McNabb vs. Vick in playoff showdown

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The No. 1 weapon of the Philadelphia Eagles returns Saturday night in hopes of ending the season of the Atlanta Falcons and the electrifying Michael Vick.

Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, who has missed the last six games with a fractured right ankle, will be back in action for the Eagles' confrontation with the Falcons in the divisional playoff round.

"I'll be ready. It's going to be exciting and I'm going to have a lot of fun with it," McNabb said.

"The big talk this week is probably going to be our No. 5 against their No. 7," said Eagles Pro Bowl cornerback Troy Vincent, referring to the McNabb-Vick matchup. "These guys are mirror images of each other in what they bring to the table.

"People like to say these guys are great athletes, but they are also great quarterbacks. We're a better team with Donovan McNabb on the football field. He's our superstar just like Michael Vick is the Atlanta Falcons' superstar."

McNabb, the NFL's highest-paid player, suffered the injury in a Nov. 17 game against Arizona. But the Eagles surprisingly did not miss their best offensive player, going 5-1 in his absence to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Koy Detmer won his only start before dislocating his elbow and third-stringer A.J. Feeley went 4-1.

McNabb resumed practicing with the first-team offense last week and will be under center Saturday. Like Vick, McNabb is a major threat with his feet, but it remains to be seen if he will be reduced to a pocket passer due to his injury.

Falcons outspoken cornerback Ray Buchanan made it known that he's ready for McNabb.

"We'd probably rather see McNabb, because he's not as mobile right now," Buchanan said. "I think if we go against McNabb, we have a better chance."

"Ray has his own opinions," Falcons Coach Dan Reeves said. "I don't agree with them. I think our football team understands what is at stake. That's Ray's opinion. That isn't our football team's opinion."

McNabb responded to Buchanan's remarks.

"According to everyone else, I'm not mobile," McNabb said. "I'll just let people continue to think that and when the time comes, I'll make sure I showcase that a little bit."

At the time of his injury, McNabb was accounting for 65 percent of his club's offense, throwing for 2,289 yards and 17 touchdowns with six interceptions while adding 460 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

While the Falcons will have to account for McNabb, the Eagles will have to worry about the NFL's fastest signal-caller in Vick, who already has made an impact in his first postseason.

In the wild card round, Vick -- the NFL's youngest quarterback at 22 -- made history by leading the Falcons to a surprising 27-7 rout at Green Bay. Led by Vick, the Falcons became the first team in history to hand the Packers a home playoff loss.

Vick provided headaches for the Packers, playing a mistake-free game and completing 13 of 25 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. He also provided problems with his feet, rushing for 64 yards on 10 attempts.

Vick's second playoff endeavor also should provide quite a challenge since he is going up against the NFL's second-ranked defense that is known for its blitzing style.

Vick is looking forward to the challenge.

"I love to be put in these type of situations," he said. "This is where big-time players have to step up."

The Eagles also know they are up for a challenge in trying to contain Vick.

"Michael's one of the ultimate weapons in the National Football League," Vincent said. "You take guys like Michael, Donovan McNabb, Marshall Faulk, Marvin Harrison -- these are the elite, elite players in the league. How do you stop them. A Michael Vick, you don't. You contain him."

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson also knows that the key is to limit Vick's big plays.

"He's like any other great running back or great player. He's going to get a few yards scrambling but you want to keep that to a minimum," Johnson said.

In addition to trying to contain McNabb, the Eagles will have deal with the Falcons' running game that features versatile Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett. Dunn rushed for 64 yards against the Packers and Duckett added 45 on 17 carries.

In the offseason, Dunn was courted as a free agent by the Eagles before he opted to sign with the Falcons.

Having home-field advantage is something the Eagles were gunning for after they lost in the NFC championship game last January at St. Louis. Philadelphia has dominated in its last three postseason games at hostile Veterans Stadium, winning by an average of 20.3 points.

The winner of this game faces either San Francisco or Tampa Bay in next week's NFC Championship game.

The all-time series is tied, 10-10-1. Atlanta won the only playoff meeting between the teams, a 14-13 victory in 1978.