Two seasons into Michael Vick's professional tenure, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Foge Fazio hasn't yet been confronted with having to design a game plan for the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, but he has a pretty good idea where to start when the time comes.

It's not entirely a one-man show

For years, Dan Reeves was viewed by some in the NFL as the consummate control freak, a reputation promulgated justifiably or not by John Elway's perceptions of his former head coach with the Denver Broncos. That's why it is so ironic that in 2002, when he figures to capture coach of the year honors for a sixth time, Reeves is being hailed for the freedom of expression he has provided Michael Vick in his first season as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback. Clearly, the truth about Reeves' coaching style is represented by neither of those polar opposites. What is undeniable is that he and his staff have done a superb job in hastening Vick's development. "I get input and advice from a lot of people here, and I definitely (welcome) that," said Vick earlier this season. "It really is a team effort." The most notable Reeves alteration for this season was changing offensive terminology, not so much as a concession to Vick's inexperience, but more to keep step with what other teams have done. The Reeves offense, in which nothing ever seemed to be deleted, was easily the most verbose in the NFL. To call a simple, off-tackle run required 17 or 18 words. The new lexicon is streamlined, allows for better communication, permits new players to come into the system and more quickly assimilate it. Another key to Vick's development was the hours he spent in the offseason reviewing videotape with quarterbacks coach Jack Burns and scrutinizing every facet of the game. Burns is a solid tutor, but also a pragmatist who realized early on the enormous potential of his star pupil. He also knows the learning curve in the NFL is only advanced by hard work, no matter how wondrous a player's physical skills. There are some offensive packages the Falcons included in their 2001 playbook that were specifically added for Vick, and those have been enhanced in some ways this year. But for the most part, Atlanta coaches acknowledge, the magic of Vick comes from him wielding the wand. It's not as if the staff has taken a laissez-faire approach with a player of great instinct and awareness. There are times, however, that the feats performed by Vick are pure athleticism, which can't be taught. --Len Pasquarelli

"I'm going to search," promised Fazio, "for some Kryptonite."

Not a bad idea, because the No. 7 on Vick's uniform jersey must seem to morph into an "S" as he speeds past would-be tacklers in a sudden blur or fires on-target lasers downfield on third-and-long situations. Particularly during an ongoing streak in which the Falcons have not lost in eight games, Vick's superhero-like feats have made him the favorite to capture the league's most valuable player award.

A one-man highlight reel and now a staple of SportsCenter every Sunday night, Vick has demonstrated in recent weeks he is faster than a speeding linebacker, more powerful than most conventional coverage schemes and able to leap pass-rushing ends with a single bound.

And so the logical question: Just how does an NFL defensive coordinator attempt to clip Superman's cape?

It is, for sure, a daunting task, and one that figures to challenge coordinators for the next dozen or so seasons. There have been some quarterbacks similar to Vick in the past, but none with his whirling dervish devilishness or scope of playmaking tools. At various junctures of NFL history, there have been players who dramatically altered the game, and Vick is the latest.

The good news for defenses is that, given Vick's unique collection of skills, he will not single-handedly enact an evolution at the quarterback position. There is, after all, only one Vick and not even a reasonable facsimile exists on the horizon. The bad news for coordinators is that, sooner or later, they will be faced with the specter of Vick on their schedule.

And then the hand-wringing begins, as game-plan sessions go late into the night, and coaches plumb the depths of their experience for fresher ideas.

"You've got to throw some (new) wrinkles at him, some 'junk' coverages that you hope will confuse him a little bit, but you can't overdo your whole game plan with that (horsefeathers) stuff," said a defensive coordinator who has faced Vick already this season. "Do that, and you just weaken yourself, really. I know it sounds simple but, to me, the keys are to mix things up and to stay very disciplined."

In last Sunday's overtime loss, Minnesota Vikings coordinator Willie Shaw used some fronts featuring five down linemen, but that took a linebacker out of the game and reduced overall defensive quickness. The Pittsburgh staff opted to drop into coverage, rather than blitz Vick, and it worked for three quarters until he began making big plays late in a game that concluded in a rare overtime tie. Almost every defense employs a "spy" on Vick -- typically a linebacker or safety whose role is to mirror his movements -- but unless a club has James Bond on the payroll, the gambit is only modestly successful.

The knotty problem is that Vick is uniquely capable of making huge plays with his legs and his arm. He has converted five times this season on third-down pass plays when the Falcons needed 18 yards or more for a first down. That included three conversions against the Steelers on plays of third-and-20 or more. No other quarterback has that many conversions of third-and-20 this season.

On the ground, Vick has 24 rushes of at least 10 yards and that is the 12th-most in the league. More, for instance, than tailbacks such as Curtis Martin, Jamal Lewis, Shaun Alexander and Corey Dillon. Unlike the tailbacks, he has the benefit of running through a scattered opposition secondary when he takes off on one of his upfield sorties. He's not like a running back, who has to blow through the line of scrimmage before hitting air in the secondary.

"When he gets outside the (perimeter) containment and turns upfield, it's going to be 'lights out' for you," said Chicago defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who successfully contained Vick earlier this season and in 2001 as well. "You have to keep him surrounded. Of course, that's easier said than it is done. But, hey, you can't just run up the white flag, you know? You have to concede some things, sure, but you can't go into a game feeling sorry for yourself. There has to be a way to limit how many times he hurts you."

The consensus, from discussions with four league defensive coordinators and three position coaches, on how to best counter Vick's skills: