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By Don Stone - Football Atlanta
Falcons fans might have a tough time knowing exactly what to expect in this
game and, in fact, for the whole season. Wholesale changes were made by
Arthur Blank in the offseason starting with the coaching staff. Gone are
Mike Smith and his crew, replaced by former Seattle Defensive
Coordinator Dan Quinn. Several defensive players were picked up on
the free agent market. OLB Brooks Reed, OLB O'Brien Schofield
and DE Adrian Clayborn. The first two selections in the draft were
OLB Vic Beasley Jr. from Clemson (8th) and CB Jalen
Collins from LSU (42nd). Other draft picks included RB Tevin Coleman
and WR Justin Hardy.
The preseason didn't help much with several key players held out or
receiving limited playing time.
The season's early success will depend a lot on how good the NFC East is
with three of the first four games coming against that division. That all
started with Philadelphia in the opener.
The Eagles made quite a few changes of their own. In the offseason, head
coach Chip Kelly and staff traded away talented runner LeSean
McCoy with the league rushing crown. They also releases starting guards
Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans. Adequate replacements were
signed in defending league rushing champ DeMarco Murray and Ryan
Mathews from the Chargers. The Falcons finished 16thin yards allowed per
carry last year (4.2).
A new quarterback, Sam Bradford, came over in a trade with
St. Louis. Most prognostications for his season are couched with the phrase
“if he can stay healthy,” due to his familiarity with the disabled list in
his short career.
Atlanta's difficulty in establishing a ground game was still very obvious
in the preseason. Much of that and the failures of previous running backs
like Steven Jackson falls on the poor play of the offensive line.
Hard to run when the defense is in the backfield as soon as you touch the
ball. Likewise, QB Matt Ryan's lofty numbers are even more impressive
when you look at how little time he has had to get rid of the ball. Keeping
him healthy will be crucial but he has established himself as being very
durable in his career, despite the number of times he winds up on his back.
Certainly the Falcons are aiming higher than last year's 4-12 mark. Many
see them somewhere in the seven or eight win range. Even with that, in the
terrible NFC South, that might be enough to make it to the postseason.
Beyond that remains to be seen.
Philadelphia won the toss and got the ball first at their 20 but only got
four yards and had to punt. Atlanta began their first drive of the year at
their 25. Ryan wasted no time in finding Julio Jones who make it to
the 45. Roddy White, who had not played a down all preseason was open
for 25 to the Eagles 30. A toss to Coleman picked up nine but the drive
stalled there and they settled for a 41 yard field goal from the reliable
Matt Bryant to give Atlanta their first points of the season, 3-0.
The Eagles started again at their 20. A handoff to Murray resulted in a
loss of 12 yards with Philly only making it back to the original line of
scrimmage.
Atlanta got a holding call on the punt but still had good field position
at their 34. Jones brought a quick pass down for six then drew an 18 yard
pass interference call giving the Falcons a first down at the PE 42. Ryan
shook a tackle and hit White at the 17. Another first with a completion to
Devonta Freeman at the six. But, all for nothing as Ryan was picked
off in the end zone on an athletic play by ILB Kiko Alonso, who
grabbed a ball that needed more height.
The Eagles were back at their 20. Bradford hit WR Josh Huff
for a 13 yard gain. WR Miles Austin let a 40 yard pass slip through
his fingers for what looked like six points, one of a half dozen balls that
should have been caught through the night by Philly receivers.
The Eagles again had to punt with Atlanta starting at their 20. A
loud chant of defense roared through the sizeable Philly portion of the
crowd and the Falcons had their first three and out. Former Saints nemesis
Darren Sproles took a Matt Bosher 53 yard punt 15 yards back
to the best field position so far at their 47.
The Eagles picked up a first down on a short pass to Sproles at the
Falcons 43. But, again, nothing more. The defense had played well beyond
expectations so far. Or was the Eagle offense sputtering. Still to be
determined which, or both.
Atlanta had the ball at their own 12.
The end of the first quarter looked like a baseball score from the
baseball counterparts tied for the worst records in MBL. The Phillies would
be no surprise with a shutout on their hands but the Braves with three. That
would be surprising.
First quarter stats had Atlanta's time of possession 9:12 to Philly's
5:48 and leading in total yards 126-35.
Ryan found Jones open twice for 31 yards to the 46. Atlanta called their
first time out and picked up another first at the 29. Then a long one to
White at the six.
Then, it was Julio time as the WR caught it at the four and made the rest
on his own to put Atlanta up 10-0. They had dominated in the stats so far
but only had three points to show for it...until then. The drive went 88
yards, 11 plays in 5:39. Though a long way to go, fans back in Philadelphia
had to be wringing their hands and much worse at the way things had gone so
far. But, again, long way to go.
Bradford got a first down at their 32 on a pass to Riley Cooper
then hit Jordan Matthews for 25 to the Atl43. After another dropped
pass, the Eagles converted a fourth and one with an 18 yard gain to Zach
Ertz to the 16. But, the
Falcons defense held. Philadelphia finally got on the board with a 29 yard
Cody Parkey field goal to make it 10-3.
Atlanta went three and out after
Eric Weems, filling in for Devin Hester took the
kickoff out to the 23. The Bosher booming punt made it 59 yards to the 10
and a holding call on Walter Thurmond moved it back to the six.
They did nothing and a wobbly 31 yard punt gave Atlanta the ball at the
Eagles 46.
Coleman got six on the ground to the 40. They got a first down on a
Leonard Hankerson catch at the 35. An open Jones got another first at
the 24. An offensive pass interference all on White made it first and 20
from the 34 at the two minute warning.
Working the clock, Atlanta made it to the 21 where Bryant made it 13-3
with just 1:09 left.
