Week 2 ended with one of the best games of the weekend between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. This was a highly anticipated matchup with the Eagles missing star WR A.J. Brown while the Falcons were coming off an uninspiring loss to the Steelers last week. Both offenses maintained long drives throughout the game but settled for field goals a majority of the night. To seal the game in the 4th quarter Eagles star RB Saquon Barkley dropped a pass on 3rd down sparking life into the Falcons.
With no timeouts, the Falcons stormed down the field veteran QB Kirk Cousins went 5-6 for 70 yards and threw the game-winning touchdown to WR Drake London with 34 seconds left. The Eagles had a chance to get into field goal range and potentially win the game, but Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was intercepted by Falcons S Jessie Bates III to end the game. After a thrilling showdown, let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from Monday night’s matchup
Winners
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
Cousins was a clear winner last night after his game-winning drive in the 4th quarter. In week 1 he did not look fully healthy, and it came out pregame that he mentioned to Troy Aikman he was still not 100%. In week 2 the Falcons went back to more plays under center and utilized play action at a higher rate. This led to Cousin’s finishing 20/29 for 241 yards and 2 touchdowns on the night. Falcons fans should be encouraged by the way Kirko chain’s play is trending ahead of a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith
Before the game we found out that Eagles star receiver A.J. Brown was heading to the IR with a hamstring injury, sidelining him for at least four weeks. In his absence, DeVonta Smith stepped up with 7 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets. Smith has always been in the shadow of Brown in Philadelphia and in his first game as the WR1 Smith was dominant. Expect Smith to have one of the top target rates in the NFL while Brown is sidelined.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson
The Falcons running game was on full display yesterday as the team finished with 152 rushing yards. Bijan Robinsons led the way with 14 carries and 97 yards while also adding 25 yards receiving as well. The Falcons offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage last night surprisingly after being bullied by the Steelers front seven in week 1. If the under center inside zone scheme works like it did last night, Bijan will be in for more big weeks like he had last night.
Falcons S Jessie Bates III
Bates will make headlines for his game-sealing interception last night, but he was dominant the whole night. He allowed a 16.7 passer rating while in coverage and added 7 tackles to the box score as well. Coming into the season Bates had an argument for the best safety in the league, last night was a reminder of how dominant he can be.
Losers
Eagles Secondary
After two weeks the Eagles secondary continues to struggle despite their new additions. Their defense is currently giving up the 5th most passing yards in the league, while the defensive unit is giving up the 6th most points in the NFL after two weeks. Two notable starters CB Darius Slay and S Reed Blankenship graded out under 55 according to PFF in coverage last night. If the Eagles do not figure out how to get this defensive unit to play better football, they are going to fall short in the playoffs.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni
Sirianni instead of Saquon Barkley is making the list for their late-game collapse. Sirianni could have told Kellen Moore to run the ball to give the Falcons less time to score. Sirianni could have put their defense in a better position to succeed by using a timeout to talk about what was not working in the final 2 minutes. Ultimately his coordinator’s incompetence falls on him. Sirianni is on a lukewarm seat if the Eagles fail to live up to expectations this season.
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts
After catching a touchdown in week 1, Pitts impact in 2024 has been very minimal in the passing game. On the year now Pitts has 6 catches for 46 yards and 1 touchdown which is not the breakout many expected for him in 2024. As Kirk Cousins continues to get healthier expect the passing game for the Falcons to get better. On the bright side Pitts was great when tasked with blocking in the running game, something he has never been known for.
Eagles WR Jahan Dotson
Without A.J. Brown, many were expecting Jahan Dotson to step up as the WR2 in Kellen Moore’s offense. Instead, we saw Britain Covey receive 6 targets while Dotson only received 1 target. I’m not sold that this will be the trend going forward with Brown out, but something noteworthy for Dotson’s long term value.