Week 1 for the Atlanta Falcons didn't go quite as they hoped. Despite all the talk that came out of an active offseason—one of the most eventful in recent memory—the Falcons failed to live up to the hype against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Falcons (0-1) were expected to enter the 2024 season with a much-improved offense, yet they only managed to score 10 points against the Steelers. Kirk Cousins, who was supposed to be the missing piece to the team's success, looked old and definitely rusty. Some of that was to be expected, but maybe not to the extent it showed. Either way, last Sunday was not the performance Falcons fans were hoping for. They are now hoping Week 2's game against the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) on Monday Night Football will fare much better.
The Eagles secured a hard-fought victory over the Green Bay Packers in the year's first international game in São Paulo, Brazil. That means Philadelphia gets an extra two days of rest to prepare for Atlanta, which now looks to avoid its first 0-2 start in two years.
This will be a big test for the Falcons, facing a team that was in the Super Bowl just two years ago and has made the playoffs in six of the last seven seasons. It will also be their first Monday night game since 2020. With that said, here are our bold predictions for the Falcons versus Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 3.
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Bijan Robinson rushes for at least 100 yards; Tyler Allgeier scores
Under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Bijan Robinson seems to have emerged as the premier back for the Atlanta Falcons. This isn't surprising, but his 18 carries for 68 yards last week against the Steelers seem to confirm it. However, he and Tyler Allgeier combined for only 89 yards on the ground, which was another disappointing element of the Falcons' offense last Sunday.
Josh Jacobs and the Packers' running game racked up 163 yards and a touchdown last week against the Eagles. The Falcons will be looking for a similar outcome in Week 2 when they face Philadelphia. It is imperative that the rushing attack gets going as Cousins continues to shake off the rust.
Kirk Cousins hits 220 yards passing and Drake London hits at least 80 yards receiving
The whole league saw some extremely poor quarterback play last week, and it wasn't just from the rookies. Veterans like Kirk Cousins had some particularly rough performances, failing to reach 200 yards passing. Remember, Cousins is a quarterback who typically puts up 300-yard games.
The Eagles allowed Jordan Love to throw for 260 yards against them last week. Hopefully, Cousins has worked out enough of the cobwebs to reach at least 220 yards. The hope is that he'll also connect more with his No. 1 receiver, Drake London. The former USC wideout had just two catches on three targets for 15 yards last week. The Falcons need much better production from both this week.
Falcons defense impresses again, holds Eagles to 28 or less and doesn't allow Saquon Barkley to score
One bit of optimism to come out of the Falcons loss last Sunday was that the defense looked much improved. But facing a team that was down to their backup quarterback wasn't exactly the best test. Against the Eagles, it gets a bit more challenging, especially if Saquon Barkley runs like he did against the Packers (24 carries for 109 yards, three total touchdowns).
Najaee Harris and Justin Fields were able to rack up some ground yardage to help the Steelers reach 137 yards rushing last week. But that was really the only offense they had. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts opens up a much better passing attack against Atlanta. With that said, it could be a bend don't break defense when the Falcons head to Philly on Monday night. The Falcons red zone defense will be key on Monday night to keep the score from getting out of hand.
Falcons fall to 0-2 as Cousins and team continue to work through transition
Last week may have been one of the tougher defensive fronts the Falcons will face all year, thanks to T.J. Watt. But now they have to watch out for Zach Baun, who recorded 15 total tackles, including one for a loss and two sacks last week. The Falcons' offensive line needs to prove it was worth its preseason projection (per Pro Football Focus) and protect veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. They allowed two sacks and plenty of pressure last week, though some of that was due to Cousins looking like a statue in the pocket.
Other odds aren't in Atlanta's favor either. In their last six meetings against the Eagles, they are 1-5, including a playoff loss in 2018. The Eagles have three straight wins over the Falcons at home. Plus, in their last Monday night appearance four years ago, Atlanta lost to Green Bay, 30-16.
This is now looking like a brutal three-game stretch for Atlanta that may not yield the results everyone was hoping for. After facing the Eagles, they host the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at home next week.
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