Eagles vs. Falcons Key Takeaways
The Eagles lost in embarrassing fashion on Monday Night Football, handing the Atlanta Falcons their first win of the season. As Philadelphia hosted their home opener to thousands, the team fell short, looking unprepared and lacking execution in critical moments. With the Falcons winning 22-21 late in the fourth quarter, there is plenty of blame to go around as to how the Eagles let this game slip away. Of course in the NFL losses are inevitable and can come any given week throughout the season. However, this one in particular is unacceptable for a wide margin of reasons. From poor time management, inept playcalling, and a lackluster pass rush, to an underperforming supporting cast, let’s unpack last night’s loss against the Falcons.
No Pass Rush
Although quarterback Kirk Cousins did not hurt the Eagles immensely, he was able to have more than enough time in the pocket on many plays. The defensive line which is thought to be amongst the best in the league, managed to record just one sack. Cousins was far too comfortable in the pocket, and he is known for feeling the pressure and throwing costly turnovers when in these situations. One sack on Cousins, who is largely a pocket presence with no threat of mobility, is just inexcusable. The Eagles handed over free agent defensive end Bryce Huff a lucrative three-year, $51 million contract to make an immediate impact. Through two games, he has recorded no sacks and only a single tackle. Huff must find his stability in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme quickly. Although Huff is not the only one deserving of blame for the defense last night, his absence of impact is glaring, and concerning. Defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were nowhere to be found, which is highly concerning considering the Falcons have a weaker offensive line in comparison to some they will face. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a critical stop on a fourth down run in the second half, but this cannot dismiss the brutal mistake he made earlier. A 41-yard touchdown for Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney came at the hands of Gardner-Johnson, with another week of poor open-field tackling resulting in a costly touchdown. The worst aspect of the defense last night was the game-winning fourth-quarter drive led by Cousins. In just three plays, the Falcons drove for 58 yards, setting themselves up perfectly for a game-winning touchdown. To let this happen, especially in the home opener, is absolutely brutal in hopes of gaining early season momentum.
Poor Coaching/Time Management
One of the greatest concerns of last night is how similar the offense resembled the 2023 season. In the first drive on a third and nine play call, quarterback Jalen Hurts ran a blast for little gain, falling well short of a first down. In some cases, it seems the Eagles feel way too careless in scoring early, especially on their first drives. Seriously, how competitive is a quarterback blast on third and long, with no pre-motion or running back in the backfield? If Philadelphia is going to turn this around, there must be more urgency to start faster early in games. In too many instances, the offense seems nonchalant in their early attacks, which will cost them down the line if they fail to wake up early in games. Another coaching miscue that came back to haunt the final score was the Eagles giving up a field goal in the first quarter. Instead, coaches opted to go for the fourth down conversion due to analytical belief. They fell short and left three points on the board that would’ve won them the game. In a game of inches, coaching from top to bottom needs to dial down the aggression until the offense proves they are in a rhythm to execute in critical downs. Fast forwarding to the Eagles final drive, Jalen Hurts threw an absolutely terrible pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith in double coverage. For perspective, the Eagles were about 15 yards out of field goal range and still had a timeout. There were over 20 seconds left on the play clock. Hurts should have simply thrown away and stopped the clock, or even looked to the checkdown in the flat, where running back Saquon Barkley was open with daylight ahead. To this point, there has been little to no rhythm, and it cost the Eagles a home victory last night.
The Supporting Cast
Although sidelining wide receiver A.J. Brown, the decision wasn’t expected to make the offense drastically more stagnant. DeVonta Smith had a solid game, hauling in seven receptions with 76 yards paired with a touchdown. With Smith being the number one option last night, he drew heavy attention and should have seemingly opened up for others to get involved. Last night was a seemingly golden opportunity for tight end Dallas Goedert to have a big night, but he was a non-factor for the most part. Goedert only managed to have three receptions for 38 yards on a night the Eagles needed him immensely. Switching gears, newly acquired wide receiver Jahan Dotson had a greater blank, only having a reception for six yards. There is a small margin for error when the second option for a quarterback cannot eclipse as little as 10 receiving yards. Saquon Barkley had a consecutive strong outing for the most part, but a costly drop on third down late in the fourth gave the Falcons another unnecessary opportunity to win the game. The Eagles had the victory in their hands if Barkley caught and converted the first down.
Although the sky is not falling considering how early the season is, there is absolute cause for concern. If the Eagles were to quiet any skepticism coming into the season, the whispers have never been louder. They have performed well below the roster standard through the first two weeks. Coaches have yet to put all the weapons at their disposal to succeed. Playcalling looks frighteningly reminiscent of the abysmal 2023 season. For the second consecutive week, franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts showed poor decision-making, with his late interception cementing the Falcons’ upset victory. Looking ahead to next week against the Saints, the Eagles certainly have their backs against the wall. The Saints have scored 91 points through the first two games, and there is little reason to believe the Eagles can slow their offense down due to their defensive mishaps. Time will tell how the Eagles respond to this first wave of adversity, but last night’s loss hopefully proves to be the greatest gut wrench they face this season.
