Atlanta, GA- Following a disappointing week one loss to Minnesota, the Atlanta Falcons turned things around, and exercised some demons, in their homer-opener with a wild 24-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
Back and forth until the final whistle, neither team let up, and we were treated to one of the best finishes of the early 2019 NFL season.
Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn on the wild finish on way to their week two win, “Tonight, to have an ending and a finish like that with a game winning touchdown and then to come back and get a fourth down stop I think it showed a lot of toughness, a lot of heart, and what we stand for. It was a great win and we’re proud to do it in front of our home fans.”
For Atlanta, the star of the game was Julio Jones, who showcased why he remains one of the elite wide receivers in the NFL today. Finishing with five catches on ten targets for 106-yards, the eight-year veteran delivered the play of the game late in the fourth quarter for the final score of the night.
Facing fourth down, with a large contingent of Eagles fans in attendance and making themselves heard, the Falcons needed to convert the yardage to keep the drive, and the game, alive. Catching a screen pass out to the left, Julio Jones received great blocks from fellow receiver Mohamed Sanu and lineman Jake Matthews to open up the field, and Jones showcased his great speed to win a footrace down the sideline for the 55-yard touchdown and the 24-20 final score.
The play electrified the Atlanta crowd (and silenced the noisy Eagles fans) but had a much deeper meaning for Falcon’s lore. That play put Julio Jones over 100-yards receiving for the night, which placed him first for most receiving yards in Atlanta franchise history. Passing former teammate and friend Roddy White, Julio Jones continues to make his mark as one of the greatest Atlanta Falcons ever and will look to keep adding to his already impressive resume for the rest of his career.
The game did not end with the Jones score, as Philadelphia tried one last time to steal a win in Atlanta in the final minute. Driving down to the Falcons 18-yard line, thanks to a great 44-yard throw from Carson Wentz to Nelson Agholor to keep the Eagles drive alive, the Falcons defense was able to come up with the game-winning stop just short of the line to get.
The Falcons defense played lights out tonight in comparison to their week one performance, allowing just 286-yards of total offense while creating three turnovers. The talented defensive unit showed what they can be if they reach their full potential, and it will be about maintaining that level of performance going forward for this team to be successful the rest of the season.
The defensive player of the game was cornerback Desmond Trufant, who came up with both Falcon’s interceptions on Carson Wentz. The former Pro Bowler has overcome a couple of major injuries over the last few seasons, and may finally be getting back to his level of play that will make him an impact player on defense.
It wasn’t a perfect game for Atlanta, as quarterback Matt Ryan made several mistakes throughout the game, including three interceptions in bad areas of the field. This team needs Ryan to clean up these mistakes, and the 12-year veteran out of Boston College knows it and will work towards fixing it for next week’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
This win for Atlanta is their first victory over the Eagles since 2015, and one that a lot of Falcons fans feel this team can gain enough momentum to hopefully return to the playoffs after their disappointing 2018. Atlanta is now 1-1 on the season, and right in the thick of the NFC South Division race in the early going of 2019, but if tonight’s win is any indication, this Falcons team has potential to make some noise this year.
Written by Brian Pohl
