How far forward has the city moved?

Stewart notes that his station's pregame tailgate used to draw 200 to 300 people before Falcons home games. The tailgate cleared out 30 minutes before kickoff because no one wanted to miss Vick. Now, the numbers are down to 30 to 50, and that group lingers through the first half.

"But it's nothing against Matt Ryan," Stewart said. "This kid is loved. My brother predicted they'd win four games. I said six. If Roddy White could have held on to that (late-game pass in a loss to Denver last week) they could have gotten to seven. Ryan's a special kind of player. A smart player. A huge segment of Atlanta fans still think about Michael, but people are forgiving of whatever grudge they held because of how well Matt's played. Football fans who were hurt when Mike Vick went away and said they were done with the Falcons, they're slowly coming back."

As for the Vick fans, are they now wearing Matt Ryan jerseys?

"No, they're still wearing the Vick jerseys, dog," Stewart said with a laugh. "Matty Ryan, I knew he'd be good, but Vick brought the fan out that couldn't afford tickets but still had to go. A lot of people came to see No. 7."

On a Wednesday afternoon at the corner of Decatur and Peachtree in downtown Atlanta, two young black men prove Stewart right.

"Everybody actually likes Matt Ryan, and he actually has the team looking better. I'm for Matt Ryan," says Oronde Tucker, 30.

"I'm for him, but I still love Michael Vick," adds 31-year-old Bernard Donaldson. "It was definitely difficult seeing what happened with Vick, but I'm a Falcons fan as a whole. I wish the best for Michael Vick and hope he finds success but, for the Falcons, we're OK. We're rebuilding, and I like the direction it's going in.

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"We can move past Michael Vick," Donaldson continues. "I feel the main reason we can is we are Falcons fans. There are some people who were Vick fans who were mad, who are still mad that Vick's gone. People in my family are mad about it still. But that means to me you weren't really a Falcons fan."

Will the Atlanta Falcons ever reclaim the fans who lapsed after Vick's departure?

"I hope so," McKay said. "I have to believe we are starting to. It might not happen in one year but hopefully soon. We understand it takes awhile for people to turn the page. When a star player you identified with isn't on the team, it takes awhile."

Also on NBCSports.com Rosenthal: Steelers’ struggles could sink their playoff hopes Circling the Bases: Halladay to Cubs? That’s unlikely College Football Talk: Weis to resign? That’s ‘not happening’ Opinion: So far, Nowitzki is NBA’s MVP  |  Fan Ranker Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

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