that man has done his time," said Marcheria Jessie, who wore Vick's No. 7 Falcons jersey.

"At some point you've just got to let it go," added Jamal Jessie, who wore Vick's Virginia Tech jersey. "No need to look back."

Check back with ajc.com for updates.

-- Staff writers Chris Vivlamore and Michelle Shaw contributed to this article.