By Larry Fine
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Eagles quarterback Michael Vick did not play in the reunion game against his former team, but replacement Kevin Kolb warmed home-crowd hearts by leading Philadelphia to a 31-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
With Vick listed as the team's third quarterback as he recovers from a rib injury, Kolb threw three touchdown passes in a dominant display that lifted the Eagles to a 4-2 record to retain a share of the NFC East lead.
The defeat dropped the Falcons to 4-2, knocking them off their perch as sole leaders of the NFC South and into a tie with the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, who belted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-6.
Kolb, who began the season as Eagles starter, was sidelined by a concussion in the opener and replaced as the regular by a hot Vick. He might have rekindled debate about the starting quarterback job as he completed 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards.
"That was a good win against a good football team," Eagles coach Andy Reid told reporters. "Kevin had a big day and our defense had some big plays."
Reid kept deflecting questions about whether he was going to reconsider the starting quarterback job again.
GO-TO GUY
DeSean Jackson was Kolb's go-to guy in the first quarter as the receiver scored on a 42-yard end-around run then hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0.
Less than a minute into the second quarter, Jackson was victimized by a frightening, helmet-first hit by cornerback Dunta Robinson that put both players out of the game.
As Jackson caught a short pass from Kolb, he was speared below his neck at high-speed by Robinson in a brutal collision that left both players prone across the Atlanta 30 yard line for several minutes.
Later it was announced that Jackson suffered a concussion.
With Jackson gone, Kolb began going to Jeremy Maclin, who made a diving, eight-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter that made it 21-0 and then streaked down the left sideline to catch a third-quarter bomb from Kolb for an 83-yard touchdown.
"We gave up way too many explosive plays," said Falcons coach Mike Smith, who called Kolb's long connection to Maclin a "big backbreaker."
The Eagles outgained Atlanta 474 yards to 293 and limited the hard-running Falcons to 65 yards rushing.
When pressed about Kolb's status, Reid affirmed his in-season declaration that Vick had earned the starting quarterback job.
"I told you that he was before. He's the starting quarterback," said Reid. "It's a crazy thing isn't it? All kinds of surprises. That's what's so great about it. Enjoy it."
(Reporting by Larry Fine, Editing by Frank Pingue)
