The Falcons won the offseason on paper, upgrading at the most important position in all of sports and bringing in two All-Pro defensive players along with several other moves to improve the roster. It had fans anxiously awaiting for the start of the season, and in one swift week, all of that momentum has been shot down.
This is an organization that once again has more questions than answers across the board, and the Falcons better start answering them soon, because the road doesn’t get any easier this week on the road against the Eagles on Monday Night Football.
Kirk Cousins vs. His Achilles
The most concerning aspect of the Falcons Week 1 loss was the performance of Kirk Cousins, and it goes much further than the stat line. The game plan appeared to be geared towards a quarterback they knew had limited mobility, and even on Cousins’ throws, he often looked hesitant to drive off the injured Achilles to generate any sort of velocity.
Raheem Morris came out on Monday and said there are no issues with Cousins’ health, and that the game plan was just the game plan. That’s throwing Zac Robinson under the bus, but nobody should believe Atlanta’s head coach. He has to say that if he’s going to continue to start the veteran quarterback because if he didn’t, it would put a target on Cousins’ back for the rest of the league to see. Regardless, if Cousins doesn’t show improved mobility in Week 2, the Falcons will have very little hope, and it might be time to start talking about a quarterback switch until the veteran is fully healthy.
Falcons Defensive Line vs. Eagles Offensive Line
We can spend all week breaking down each game of the season, but at the end of the day, nearly every game in the NFL is won in the trenches. We saw it last week against the Steelers. The Pittsburgh defensive line had a field day with Atlanta’s offensive line, and the Pittsburgh offensive line held up well enough to help the Steelers to 18 points, which was enough for the win. If the Falcons don’t do better in the trenches, they aren’t going to win many football games.
The Eagles offensive line has been one of the best in the business for years. The loss of Jason Kelce to retirement stings, but if Week 1 is any indication, this is still as formidable of a front as any in the league. The Falcons did a decent job against the run versus the Steelers, but it won’t be as easy this week because Jalen Hurts is a much more accomplished passer than Justin Fields. Still, if Atlanta can force Hurts into clear passing situations, they’ll have a clear advantage on Monday night.
Falcons Secondary vs. Eagles Receivers
Not only do the Falcons face a much better passer under center this week against the Eagles, but they’ll also have a lot more weapons to deal with. Saquon Barkley was a menace in his Eagles debut, and if that continues, that’ll open up a lot of opportunities for A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, and Dallas Goedert. Atlanta’s secondary, A.J. Terrell in particular, will have to be a lot better on Monday than they were in Week 1, and if the Falcons are to win this game on the road, you have to think one of Justin Simmons or Jessie Bates III will have to come up with a turnover or two.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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