Eagles' Vick unsure of what to expect from Falcons faithful

There's certainly no shortage of noteworthy storylines surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles' Sunday night showdown against the Atlanta Falcons.

Both teams made some of the offseason's sexiest splashes, with the Eagles signing cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and the Falcons pulling off a draft-day trade for wide receiver Julio Jones, and both squads were on the preseason's short list of Super Bowl contenders. But one subplot overshadows them all: Michael Vick's return to the Georgia Dome.

"I'm looking forward to that, I'm excited," Vick told reporters Wednesday. "It's definitely going to seem different. The first time being in the Dome playing against the team that I played for."

Actually, Vick took a couple of snaps as a spot quarterback when the Eagles traveled to Atlanta in 2009 and even scored two touchdowns in the Eagles' win, but Sunday will mark his first start in front of the Falcons fans who idolized him when he donned red and black.

Vick said he hasn't given much thought to what kind of reception he'll receive from the Atlanta faithful.

"I don't know," Vick said. "I still have a lot of love for the fans down there, but keep in mind I'm with the opposition now."

Vick made one thing perfectly clear.

"That's not my house," said Vick, who threw for two scores in the Eagles' Week 1 win over the St. Louis Rams. "That's Matt Ryan's house. I'm just a visitor."

The Falcons have moved on from the Vick era, and Ryan is now the face of the franchise. The Falcons selected Ryan third overall in the 2008 draft, and Ryan has sparkled in his first three seasons, twice leading Atlanta to the playoffs.

Vick had some success under Atlanta coaches Dan Reeves and Jim Mora Jr. The Falcons were the first team to beat Green Bay in a playoff game at Lambeau Field, and they went all the way to the NFC Championship Game in the 2004 season (losing to the Eagles, in what would become an interesting twist).

But there was always a sense that Vick didn't quite live up to his potential, that he got by more on athletic ability than being a complete quarterback. For all the thrills he provided in Atlanta, that wasn't really No. 7 at his best.

For those who still feel a bit shortchanged, Vick asks for understanding. He hints at being given too much freedom with the Falcons, but doesn't want to sound like he's blaming anyone else for his problems.

"I was young when I was in Atlanta. The structure was just a little different," said Vick, who's now 31 years-old and a decade removed from when he first entered the league with a rocket of a left arm and unparalleled running ability for a quarterback. "I could go into detail about it, but I won't. Like I said, I'm older now. I've been through a lot. I know I've always worked as hard as I can, just like I did in Atlanta. We made progress. We had some good years there. But the situation is different now.

"There's no need to talk about the past," he concluded. "Just move forward."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.