Game Preview: Falcons vs. Eagles
The stage is set for a prime-time party at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night as the Eagles have their 2024 home stadium opener and the tailgating has already begun. The Atlanta Falcons are in town following their Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh as the Eagles begin the first of three straight games against the NFC South.
Philadelphia is 7-0 in the month of September since the 2022 season and a win here would be significant with road games at New Orleans and Tampa Bay to follow. Storylines? Plenty of them on a night when Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Nick Foles serves as the Honorary Captain and the fans rock the rafters welcoming the team and running back Saquon Barkley for the first time.
Some things to consider for the Monday Night Football audience …
This is a great challenge for Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore with wide receiver A.J. Brown out with a hamstring injury. The Eagles are without a premier player, a key element in their offense, and a player hurt late in the week, making for some shifting for Moore in terms of his personnel packages, his play calls, and the way he attacks Atlanta's defense. The logical thought is that Jahan Dotson will start outside with DeVonta Smith and Britain Covey will take some reps in the slot. But the Eagles have other options, including using multiple tight ends, having two running backs on the field at the same time, and even promoting a player from the practice squad (Parris Campbell?). Brown's absence likely changes the way the Falcons had planned to play in the secondary, which adds to the intrigue. The Eagles have depth in their offensive arsenal and we're going to see how the balance of power shifts with Brown sidelined.
The crowd is going to be absolutely bonkers for Barkley after his game in Brazil, and understandably so. He was great and those 26 touches felt just about right. How does Moore deploy Barkley in this game? Can he be more involved as a pass catcher? Is he going to get 20-plus carries? Do the Falcons stack the box and dare the Eagles to win with the passing game? This is such a chess match, and Barkley will be right in the middle of all the moves. The counter to that is Atlanta's approach, which is likely to have all eyes on No. 26.
All in all, the Eagles' defense did well against Green Bay, holding the Packers to two early field goals and clinching the game on the final drive. Fangio also saw some mistakes which resulted in big plays for the Packers, and that is where the defense looks to improve on Monday. Playing against Kirk Cousins, the Eagles could see a quick-passing game, a lot of involvement from running back Bijan Robinson, and Cousins doing everything he can to stay away from pressure and turnovers.
It rarely happens, but it did in Week 1 for the Eagles: They were -2 in the turnover department and still won the football game. Head Coach Nick Sirianni termed that statistic "unsustainable" and has always preached ball security. The message has not changed, because it has been a consistent daily message since the day Sirianni arrived. So, let's see how it plays out. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is in command of the offense and he rebounded from his tough start last week. The Eagles took the football away once from Green Bay and turned that into seven huge points. Atlanta had all kinds of problems offensively last week and Cousins threw a pair of interceptions. This is, as always, a huge statistic to watch.
Now there are expectations from a fan base that wasn't really aware of linebacker Zack Baun before the season started. Then he recorded 15 tackles and two quarterback sacks against Green Bay and he's on the radar. He's also got some film on him in this defense, which the Falcons have studied all week. They're going to try to create some favorable matchups of their own, so Baun has to be up to the challenge. He could see a lot of, for example, Robinson in the passing game. He could have the running game go his way. He could be matched up in coverage, or asked to blitz or any one of a number of things. This is the fun part for players and coaches and Baun plays with such tremendous intensity that he's going to be enjoyable to watch in this defense.
Can the Eagles play at the same emotional pitch they had in Week 1? It has been a long layoff and there is an adjustment to understand there as well. Atlanta is a desperate team after its opening-week loss and a desperate team is a dangerous team. Anyone who thinks this is going to be easy is mistaken. And to add, the fans are going to be rocking Lincoln Financial Field, so the Eagles must match that energy. Start fast and finish strong. That's the goal every single week in the NFL. Monday night is no different and this one shapes up to be a tough one without Brown and against an Atlanta team with plenty of offensive weapons (Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London) and some offense-wrecking veterans all three levels (defensive lineman Grady Jarrett, edge rusher Matthew Judon, safety Justin Simmons). Bring the A-level game and the A-plus level intensity. It's more important than you think.
