Monday Night has rolled around and as we end Week 2 of the NFL season, we do have a potential thrilling matchup tonight at Lincoln Financial. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons as Jalen Hurts and Kirk Cousins battle it out on ESPN. The Atlanta Falcons had plenty of hype surrounding them this season after finally signing a solid quarterback, and ended up drafting one in the Top 10 as well! Things were looking bright, but then Week 1 came around.
The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Atlanta and shutdown the Falcons, beating them 18-10 without scoring a TD. The Falcons produced just one touchdown while Cousins threw for 2 picks as the Pittsburgh defense clearly came to play. Defensively, Atlanta didn’t look too bad, but they face a much tougher opponent in Philly tonight. Plus, the Falcons will be in a hostile environment.
The Eagles took down the Packers down in Brazil last Friday night, earning themselves an extra couple days of rest before hosting Atlanta. Philadelphia was led by new RB Saquon Barkley who had 3 TDs on the ground and another through the air. However, the Eagles will be missing WR1 AJ Brown who led the team with 5 receptions for 119 yards and a TD against Green Bay. Will tonight be Devonta Smith’s time to step up and show out for Philly?
The Eagles defense was a little iffy last week, and against an Atlanta team who has plenty of weapons, Cousins could certainly bounce back and pull off a primetime upset. It wouldn’t be the first time. Will be see some Cousins’ magic from the Falcons tonight? Or will the Eagles prove they are the stronger birds?
Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles: Birds of Prey on Monday Night
Can the Falcons find a way to win on the road against the Eagles?
Matchup Information – Falcons vs Eagles
- Venue & Location: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
- Date: Monday, September 16th, 2024
- Kick Off: 8:15pm Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Betting Odds
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Spread
- Falcons +5.5 (-105)
- Eagles -5.5 (-115)
Money Line
- Falcons +215
- Eagles -255
Total
- Over 45.5 (-110)
- Under 45.5 (-110)
Will the Eagles Miss AJ Brown?
The Eagles are without WR1 AJ Brown tonight against the Falcons
I don’t care who you are, missing your top receiver in the NFL hurts bad. Especially considering Brown was Hurts’ top target with 10 looks and nearly 120 yards. Tonight it will be time for DeVonta Smith to step up and show he is capable of being the top pass catching option. He caught 7 of his 8 targets in Brazil for 84 yards, and he is certainly no slouch, although some could argue he benefits of Brown drawing plenty of attention. Without him tonight, Smith will need to create his own space with the Falcons secondary paying all attention to him.
I see the Eagles using their ground game to really move the ball. Atlanta allowed just 270 total yards last week to Pittsburgh, and just 133 through the air. The secondary is clearly the strength of this Falcons defense, so to counter, Philly should look to use their new stud RB who had a hell of a Week 1. Even though the offensive line isn’t what it was with Jason Kelce, they are still dominant, and can certainly win in the trenches against the Falcons front 7.
Can Falcons Offense Wake Up?
As for Atlanta, they need to figure out their offense. It looked very stagnant against the Steelers, and going into a hostile environment on primetime won’t make it any easier. Kirk Cousins needs to play better, that’s the bottom line. Luckily, the Eagles secondary might be a weaker opponent. Jordan Love was able to throw for 260 yards before being injured, and with the skill players the Falcons have, they could certainly produce more points than they did in Week 1. With a total sitting at 45.5 and dropping, Vegas must believe defenses will come into play tonight.
Ultimately, I think the Eagles will miss Brown. Even when he doesn’t have a dominant game, his presence alone frees up space for his teammates to get theirs. Philadelphia will need a big game from Barkley on the ground to help carry their offense, and Hurts will need to utilize his extra options. That Jahan Dotson signing is looking pretty nice at the moment.
Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles Best Bets
Tonight will be Dotson’s time to shine on his new team
Falcons vs Eagles Prediction: Falcons Win, Under 45.5
Best Bet: Jahan Dotson Over 2.5 Receptions (-115) BetOnline
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While I do expect the Eagles to run plenty, I lean slightly with the Falcons to win outright which may lead to more Hurts’ passes. With AJ Brown out of the lineup, I expect Jahan Dotson to have a big game for the Eagles, despite not catching a ball in his debut last weekend.
Dotson will be the WR2 for the Eagles tonight, and receivers saw plenty of targets last game. Brown and Smith led the Eagles with 18 of the team’s 29 targets. Nearly 69% of those targets were aimed at wide receivers, and without Brown, Dotson should see plenty of action. Last week, Smith saw 100% of snaps, Brown saw 95% and Dotson saw 42%. With the Eagles running two WR sets nearly every offensive play, I think Dotson should see the field enough to catch 3 balls for us. This line is too low for a guy I think will see 7-8 balls thrown his way.
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