Flowery Branch, Ga. ? Michael Vick saw Doug Johnson standing alone on the sideline as the Atlanta Falcons unraveled against Tampa Bay.

The injured quarterback knew there was nothing he could say to console Johnson, a fourth-year backup who is trying to fill a huge void.

“It’s like you get to a point where you’re dealing with a situation that only you can control,” Vick said. “Nobody else can go out there and do the job but you, so it’s all on you. You don’t want to hear everybody saying, ‘Do this, do that and don’t worry about it,’ because you’re kind of in a state of mind where you have to work yourself through that.

“It’s tough. The only thing I tried to tell him was to just keep going out there and try to make some positive plays. That’s it.”

For the Falcons (1-2) to win Sunday at Carolina (2-0), Johnson must regain his composure. He has six of Atlanta’s NFL-leading seven interceptions and managed only 95 yards passing after completing 13 of 19 attempts in Sunday’s 31-10 loss.

“I put us in a hole we really couldn’t climb out of,” Johnson said. “Interceptions kill you, you know?”

Vick, who stopped walking with crutches last week, will miss at least the next two games as he recovers from a broken right leg. Though he attends meetings and occasionally passes through the locker room, Vick wants to keep a low profile.

“Doug knows I’m behind him 100 percent,” Vick said. “He’s the leader of this team now, and he’s going to get everything back on track. I believe that with all my heart.”

Vick thinks constantly about his return to the field. The earliest possible date is Oct. 13 at St. Louis, but a home game the following week against New Orleans is more likely.

“I’m getting closer, just a couple of more games away, man,” Vick said. “We’ll just see how it goes.”

Vick set four league records for rushing by a quarterback last year, but he also endured some tough stretches in his first full season as a starter.

Through his first nine games, Vick threw only two interceptions in 205 attempts, but he played sporadically in a 30-24 victory at Minnesota. Vick lost two fumbles and threw an interception against the Vikings, but he overcame his mistakes with a 39-yard touchdown pass and two touchdown runs that covered 28 and 46 yards.