A stagnant offensive game turned into an absolute upset on “Monday Night Football,” as the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-21, thanks to a brilliant last-minute drive by Kirk Cousins.
The key play of the game was a third-and-short situation in the Falcons' red zone, where quarterback Jalen Hurts ran a trick play instead of running the ball to kill more time, and was looking for Saquon Barkley.
Barkley, who had a strong debut with the Eagles with three touchdowns, seemed destined for a game-winning first down had he caught the ball. When he dropped the ball, the clock stopped and kicker Jake Elliott kicked the field goal to make it 18-15.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Bill Streicher-Imagn)
So with 1:39 left on the clock, Cousins and the Falcons offense, out of timeouts, had a chance to drive down the field and score a touchdown with the extra point needed to get the win.
Well, Cousins went to work, finding his tight end Kyle Pitts for 11 yards and then two receptions from Darnell Mooney for a total of 47 yards to reach the Philadelphia red zone.
Then, on third-and-5 from the Philadelphia 7, Drake London ran a perfect route that Cousins found him in the end zone and the Lincoln Financial Field crowd fell silent.
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A minor hiccup on the Falcons' potential game-winning extra point came when London was called for celebrating too much, pushing the 33-yard attempt back to the 48, but Younghoe Koo put it up the middle.
The Eagles, with all their timeouts, still had a chance to get into field goal range for Elliott to save the night, but Hurts, who had had a big game earlier, threw an interception to safety Jessie Bates III to eliminate that chance.
The Falcons and Eagles are now 1-1 after the surprising rout in Philadelphia.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) outpaces Philadelphia Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson (8) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
This game seemed virtually wrapped up when CJ Gardner-Johnson blocked Bijan Robinson on fourth-and-1, losing the Falcons on fourth down after the Eagles had pushed Hurts into the end zone for a three-point lead after Barkley had a two-point conversion.
But the saying “it ain't over 'til it's over” had another example added to its ranks thanks to some clutch passing from Cousins, who finished 20 of 29 passing for 241 yards with two touchdowns.
Cousins had already struggled in this game, and some wondered if that repaired Achilles was bothering him as he dropped short passes all night. But he dropped a pass in the third quarter to Mooney, who caught a 41-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 15-10 lead. It was the longest play from scrimmage on a night when Mooney led Atlanta with 88 yards on just three receptions.
For the Eagles, DeVonta Smith, who played the role of primary receiver with AJ Brown sidelined with a hamstring injury that will likely keep him out next week as well, had the game's only touchdown before Mooney entered. He caught a seven-yard pass from Hurts in the second quarter.
Robinson was a key contributor for the Falcons on the ground, with a game-high 97 yards on 14 carries. Barkley was within two yards of him on 22 carries, while Hurts had 85 yards on 13 duck-and-run attempts.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Eric Hartline-Imagn)
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Hurts was efficient before that game-ending interception, throwing for 183 yards on 23 of 30 passing.
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