Falcon Report

Falcons Make Improbable Comeback, Stun Eagles on Monday Night Football: 3 Takeaways

Late-game heroics from Kirk Cousins lifted the Atlanta Falcons to a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Daniel Flick

Quarterback Kirk Cousins led a late comeback, leading the Atlanta Falcons over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins led a late comeback, leading the Atlanta Falcons over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Falcons (1-1) marched an improbable late-game comeback, taking a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) on Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

After entering the fourth quarter with a 15-10 lead, the Falcons trailed 21-15 inside of two minutes to play -- but Atlanta marched down the field and its defense put the nail in the proverbial coffin to seal a significant Week 2 victory.

Here are three takeaways from Atlanta's Week 2 victory ...

Kirk Cousins Heroics Lead Falcons to Victory

Given the ball with 1:39 left, no timeouts and 70 yards between he and the endzone, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins delivered on his four-year, $180 million contract.

Atlanta gained 57 yards on its first three plays -- and on 3rd and 5 deep in Eagles territory, Cousins hit receiver Drake London for a seven-yard touchdown. Kicker Younghoe Koo nailed a 48-yard extra point, and the Falcons took a 22-21 lead.

The drive took only 65 seconds.

Cousins finished 20-of-29 for 241 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He said postgame he wasn't sharp enough -- but he was ultimately good enough to win.

Defense Makes Late Stand

Atlanta's defense had allowed just two scoring drives through three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles had a 17-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that took over nine minutes off the clock, and converted two third downs on their final possession to kill substantial time.

But on a 3rd and short inside of two minutes, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that likely would've led to a conversion and, ultimately, a victory. The Falcons made the stand, got the ball back to Cousins and let him leave his mark.

Then, Atlanta's defense left its own mark.

All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III, who made an impressive play earlier in the game to force an incomplete pass and keep Philadelphia from scoring a touchdown, intercepted Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to seal the win.

Hurts was an efficient 22-of-27 for 170 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He added 13 rushes for 85 yards and a score on the ground.

But at the end, the Falcons' defense made the biggest plays in the biggest moments.

Falcons Ground Game Dominates

Atlanta finished the night with 26 carries for 154 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt. Bijan Robinson toted the ball 14 times for 97 yards, while Tyler Allgeier added nine attempts for 53 yards.

Just one week after totaling 89 rushing yards on 22 attempts, the Falcons had 18 carries for 109 yards ... at halftime.

The Falcons' ground game was a part of an overall much improved offensive effort. Atlanta scored on four straight possessions in the middle of the game, and while two of those included redzone shortcomings, the unit looked crisper and more efficient than the week prior.

And the result was a much-needed Week 2 victory before returning to Atlanta for a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Daniel Flick
DANIEL FLICK

Daniel Flick is an accredited NFL writer for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Daniel has provided boots-on-ground coverage at the NFL Combine and from the Atlanta Falcons' headquarters, among other destinations, and contributed to the annual Lindy's Sports Magazine ahead of the 2023 offseason. Daniel is a co-host on the 404TheFalcon podcast and previously wrote for the Around the Block Network and Georgia Sports Hospitality Media.