Kirk Cousins Exorcises Demons, Leads Falcons to Stunning Win Over Eagles
PHILADELPHIA -- Kirk Cousins exorcised his "Monday Night Football" demons and got the Atlanta Falcons their crucial first win of the season in one drive.
Down six and with 1:39 remaining, Cousins took the Falcons 70 yards and found wide receiver Drake London for a 7-yard, go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds left. Atlanta escaped Lincoln Financial Field with a 22-21 victory in Week 2. Cousins moved to 4-10 on Monday nights and has won four of his past five MNF games.
For most of eight quarters, the Falcons looked like they really needed to figure things out on offense. For the second straight week, the team sputtered on that side of the ball, which was supposed to be a major strength with the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. But Cousins had yet to return to form after losing most of his 2023 season to a torn right Achilles. And, despite a potent rushing attack, Atlanta was not able to convert on third down or in the red zone.
Until the closing moments of the game. Cousins took the team 70 yards and connected with wide receiver Drake London for the go-ahead touchdown with just 34 seconds left. It did not erase the uneven play of Atlanta's offense over the first two games. But it was enough to put a notch in the win column, at the very least.
The Falcons really needed a victory against the Eagles. Over the next few weeks, things could get dicey, especially with the way the team had been playing. Atlanta hosts the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs next week in prime time. After that? The Falcons welcome the archrival New Orleans Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams, Atlanta's NFC South foes, are currently undefeated.
Cousins and the Falcons need to hope that last-minute drive will now be the rule, and not the exception. It's the NFL, and things get late early around here.
Bijan Robinson Shines Again
Promising trend: Bijan Robinson was a focal point of the team's offense, which was a criticism of the Falcons' playcalling in 2023. The second-year running back became the first Falcons running back to have 100 or more yards from scrimmage in each of the team's first two games of a season since Michael Turner in 2011.
Cousins' Blitz Prowess
Eye-popping stat: Cousins has 51 pass touchdowns against the blitz over the past five seasons, which is tied for the most in the NFL during that period with Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes is third with 47. That's a glimpse at what the Falcons could have if Cousins returns to pre-injury form.
Hurts' Mobility Too Much for Falcons
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Falcons' secondary provided good enough coverage, and the pass rush had its moments, but Hurts was able to improvise and create big plays with his feet. Atlanta had no answer for him, and it resulted in Hurts converting two big fourth downs, three crucial third downs and scoring a touchdown with his legs. -- Marc Raimondi
A.J. Brown Absence Looms Large for Eagles
Life without receiver A.J. Brown can be a slog. The Eagles were reminded of that during Monday night's slugfest against the Falcons as Brown sat out with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for a couple of games.
Still, it seemed they had done enough to muscle past the Falcons -- and then the wheels came off. Atlanta mounted a lightning-quick six-play, 70-yard drive in 1:05 to stun the capacity Lincoln Financial Field crowd and drop the Eagles to 1-1.
Eagles Face Tough Road Ahead
The road gets tougher from here. They play at the red-hot New Orleans Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a Week 5 bye.
Eagles' Defense Struggles
Troubling trend: The Eagles' edge rushers struggled to put heat on the quarterback for a second straight week. Much of the focus will be on Bryce Huff, the former Jet who signed a three-year, $51 million deal in free agency to help offset the eventual departure of Haason Reddick. He has zero pressures through two games.
Eagles' Turnovers Continue to Haunt
Describe the game in two words: Brutal loss. The win was in the Eagles' hands before Atlanta ripped it away with a six-play, 70-yard drive in the closing moments. A last-ditch effort by the Eagles' offense ended in a Hurts interception.
Barkley's Drop Proves Costly
Pivotal play: Nursing a three-point lead with under two minutes remaining, the Eagles face a third-and-3 deep in Atlanta territory. Hurts had Saquon Barkley open in the flat, but Barkley dropped it, forcing Philadelphia to settle for a field goal. Moments later, the Falcons mounted their game-winning drive.
Falcons Escape with Hard-Fought Victory
The frantic finish came after a throwback game. Both teams were more comfortable with their rushing attacks before Atlanta opened things up on its last touchdown drive. Philadelphia ran for 186 yards on 37 carries, while the Falcons ran for 152 yards on 28 rushing attempts.
The Eagles were controlling the clock and in position to ice the game late in the fourth. Facing a third-and-3 from the Atlanta 10-yard line, running back Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that most likely would have been good for a first down. Had he converted, Philadelphia could have knelt the ball to run out the clock. Instead, on fourth down, the Eagles opted for a field goal, which opened the door for the go-ahead drive.
"I dropped the ball," Barkley told reporters after the game. "I let my team down today."
Cousins finished the game completing 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards and two scores, a marked improvement from his Falcons debut in Week 1. Hurts was 23-of-30 for 183 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 85 yards and a score.
The Falcons' signal-caller said despite the win, he's "got to be better."
"I didn't feel like I was sharp enough today, not accurate enough," Cousins said on ESPN. "But that last drive hopefully will give us a boost going into next week. We can build on that."
Philadelphia fell to 1-1 with the loss and will face the New Orleans Saints and their potent offense in Week 3.
