The Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons are both looking to bounce back after Week 1.
Despite escaping with a 34-29 victory, the Eagles have plenty to clean up moving forward. Conversely, the Falcons are looking to get their first win of the regular season.
After flying 10 hours to play in Brazil, the Eagles are going all out for the team’s home opener in Week 2. Nick Foles will serve as the team’s honorary captain following his recent retirement announcement, so Lincoln Financial Field will surely be a rowdy environment for the Falcons to play in on Monday night.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles Game Preview
The Eagles hold a six-game lead over the Falcons in all-time head-to-head matchups, with a 21-15-1 record. Philadelphia has dominated recent meetings, winning four of the last five.
In 2021, the Eagles thumped the Falcons on the road in Nick Sirianni’s head coaching debut, as Jalen Hurts threw for three touchdowns in a 32-6 rout and started Sirianni’s tenure off with a bang.
Now, nearly three years to the day of their last battle, the Eagles and Falcons will meet again. While Atlanta is trying to recover from an embarrassing home loss in Week 1, Philadelphia is looking to capitalize on home-field advantage on Monday night.
Here is my game prediction, five crucial stats, three players to watch, and more.
5 Crucial Stats for Falcons vs. Eagles
Stat: According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Falcons lined up in either pistol or shotgun formation on 96% of their snaps in Week 1. On 22 snaps from the shotgun, they had zero designed runs. On 26 snaps in pistol, they had 21 designed runs (81%).
Analysis: It’s clear that Kirk Cousins isn’t fully healthy. In Week 1, Atlanta heavily tipped its hand that Cousins wasn’t mobile enough to handle certain plays and formations. It’ll be interesting to see if things change in Week 2.
Stat: The Eagles blitzed the Green Bay Packers 27% of the time, up from the 21.6% blitz rate they posted last season, which ranked 20th in the NFL. Cousins was only blitzed on three dropbacks in Week 1, completing two of three passes for 15 yards, according to TruMedia.
Analysis: The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to pressure Cousins without using the blitz in Week 1. Given Cousins’ lack of mobility, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio could send extra pressure and force him to throw on the move.
Stat: The Falcons ranked fifth in play-action rate in 2023; they didn’t run a single play-action snap in Week 1 against the Steelers.
Analysis: Given the presence of Bijan Robinson in Atlanta’s backfield, the Falcons should be able to use play-action passing plays at will. Yet they couldn’t do so in Week 1, largely due to Cousins’ lack of mobility. If the Falcons are able to establish the running game early, Atlanta will need to use play action to keep the Eagles honest on Monday night.
Stat: Cousins’ longest completion in Week 1 was just 20 yards, third-lowest among all starting quarterbacks. Only Jacoby Brissett and Caleb Williams had a longer completion for less yardage than Cousins.
Analysis: Not only was Cousins moving slowly in Week 1, but he also struggled to push the ball downfield as well. If he continues to look like a statue in the pocket, Philadelphia’s pass rush could have a huge performance on Monday night.
Stat: The Falcons were the No. 3 third-down defense a season ago (33.8%). They allowed the Steelers to convert 47.1% last week.
Analysis: In Week 1, the Steelers turned to Justin Fields at QB in the absence of Russell Wilson. Pittsburgh was still able to move the ball down the field, despite a change at QB and a rather unimpressive passing attack. The Falcons will need to get off the field against a significantly more talented offense in Philadelphia.
3 Players To Watch During Falcons vs. Eagles
Jahan Dotson, WR, Eagles
If A.J. Brown misses Week 2 due to a hamstring injury, the Eagles will need recently acquired WR Jahan Dotson to step up on Monday night. Yet in two career matchups against the Falcons, Dotson has zero receptions on two targets, according to TruMedia.
When the Eagles traded a future third-round pick for Dotson, some were confused. Given the presence of DeVonta Smith and Brown, did the Eagles need to overpay for a third WR?
Fast forward to Week 2, and it seems like Howie Roseman’s latest trade could pay off almost immediately. Following an underwhelming debut for the Eagles in Week 1, Dotson could suddenly be in position for a huge bounceback performance on Monday night.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Falcons
Given all of the stats listed above, it’s clear that Cousins is not fully healthy heading into Week 2. While many were concerned about Philadelphia’s pass rush performance against Green Bay, it could feast on the Falcons on Monday night.
Although Cousins claimed he feels fully healthy and is moving well, the tape speaks for itself. He was clearly limited, and it impacted the plays that Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was able to utilize in Week 1.
Atlanta’s roster is loaded with talented playmakers that Cousins could, in theory, get the ball quickly to quickly and force Philadelphia’s defenders to make tackles in space. If Cousins is able to do that efficiently in Week 2, the Falcons could make things interesting.
Josh Sweat, EDGE, Eagles
This offseason, it seemed like Josh Sweat’s days in Philadelphia were coming to an end. However, he agreed to a restructured contract and changed his jersey number from No. 94 to No. 19 ahead of training camp.
In Week 1, Sweat was Philadelphia’s most impactful edge rusher. While he didn’t record a sack, Sweat had four total pressures, matching Zack Baun for the team lead. Now he’ll look to record his first sack of the season against Atlanta’s shaky offensive line.
The Falcons allowed T.J. Watt and Pittsburgh’s defensive front to wreak havoc in Week 1. If Atlanta’s offensive line continues to struggle and the Falcons utilize the same pre-snap looks consistently, Sweat could have a huge performance on Monday night.
Falcons vs. Eagles Prediction
After a sloppy win against the Packers in Week 1, the Eagles will be looking to make a statement on Monday night against the Falcons. Meanwhile, the Falcons want to bounce back and prove that Cousins is fully healthy.
Cousins will need to prove two things in this game:
- He is healthy.
- He can win on Monday night.
Cousins is just 3-10 in 13 career games on Monday Night Football.
Philadelphia’s home crowd will be raucous as the team honors Foles pre-game. Look for the Falcons to try to establish the running game with Robinson early to take the life out of the Lincoln Financial Field.
Although the Eagles could be without Brown at WR, the team still has more than enough talent to win in Week 2. If Hurts is able to avoid turnovers, the Eagles should be able to defeat the Falcons rather convincingly on Monday night.
Final Score Prediction: Eagles 33, Falcons 20