FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Vick remembers the play, but he's still not sure how he did it.

Taking off for the end zone in a last-ditch attempt to force overtime, the Atlanta quarterback somehow kept his left knee hovering about an inch above the turf as he dived for the tying touchdown.

The Falcons went on to an overtime victory. Just par for the course when Vick goes against the Carolina Panthers.

"It all happened so fast, I didn't know what happened," Vick recalled Wednesday. "It's not like I was saying to myself that I had to keep my knee from going down. It just happened that way."

No. 7 always seems to pull off something special against the Panthers, which bodes well for the Falcons (7-4) in Sunday's crucial NFC South matchup at first-place Carolina (8-3). The Falcons are tied for second with Tampa Bay, all three teams trying to position themselves for a playoff run.

Vick has yet to lose to Carolina in five career starts, the victories ranging from two routs in 2003 by a combined score of 71-0 to overtime thrillers in two of the last three meetings. He has thrown for 931 yards in those games, with four touchdowns, but his best work against the Panthers is done with his legs — 355 yards rushing (the most he's put up against any team) for an 8.9-yard average and three TDs.

"Certain guys play well against certain teams," Falcons running back Warrick Dunn said. "Thank goodness for us."

Vick really stood out in those two overtime wins.

In 2003, making his first start late in the season after missing 31/2 months with a broken leg, he rushed for 141 yards — the third-best showing by a quarterback in NFL history. In all, he had a hand in 320 of his team's 380 yards, the most spectacular of them coming on a run in which he appeared hemmed in near the sideline, only to cut back across the field to turn a possible loss into a 43-yard gain.

Last season, when the Panthers fought back to contend for a wild-card berth after starting 1-7, Vick dealt their hopes a crippling blow with another amazing play in a career filled with them. It came with less than two minutes to go, Atlanta down by a touchdown and facing fourth-and-goal at the Carolina 12.

Vick dropped back to pass but spotted an opening up the middle. At about the 2, he dove for the end zone but appeared to bounce off the turf before landing beyond the goal line. The officials signaled touchdown, but the replay booth signaled for the referee to take another look. No one, not even Vick, could defy the laws of gravity, right?

Well, while the replay showed that Vick's left knee was headed for the turf, it also revealed that he somehow stretched out his leg just long enough for him to complete his lunge for the tying touchdown. Jay Feely kicked a field goal in OT to give the Falcons a 34-31 victory on their way to the NFC championship game.

At least one Carolina player wonders what all the fuss is about, though he's clearly in the minority.

"People do that all of the time in football," defensive tackle Brentson Buckner said. "The man dove 2 yards into the end zone and if you all want to call it hovering or flying, then so be it."

Vick doesn't gloat about his success against the Panthers. If anything, he tries to downplay it.

"It wasn't just me," he said. "I've some good games, but as a team we've had some great games against Carolina. We've put it together both offensively and defensively to win games."

If it's close at the end, don't bet against Vick. Certainly, his teammates will be looking at him to make the big play, though he warned against relying too much on one player — no matter how special that player happens to be.

"I hope they expect everyone to come do their job, not just me," Vick said. "Don't just expect me to come out and carry the load. We're all going to do this together."

But the Panthers will clearly have their eyes on one guy in particular.

"He's game-changer," defensive end Mike Rucker said. "If that offense is sputtering a little bit, he's got the spark that can change it. We've seen that firsthand."

Vick has actually been on quite a roll as a passer the past month, completing nearly 62 percent for an average of 222 yards per game, with seven touchdowns and only one interception. He's still dangerous as a runner, of course, which was evident by his 9.5-yard average on six carries in a Thanksgiving Day victory at Detroit.

Just as important, Vick made it through the game without getting sacked, only the second time that's happened all season.

"I have always said that Mike hates to concede a down. That is one of the things that makes him such a great competitor. He never wants to say the down is over," Falcons coach Jim Mora said. "But I think he has learned that sometimes the down is over and he is going to get rid of it rather than take a negative play."

There haven't been too many negative plays against the Panthers.