Atlanta improved to 1-1 with the victory. The Falcons will next play the Kansas City Chiefs on "Sunday Night Football."
Eagles Look to Bounce Back
Adversity has hit this team early. Following a 1-6 collapse down the stretch last season, all eyes will be on whether the Eagles are able to pick up the pieces after a gut punch of a loss.
Cousins and the Falcons Need to Stay Hot
Cousins was 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 97 yards on 14 carries and 122 total yards from scrimmage. The Eagles had gone ahead with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Hurts with 6:47 left.
The Falcons go up with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter after Kirk Cousins throws a touchdown pass to Drake London. (0:25)
Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:
Key Takeaways for Both Teams
Eye-popping stat: Kirk Cousins was pressured on just 2 of 14 dropbacks (14%) in the first half, the lowest rate he has faced in any half since Week 1 of 2023. -- Tim McManus
Next game: at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)
Eagles' Week 2 Performance
The Eagles lead 21-15 after nearly icing the game.
Saquon Barkley dropped a pass on 3rd-and-3 that would’ve given Philly a first down and effectively ended the game because the Falcons have no timeouts.
Instead, Philly kicked, and Atlanta will have one more possession with a little over a minute to go.
Let’s see what Kirk Cousins can do!
Falcons' Late-Game Heroics
Whoa! Where was this all game???
The Falcons lead 22-21 as Kirk Cousins just led a heroic go-ahead drive. Taking over with one minute and 39 seconds to go, Cousins marched Atlanta down the field in just over a minute — with no timeouts! — for the go-ahead score.
Philly has 34 seconds and two timeouts left to try to win the game.
A Look at the Third Quarter
The Eagles have the ball, but it’s the Falcons who have the lead after three quarters.
Atlanta is up 15-10 after the Darnell Mooney touchdown late in the third. The game has been on the sleepy side so far, and both teams have been leaning on their rushing attack.
Let’s see if they open things up in the fourth.
Falcons Take the Lead
And it was a good one!
Kirk Cousins found Darnell Mooney streaking down the middle of the field for a 42-yard catch-and-score.
Atlanta went for two but couldn’t convert. The Falcons now lead 15-10.
Eagles Fail to Find the End Zone
The Eagles came quite close to their second touchdown, but a third-down pass to Devonta Smith was broken up in the end zone, and Philly kicked a field goal on the next play.
Smith had his hands around the ball in the end zone, but it was punched out by Falcons safety Jessie Bates III. On 4th-and-3 on the Atlanta 11, the Eagles opted to kick instead of go for it.
Philadelphia now leads 10-9.
Falcons' Drive Ends in Field Goal
Once again the Falcons drove deep into Eagles territory. Once again they had to settle for three points.
Kirk Cousins was sacked on 3rd-and-4 from inside the Philly 10. That ended a drive that had been gashing the Eagles on the ground.
Atlanta now leads 9-7.
Halftime Analysis
Not a ton of offense in the first half.
The Falcons have more yards and a slightly better yards per play average, but haven’t been able to find the end zone.
The Eagles have been running the ball well, and Jalen Hurts has done a good job when escaping the pocket. Philly has only one touchdown, though, as one of its best drives ended after a failed fourth-down attempt from inside the Atlanta 10.
The Falcons will receive to start the second half.
Falcons Fall Short of Touchdown
Atlanta almost put together the perfect end-of-half drive. Almost.
The Falcons drove 82 yards in 15 plays and held the ball for over five minutes, but couldn’t score a touchdown from inside Philly’s 5-yard-line. A Bijan Robinson run went nowhere on first down before two incomplete passes led to 4th-and-goal.
Atlanta settled for three points instead. The Eagles still lead 7-6.
Eagles' Touchdown Drive
Jalen Hurts ran for 47 yards on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive, including an 18-yard scamper on fourth down.
Hurts is now up to 52 yards on five carries in the game, and he’s looking a lot like the 2022 version of Jalen Hurts that took Philly to the Super Bowl. He was limited as a runner last season, averaging fewer carries per game and fewer yards per carry compared to the year before.
If Hurts can stay this comfortable taking off on his own...the Eagles’ offense becomes much more of a threat.
Eagles Find the End Zone
After a long drive that included a fourth-down conversion, the Eagles are on the board. Jalen Hurts found Devonta Smith for a touchdown on 3rd-and-goal to give Philly a 7-3 lead. The score capped off an 11-play drive.
Falcons Kick a Field Goal
After failing to pick up a 3rd-and-9 from the 22-yard line, the Falcons kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. At least we finally have points!
Slow Start to the Game
Bit of a snoozer so far.
The Eagles threatened to score on one drive, but failed to convert a fourth down inside the Falcons’ 10-yard-line.
Other than that, not too much offense in this one. Jalen Hurts and Kirk Cousins have combined for only 59 yards passing. Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson have combined to run for 73, though.
Eagles Punt After Three Plays
After driving deep into Atlanta territory on their second drive, the Eagles punted on their third after only three plays. Not a lot of offense so far!
