The Atlanta Falcons jumped all over the Philadelphia Eagles in Monday night's showdown and proceeded to hold on for dear life for the rest of the game on the way to a dramatic 26-24 victory.
The Eagles controlled the majority of the second half, but they missed a critical late field goal and then turned it over on their final possession when Ricardo Allen intercepted Sam Bradford's pass. The missed opportunities ultimately proved to be the difference, but Julio Jones provided enough firepower on the other side for the Atlanta offense, as Bleacher Report noted:
The two teams combined for 794 total yards of offense (626 of which came through the air) in a game that felt like the quarterback with the ball at the end would win. Naturally, it was a defensive player who made the last critical play and propelled the Falcons to a 1-0 start.
The Philadelphia offense was the one with all the intrigue and hype coming into the game. DeMarco Murray led the league in rushing yards last year, Bradford was debuting in head coach Chip Kelly's uptempo attack and Jordan Matthews finally had the chance to emerge as a dominant playmaker.
Someone forgot to give the Falcons the memo.
Atlanta steamrolled its way to a 20-3 lead by halftime, and Jones reminded fans why he is widely considered one of the best receivers in the NFL with two early touchdown catches. The NFL shared one of his scores, while former NFL coach and current NFL Network analyst Brian Billick praised the former Alabama star:
Were it not for an incredible one-handed interception in the end zone by newly acquired linebacker Kiko Alonso, the score would have been worse for the Eagles. Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com summarized the proceedings:
Just when it appeared the Falcons would run away with their home opener, the Eagles defense struck back in the first drive of the third quarter. Walter Thurmond III picked off Matt Ryan's pass to set the Eagles offense up inside the red zone and dramatically swing the momentum. Michael Schottey of FanDuel was quick to place the blame on the quarterback:
The Eagles quickly parlayed the turnover into a touchdown when Murray ran it in from eight yards out to cut the lead to 20-10. From there, Philadelphia stopped Atlanta again and proceeded to march 95 yards down the field for another touchdown.
Murray capped off the drive with a five-yard touchdown catch.
Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk pointed out the drive was more impressive than the box score indicated, while ESPN Stats & Info noted the comeback was business as usual for the Eagles:
It was easy to look at Murray's two scores as difference-makers, but it was the overall tempo Philadelphia played with that cut the deficit to 20-17. Sports Illustrated and Bill Barnwell of Grantland pointed to Atlanta's fatigue as the main storyline of the third quarter:
The Falcons stopped the bleeding in the first possession of the fourth quarter with a 44-yard field goal to extend their lead to 23-17, but there was a feeling of disappointment among the Atlanta faithful, as Matt Chernoff of 680 The Fan in Atlanta highlighted:
The missed opportunity was critical because Philadelphia took the ball on the ensuing possession and made the Atlanta defense look like a junior varsity group for the third possession in a row. Ryan Mathews finished an 80-yard drive with a one-yard score, and Sports Illustrated once again alluded to Atlanta's issues keeping up with Philadelphia's speed:
The Falcons responded with another field goal, but the Falcoholic of SB Nation and Chernoff pointed out why that was a concern:
While it seemed ominous when the Eagles drove deep into Atlanta territory on the subsequent possession, the Falcons defense made a monumental stop on third down and forced a decision on 4th-and-1. Kelly elected to kick the 44-yard field goal, and Cody Parkey missed it.
Barnwell did not agree with the call, and Sam Vecenie of CBS Sports thought the decision would influence Philadelphia's strategy moving forward:
Safety Malcolm Jenkins saved Philadelphia with a stop on 3rd-and-1 on the next possession, and the Eagles got one more chance with the ball, down by two points, at their own 14-yard line and less than two minutes remaining.
They didn't take advantage, and Allen picked off Bradford's pass after it hit Matthews in the hands. Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media noted it was the one play that will stick out for the playmaker despite his 102 receiving yards:
Ryan was quick to praise his teammate for the game-clinching interception in the aftermath, per Purdue Football:
Despite struggling on defense throughout the second half, the Falcons stepped up on that side of the ball in the game-defining moments. It was enough to earn their first victory of the season.
What's Next?
The Eagles will likely struggle to move past this heartbreaking loss, but a showdown with the archrival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in their home opener will help. If Philadelphia wants to win the NFC East, it must go through last year's division winner.
What's more, it will be Murray's first chance to square off against his old teammates, and he will be motivated to make an impact from the opening possession.
As for the Falcons, they hit the road to face the New York Giants. New York is reeling from its own difficult loss in the final seconds of its first game against the Cowboys.
If Atlanta can jump out to an early lead like it did Monday, it can take advantage of any lingering frustration within New York's ranks. Two potential wins against fellow NFC playoff hopefuls would be the perfect start for the Falcons after a disappointing 6-10 finish in 2014.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2566702-eagles-vs-falcons-score-and-twitter-reaction-for-monday-night-football
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