Michael Vick of postseasons past

MICHAEL VICK has lost two playoff games as a starter - both in Philadelphia. Uh oh.

Actually, those two losses came in Vick's previous life, before a stint in prison opened his eyes to the talent he was this close to throwing away.

It is somewhat ironic, that he will be making the first postseason start of his reincarnation against the same team he faced in 2003; or, as he likely would attest, a lifetime ago.

Game No. 1: Jan. 4, 2003 - Wild-card round, at Green Bay

Atlanta 27, Green Bay 7

Details: Vick and the sixth-seeded Falcons became the first team to win a playoff game in Green Bay by stunning a record crowd at Lambeau Field. Vick passed for a modest 117 yards and a touchdown and ran for 64 yards on 10 carries. Packers quarterback Brett Favre had been 35-0 in games when the mercury was below 34 degrees.

Quotable: "Michael Vick is a great player, and he made some great plays," Packers coach Mike Sherman said. "It wasn't just Vick. They moved the ball. But he's a tremendous athlete and played a great football game."

Game No. 2: Jan. 11, 2003 - Divisional round, at Veterans Stadium

Eagles 20, Atlanta 6

Details: Vick threw a first-quarter interception that Bobby Taylor returned 39 yards for a touchdown and sent the frigid faithful into a frenzy. Vick threw 38 passes, a career postseason high, and was harassed by Jim Johnson's defense all night long. It was the last win at the Vet for the Eagles, who lost to Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game the following week.

Quotable: "They're going to win a championship with him back there," Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas said of Vick. "No doubt."

Game No. 3: Jan. 15, 2005 - Divisional round, at Atlanta

Atlanta 47, St. Louis 17

Details: The only postseason home start Vick made was this rout of the fifth-seeded Rams. Vick passed for just 82 yards, but ran for 119, including a career playoff-best 47-yard scamper on the third play of the game. Atlanta racked up 327 rushing yards, led by Warrick Dunn's 142 and two TDs.

Quotable: "You can't stop what you can't catch," wrote Terence Moore, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "and Michael Vick spent another game zipping through defenders often enough to make them sick."

Game No. 4: Jan. 23, 2005 - NFC Championship, at Lincoln Financial Field

Eagles 27, Atlanta 10

Details: A substantial snowstorm the day before the game and frigid temperatures at kickoff were the least of the problems for Vick and the Falcons. The relentless Philadelphia defense, with Derrick Burgess registering two of the Eagles' four sacks, made a bad day worse for the Falcons. After rollicking over St. Louis the week before, Atlanta had a modest 202 total yards against the Eagles.

Quotable: "It's going to take time," Vick said of his first year in rookie coach Jim Mora's West Coast offense. "But next year, I promise, it's going to be a better year and I'm excited about it." The Falcons never got back to the postseason under Vick. They went 8-8 the following season and 7-9 in 2006.

Game No. 5: Jan. 9, 2010 - Wild-card round, at Dallas

Dallas 34, Eagles 14

Details: In his first season with the Eagles and since his release from prison, Vick was used mostly during clumsy attempts in the gadget Wildcat formation. In the second quarter of this game, though, Vick rolled out left and hit Jeremy Maclin with a 76-yard completion that set the record for the longest touchdown in Eagles postseason history. The bomb tied the score 7-7, but the Cowboys scored the next 27 points to win easily.

Quotable: "It goes to show, with that completion, that the hard work after practice - working on my accuracy - has really paid off," Vick said afterward. "I was just calm. Relaxed. And confident. That's the way I've always played the game." *