The Philadelphia Eagles blew a great, great chance to win their 2024 home opener. On the night that Nick Foles officially retired and Jason Kelce was on the scene to cover the game for ESPN's broadcast, the Birds let the Dirty Birds one-up them on Monday Night Football by a final score of 22-21.
The way Philly squandered its 97.6 percent chance to win will leave fans across the Delaware Valley scarred. Leading 18-15 with the ball on Atlanta's 10-yard line in the final minutes, the Eagles called a pass play that got Saquon Barkley wide open. Jalen Hurts gave him a good pass but he dropped it. Philly kicked a field goal and then watched as Kirk Cousins ripped their defense to shreds in 65 seconds, scoring a go-ahead touchdown to secure his first win as a Falcon.
The Eagles calling a pass on third down was controversial given the way it owned the ground game for much of the night and so was the decision not to go for it on fourth down. They got roasted by football fans for their epic collapse. Hurts and Barkley got it worse than anyone.
Eagles embarrassingly fall to Falcons in home opener
Hurts looked like he was running in quicksand to start the game and then ripped off some great runs later on. He completed 23 of his 30 pass attempts for 183 yards, rushed for 85 yards and scored two total touchdowns. This wasn’t his best game but he led long drives and took care of the ball for most of the game. Still, since the Eagles lost and he ended their slim chances of stealing the win by throwing an interception, he received plenty of flak.
Barkley ran for 95 yards and added 21 through the air, moving the ball for the Eagles well. But his dropped pass will be the only thing people remember about his performance. It's something that will be tough to live down, as it cost him his first chance to win a professional game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Eagles fans are now legitimately worried about their team. A.J. Brown expects to miss more than just this game because of a hamstring injury, their offense has taken a while to get going in each game this season and their defense looks really bad, specifically lacking firepower in the pass rush and in the secondary. The season is young but the concerns are mounting.
In Week 3, the Eagles face the red-hot New Orleans Saints.
Follow Us
Subscribe
