PHILADELPHIA — Kirk Cousins exorcised his “Monday Night Football” demons and acquired the Atlanta Falcons their essential first win of the season in a single drive.
Down six and with 1:39 remaining, Cousins took the Falcons 70 yards and located extensive receiver Drake London for a 7-yard, go-ahead landing with 34 seconds left. Atlanta escaped Lincoln Financial Field with a 22-21 victory in Week 2. Cousins moved to 4-10 on Monday nights and has received 4 of his previous 5 MNF video games.
Cousins was 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Falcons operating again Bijan Robinson had 97 yards on 14 carries and 122 complete yards from scrimmage. The Eagles had gone forward with a 1-yard landing run by quarterback Jalen Hurts with 6:47 left.
Here are a very powerful issues to know from Monday night time for each groups:
For most of eight quarters, the Falcons seemed like they actually wanted to determine issues out on offense.
For the second straight week, the workforce sputtered on that aspect of the ball, which was supposed to be a serious power with the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. But Cousins had but to return to kind after shedding most of his 2023 season to a torn proper Achilles. And, regardless of a potent dashing assault, Atlanta was not ready to convert on third down or within the purple zone.
Until the closing moments of the sport. Cousins took the workforce 70 yards and related with extensive receiver Drake London for the go-ahead landing with simply 34 seconds left. It didn’t erase the uneven play of Atlanta’s offense over the primary two video games. But it was sufficient to put a notch within the win column, on the very least.
The Falcons actually wanted a victory in opposition to the Eagles. Over the subsequent few weeks, issues might get dicey, particularly with the way in which the workforce had been taking part in. Atlanta hosts the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs subsequent week in prime time. After that? The Falcons welcome the archrival New Orleans Saints after which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both groups, Atlanta’s NFC South foes, are at present undefeated.
Cousins and the Falcons want to hope that last-minute drive will now be the rule, and never the exception. It’s the NFL, and issues get late early round right here.
Promising pattern: Bijan Robinson was a focus of the workforce’s offense, which was a criticism of the Falcons’ playcalling in 2023. The second-year operating again turned the primary Falcons operating again to have 100 or extra yards from scrimmage in every of the workforce’s first two video games of a season since Michael Turner in 2011.
Eye-popping stat: Cousins has 51 move touchdowns in opposition to the blitz over the previous 5 seasons, which is tied for probably the most within the NFL throughout that interval with Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes is third with 47. That’s a glimpse at what the Falcons might have if Cousins returns to pre-injury kind.
Biggest gap within the sport plan: The Falcons’ secondary supplied ok protection, and the move rush had its moments, however Hurts was ready to improvise and create massive performs together with his toes. Atlanta had no reply for him, and it resulted in Hurts changing two massive fourth downs, three essential third downs and scoring a landing together with his legs. — Marc Raimondi
Next sport: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)
Life with out receiver A.J. Brown is usually a slog. The Eagles have been reminded of that in Monday night time’s slugfest in opposition to the Falcons as Brown sat out with a hamstring damage that’s anticipated to sideline him for a few video games.
Still, it appeared they’d finished sufficient to muscle previous the Falcons — after which the wheels got here off. Atlanta mounted a lightning-quick six-play, 70-yard drive in 1:05 to stun the capability Lincoln Financial Field crowd and drop the Eagles to 1-1.
The street will get more durable from right here. They play on the red-hot New Orleans Saints after which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier than a Week 5 bye.
Adversity has hit this workforce early. Following a 1-6 collapse down the stretch final season, all eyes will probably be on whether or not the Eagles are ready to decide up the items after a intestine punch of a loss.
Describe the sport in two phrases: Brutal loss. The win was within the Eagles’ fingers earlier than Atlanta ripped it away with a six-play, 70-yard drive within the closing moments. A final-ditch effort by the Eagles’ offense led to a Hurts interception.
Pivotal play: Nursing a three-point lead with beneath two minutes remaining, the Eagles face a third-and-3 deep in Atlanta territory. Hurts had Saquon Barkley open within the flat, however Barkley dropped it, forcing Philadelphia to accept a area purpose. Moments later, the Falcons mounted their game-winning drive.
Troubling pattern: The Eagles’ edge rushers struggled to put warmth on the quarterback for a second straight week. Much of the main focus will probably be on Bryce Huff, the previous Jet who signed a three-year, $51 million deal in free company to assist offset the eventual departure of Haason Reddick. He has zero pressures via two video games.
Eye-popping stat: Kirk Cousins was pressured on simply 2 of 14 dropbacks (14%) within the first half, the bottom price he has confronted in any half since Week 1 of 2023. — Tim McManus
Next sport: at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)