The defense went to work again as William Moore intercepted
Bradford at the 23. Two plays later Jones was in the end zone again on a
perfect Ryan 22 yard pass. Atlanta led at the half 20-3.
First half stats still had the Falcons ahead in TOP 18:40 to 11:20 and
doubling their net yards of 125 with 244.
The coach must have had quite a pep talk to the Eagles in the locker room
because both the offense and defense came out looking like a different team.
First Fletcher Cox sacked Ryan for an eight yard loss to the Falcon
12. A second interception of Ryan game the Eagles outstanding field position
and they took advantage scoring quickly on a Murray eight yard TD run to cut
the lead in half 20-10.
The Falcons needed to get the momentum back the revitalized Philly team
was not having it. Coleman helped with a 10 yard rush for a first down at
the 34. A pass interference call on Hankerson made it second and 16 from the
28. And they had to punt and punt they did as Bosher boomed another, this
time for 62 yards with the ball dropping perfectly on its own at the 5.
Bradford moved away from the shadow of his goal line with a first down
pass to the 16. But, a holding call nullified a nice run by Murray and moved
them back to the 8 for a first and 18. Matthews broke several tackles on a
nice catch and run and got all they needed to the 27, then seven more to
Austin. A first down was brought back on an offensive pass interference call
to make it third and 11 from the 26. Again, Bradford converted third and
long with a 12 yard completion. He found Austin for 15 more to midfield.
Eight more to Matthews. Again, the Eagles shot themselves in the foot with a
holding call making it second and 12. But, again, he got it all back on a
thirteen yard pass to Sproles at the ATL37. The QB was on a roll. Sproles
broke loose all the way to the five. Murray caught a pass at the three an
left Kroy Biermann reaching for air as he scooted into the end zone.
The 95 yard drive had cut the lead back to three.
Weems took the kickoff in the end zone and should have stayed there only
getting out to the 12.
This would be a big series if Atlanta was going to get things moving
theirway. The Philly offense still had plenty of motivation still moving
easily against the Falcon D. A holding call on Hankerson brought back a
Jones first down making it second and 15 from the 7. On a surprise call,
Coleman took the handoff and got 20 for a needed first down at the 27. He
got nine more on the next carry then another first on his next run to the 38
as the third quarter gladly came to an end.
Not a good one for the home team as the Eagles had turned things around,
still trailing in TOP but getting 128 yards of offense to Atlanta's 54 and
outscoring them 14-0.
Ryan got another first on a short pass to White at the 42. Hankerson got
13 to the 30. Ryan added six more on a run to the sidelines. A nice run to
the five was negated by a holding call. Second and fourteen from the 34.
Basically, a 30 yard penalty. Bryant connected for his third field goal from
44 yards to make it 23-17.
Philadelphia started their next drive at the 15. A now hot Bradford hit
four straight passes covering 84 yards to the one. They took the lead for
the first time on a Matthews run to make it 24-23, outscoring Atlanta 21-3
since the half.
Did the Falcons have it in them to overcome this adversity? Julio did on
a first play over the shoulder catch all the way to the PE 36. The drive
only got seven more and for the fourth time Bryant was called in for a 47
yarder to put Atlanta back ahead by two, 26-24. But the Falcons were getting
field goals while the Eagles were scoring touchdowns. Not a good formula.
Starting at their 20, Bradford got a quick first down on a pair of passes
to the 31. Sproles got them another rushing through the middle to midfield.
Another through the air to the 35 on a Moore missed tackle. A 25 yard
completion was called back on a holding call to bring up a first and 20 at
the AF 42.
The offense was clicking on all cylinders getting 19 back on the next two
plays. Then, the shooting of the foot resurfaced as they missed on a 41 yard
field goal. Many Eagles fans after the game were regretting the decision to
kick instead of go for it on fourth and short but a successfull field goal
would have given them the lead with 2:27 left. It was the right call. Just
didn't work.
The Falcons would need a few first downs with the Eagles having all three
timeouts and the two minute warning to get the ball back.
Atlanta took over at their 34. After a five yard run, the first time out was
called at 2:23. A gain of four got the second time out at 2:18. Atlanta lost
four and had to punt at the two minute warning.
All they had to do was convert one first down and they would probably win
it. Now, after the punt, Philadelphia would have the ball having moved it
almost at will since the half.
But Bosher came through again with a 57 yard punt pinning the Eagles
deep. Sproles took it out to the 14 with the game on the line and 1:49
remaining needing only a field goal.
But the Atlanta defense stiffened and stopped them on the net two plays
bringing up a third and 8 with 1:17 left. Bradford hit Matthews but saw the
ball bounce off his hands. DE Ricardo Allen, playing in his first NFL
game made an acrobatic catch to haul the deflected pass in and seal the game
for the Falcons, 26-24.
“We go over it every day,” he said. “We preach finish. We’re ready for
everything they can throw at us in two-minute (drills) … It tipped up. It
just landed in my lap.”
Three stars of the game. The Atlanta defense, who surprised a lot of
people. With the exception of the third quarter and part of the fourth, they
kept Bradford mostly in check. Julio Jones, who finished with 141
yards and two touchdowns, kept the Eagles' star cornerback Byron Maxwell
on his heels all game in a lot of one on one matchups.
“Julio is an awesome player,” Ryan said. “He shows that basically every
time he steps on to the field. He had a great night tonight; pressed
vertical a couple times, showed his explosiveness there. In the quick game
he (got over) to catch it and got yards after contact there. He’s just as
good as there is, and we’re lucky to have him.”
And, finally, the Atlanta kicking game with Bosher averaging almost 60
yards a punt and Bryant connecting on all four field goal attempts.
Next up, the Falcons travel to New York to face a Giants team who lost a
heartbreaker in Dallas on Sunday night.