Falcons' First Drive Stalls
After a couple nice runs by second-year running back Bijan Robinson, the Falcons threw it on third-and-four from their own 31-yard line. Kirk Cousins threw left towards the sideline towards Drake London and was nearly intercepted by rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Atlanta punted and Philadelphia will start the drive on their 25-yard line.
Falcons 0, Eagles 0.
Eagles' First Drive Ends in Punt
After one first down on their opening drive, the Eagles punted after failing to convert a 3rd-and-9. The Falcons will start their first possession inside their own 10.
Kelce Joins Monday Night Football
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce will be on your television tonight — just not in the game for the Eagles.
Kelce — brother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis — will be in the Monday Night Football booth during the third quarter. The 36-year-old played his entire 13-year career with the Eagles, so he should have some unique insight on the team.
ESPN’s Troy Aikman revealed Kelce would be joining himself and Joe Back earlier Monday.
Kyle Pitts' Role in the Offense
A common criticism of the Falcons’ previous head coach Arthur Smith was his inconsistent use of tight end Kyle Pitts.
The fourth overall pick in 2021, Pitts had over 1,000 yards receiving his rookie season — but only one touchdown. In the last two seasons, Pitts has only 81 catches for 1,023 yards and five touchdowns across 27 games.
Those hoping for a fresh start with new head coach Raheem Morris were left disappointed in Week 1. Pitts had only three catches for 26 yards, though he did score.
Perhaps this is the breakout game for Pitts. There’s precedent — sort of. After a slow start in Week 1, Arizona Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. came on strong in the team’s second game. Maybe Pitts — who is also playing with a new offensive coordinator and new quarterback than last season — could be in line for a similar performance.
Jalen Hurts' Turnovers
Turnovers were an issue for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in Week 1.
Hurts turned the ball over three times — a fumble and two interceptions. Philadelphia was lucky to escape with a win despite the miscues, but it’s difficult to win when you’re behind in the turnover margin.
One area to keep an eye on is the center-quarterback exchange. Hurts mishandled two snaps against the Green Bay Packers, once under center and once in the shotgun when the snap was early. This is the first year Hurts is playing without center Jason Kelce, who retired in the offseason.
Jalen Hurts' Arrival
The Eagles' starting QB has arrived for tonight's matchup with the Falcons.
Jahan Dotson's Opportunity
With star WR A.J. Brown out with an injury, one player who could benefit is Jahan Dotson. A first-round selection by Washington in 2022, Dotson was traded to Philadelphia earlier this offseason for a draft pick.
He has a real opportunity to shine Monday against the Falcons as a complement to wideout DeVonta Smith.
Dotson, in his third season in the league, has 1,041 yards and 11 scores in his career.
"If my opportunities do come, I'm going to take full advantage of them," he told reporters this week. "That's what I was pretty much brought here to do. Take advantage of every single opportunity that's given to me."
A.J. Brown's Absence
Superstar receiver A.J. Brown will miss the Eagles’ home opener Monday night vs. the Falcons, the Eagles announced in an updated injury report.
Brown, who suffered a hamstring injury in practice on Friday, sat out practice on Saturday and was initially listed as questionable. But the Eagles downgraded him on Sunday, which means he’ll miss a regular-season game for the first time since he joined the Eagles in 2022.
Brown, who had five catches for 119 yards in the opener vs. the Packers, has the 3rd-most receiving yards in the NFL since opening day 2022 with 3,071, trailing only Tyreek Hill (3,663) and CeeDee Lamb (3,169).
Kirk Cousins Under Pressure
Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract to leave Minnesota for Atlanta in the offseason. He's supposed to be the QB to lead them to a possible Super Bowl. But after one week, questions have risen.
Cousins was 16 for 26 passing for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against Pittsburgh. His QB Rating was just 35.8.
With first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. waiting in the wings, he needs to figure it out soon or else there might be a true competition coming.
Bijan Robinson's Performance in Week 1
Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson — a breakout candidate to be among the best rushers in the league this season — managed just 68 yards on the ground and 48 in the air in Week 1 with zero scores.
The powerful and shifty Robinson could have better luck against an Eagles defensive line that surrendered 163 yards on the ground against the Green Bay Packers.
Saquon Barkley's Dominance
Philadelphia's prized offseason acquisition, running back Saquon Barkley, was dominant in his Eagles debut in Week 1. He scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) and had 132 total yards on the night.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts said he was impressed with the performance.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts said it was "exciting to watch him play. I’m happy that he’s on our side.”
Atlanta gave up 137 yards on the ground to the Steelers in Week 1.
Eagles' Week 2 Matchup
The Eagles go for it on 4th-and-4 on the Atlanta 9-yard-line but can’t convert!
Jalen Hurts scrambled right before his pass to Dallas Goedert was ultimately broken up in the end zone.
Falcons' First Drive
After picking up a first down on the ground, the Falcons’ first drive hit a bump in the road near their own 30. Kirk Cousins completed only one of his three pass attempts...but at least he didn’t turn the ball over?
Eagles' Opening Drive
After one first down on their opening drive, the Eagles punted after failing to convert a 3rd-and-9. The Falcons will start their first possession inside their own 10.
