ATLANTA - If Michael Vick is not in the Pro Bowl in February, it had better be because he had another broken leg.

This is his fourth NFL season and, yes, we know, he missed most of the 2003 season.

That would be an alibi to postpone his crowning as the NFL’s premier quarterback, except that he whirled past NFL defenses in 2002, his second season.

No, this is it. Michael Vick grabs the stage to himself in 2004.

This is the season in which the San Diego Chargers, who traded away the rights to Vick, become the Portland Trail Blazers of the NFL. The Blazers, remember, passed on Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Vick is on the NFL runway and will launch past Peyton Manning as the NFL's top quarterback.

It’s not just because of his tools, but because of his team’s tools. Massive running back T.J. Duckett will break out. The offensive line under assistant coach Alex Gibbs is remade and better. Wide receivers Peerless Price and Michael Jenkins will make defenses scratch their heads deciding which way to lean while tight end Alge Crumpler dashes up the hash marks to catch throws over the middle.

Falcons fans, of course, can’t wait for the season to get here for two different reasons. One, they want to see Vick play. Two, they want to see Vick healthy.

Their hand-wringing is nonstop. Their nerves are circling the drain.

They peek at the morning paper with dread. Any headline in large print makes them cringe.

Just two words -- “Vick injured” -- would cause a city to sob.

Indeed, every day Michael Vick remains upright there is a collective sigh of relief. If the Falcons' quarterback gets hurt again a franchise might simply vanish from the NFL. Plywood boards would cover the entrances to the Georgia Dome.

The most-heard phrase around here these days isn’t “When’s dinner?”

It’s “If Vick stays healthy...”

Indeed, every day Michael Vick remains upright there is a collective sigh of relief. If the Falcons’ quarterback gets hurt again a franchise might simply vanish from the NFL. Plywood boards would cover the entrances to the Georgia Dome.

The city is tied to its left-handed quarterback like a watchdog. The trepidation is overwhelming. Fans search for a loophole in the NFL rule book that calls for no tackling of the quarterback before Sept. 1.

Vick, however, is ready to relaunch his career as the star quarterback of the league. Let the fandom worry. He needs to cut loose.

So far, that’s exactly what he intends.

Vick has been in a hurry on the field making plays in the preseason. He is in a hurry to meetings to master the West Coast offense that made famous another left-handed quarterback, Steve Young.

Vick is in a hurry to reach his greatness. He is no longer hype. He is real.

Vick also wants whatever responsibility is thrust on him. The heck with the shadow of injury -- it’s his team.

The fans should not be so nervous. He ran bootlegs and threw passes on the run in workouts this week, three days after he reached to calm a twinge in his hamstring.

This is good news for the Falcons because fragile is not good when you're an NFL quarterback and especially if you're an NFL quarterback who likes to run.

So we’re ready to see Vick’s greatness over 16 games, or more.

Remember two years ago when he led NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 777 yards? That was while he was still learning.

In that same season he threw for 2,936 yards. Again, while he was still learning.

Vick is hard to account for on defense because of his legs. He is hard to defend because his arm stretches coverages.

Now, if he can just get the fans to enjoy the ride with him.

That’s going to be a little difficult for the next few weeks. The 2003 season was painful for Atlanta fans because there were so many expectations. When Vick broke his leg in a preseason game the season shattered.

Falcons games became festivals for opposing teams whose fans swooped down to grab discounted tickets on the streets around the Georgia Dome. Vick was the reason the Falcons sold 61,000 season tickets for the 2003 season.

If Vick is hurt again, well, you don’t even want to think about it.

Just last week there was a rush of gloom. Vick grabbed at his right hamstring after a quick run and there was agony in the Falcons’ camp. The team tried to play it cool. The fandom panicked.

Wouldn’t you panic if your season turned on the legs of one guy?

Like it or not, it all revolves around Vick. The Falcons were 2-10 without him as a starter last year, 3-1 with him starting. Talk about a difference-maker.

So the fans are begging Vick to stay in one piece. If he gets hurt, the Falcons are a desperate team with backup Ty Detmer and rookie Matt Schaub. They remember how the team sunk like a rock with Doug Johnson last season.

The other reason Vick needs to stay healthy is to let us see him fulfill his promise. He is entering his fourth NFL season and, after all the glimpses of greatness, there will be no excuses if he is not in the running for MVP of the league.

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