The state of shock I’ve been in since Monday evening needs to be studied. What I witnessed as an Atlanta Falcons fan Monday night was a joy I haven't felt in a long time while watching a Falcons game. I get it—it’s only Week 2—but wow, that was a huge statement win. Getting their first primetime victory since 2020 is something special. Anyway, enough gloating for now. It just felt like many things went right: the running game, the play-calling, and getting the ball to Drake London. By no means was everything perfect, and there’s still plenty of room for improvement, but if that's how the Falcons respond after an ugly loss, maybe there's a little light at the end of the tunnel.
Defense
Lack of Pass Rush Continues
Another week, another article discussed the Falcons' lack of pass rush. Atlanta could only manage one sack and five hits on Jalen Hurts. Matt Judon recorded that lone sack, giving him a sack in back-to-back games. Other than that, Grady Jarrett managed three hits on Hurts, Judon had one, and Kaden Elliss delivered a crucial hit on the game's final play, forcing the interception that sealed the victory. I will sound like a broken record, but there must be more pass rush. Too many times, it felt like Hurts had enough time to set up a beach chair and open a cold one as he led the league with an average of 3.42 seconds to throw in week two.
As I’ve mentioned in probably every article this season, the Falcons need more pass rush from players other than Jarrett and Judon. Jarrett played 68% of defensive snaps, while Judon played 59%. After them, James-Smith Williams, David Onyemata, and Lorenzo Carter saw decent time on the D-line and edge rush. I’m not sure what the solution is here. Atlanta could possibly blitz their inside linebackers, but they typically run with only two on the field. I did notice Bates coming down to try to penetrate the backfield, but maybe it just comes down to better execution from those responsible for rushing the QB. Aside from Bates and Simmons in the secondary, this will likely be one of my key concerns, especially as the Falcons face the best quarterback in the league next week. If they give Mahomes nearly 3.5 seconds to throw, he could quickly rack up 300+ yards, regardless of who his receivers are.
More Thoughts on the Secondary
Overall, I wasn’t disappointed with how the Falcons' defense played. Yes, the Eagles were without A.J. Brown, but holding a tough offense to just 21 points is impressive. We also got to see more of the impact that Bates and Simmons are having on opposing quarterbacks, as the Eagles didn’t complete a pass over 20 yards. The Falcons' secondary held Hurts to just 183 yards in the air, and Bates was able to pick him off on the game's final play. Despite the lack of pass rush, the secondary has performed well, holding both the Steelers and Eagles to under 200 passing yards.
It does seem that opposing teams are more inclined to run the ball than pass against the Falcons. It’s only been two weeks, but the opponents' pass-play percentage is 4th highest in the league, while their run-play percentage is 29th. Atlanta is also giving up more rushing yards per game than passing yards (161.5 to 156.0). I know it’s early, but that’s an interesting trend to keep an eye on, and it makes you wonder if the Falcons' secondary is having that much of an impact on opposing passing offenses.
Offense
Cousins Makes Sure Improvements
Arguably, the biggest headline coming into the game was how Cousins would respond after a dreadful Week 1 performance. Was he healthy? Did he have too much "rust" to shake off? Everything seems to point in the right direction, as Cousins looked five times better than he did the week before. During the ESPN telecast, Troy Aikman reported that Cousins wasn't 100% physically, but was "100% in the pocket." While I’m not saying I don't believe it, it seems odd that Cousins would tell Aikman this but not share it with Raheem Morris or Zac Robinson, who said his health was fine. Perhaps he meant he's not 100% mentally when it comes to moving outside the pocket, but either way, it's something to keep an eye on during press conferences throughout the week.
As for Cousins' performance, I thought it was overall solid, with the offensive line playing a big role, as the Eagles recorded just one sack and two QB hits. The first half wasn’t great—Cousins went 7/13 with 75 passing yards, but I saw a lot more confidence, especially when he was under center and using play-action. The second half was where Cousins really turned heads, finishing with 20 completions on 29 attempts for 241 yards and two touchdowns.
The most noteworthy moment was the game-winning drive, where Cousins took the Falcons 70 yards in 75 seconds. He completed 5 of 6 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown on that final drive alone. The improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 was remarkable. There was more zip on the ball and better accuracy on most of his throws. I do think some rust remains, particularly with his footwork on out routes and deep crossers (we saw one pass to Drake London nearly intercepted due to poor footwork), but his final drive showcased his progress: good velocity on deep balls to Mooney, excellent accuracy on the first throw to Pitts, an amazing pass to London for the game-winner, and overall solid decision-making in the two-minute drill. Hopefully, Cousins can build on this and return to the quarterback he was before the Achilles injury.
(Yes, I did watch the ManningCast while Jason Kelce was in the booth, and yes, it was because Matt Ryan was on)
Better Plays, Even Better Runs
While Cousins' performance was likely the most notable, the Eagles' defense had no answer for the Falcons' rushing attack. Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, while Tyler Allgeier added 53 yards, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Though neither back scored a rushing touchdown, both consistently put the passing game in favorable short-yardage situations, which led to points—especially after the horrendous unnecessary roughness call on Ray-Ray McCloud in the second quarter. This two-headed running back monster steadily proves they can be the best in the league. Both are powerful downhill runners and have been involved in the passing game, but Allgeier can run right over defenders, while Robinson can snatch someone's soul from their ankles. Unfortunately, these two can't share more carries, but they've been a consistent bright spot in the Falcons' offense, even under Arthur Smith.
A final quick note goes to offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and how he called the game. The play-calling looked much better, no doubt about it. He utilized play-action and ran plays under center, both of which were effective. Being a rookie play-caller comes with a lot of pressure, and I'm sure he was tempted to replicate what worked in L.A., but his outside zone running schemes and the two-minute offense looked sharp. The route concept on the Falcons' final touchdown was beautifully designed, and Drake London ran a great route. Robinson also did a nice job getting his No. 1 receiver involved, as London finished with 6 catches on 7 targets for 54 yards and the game-winning touchdown. I loved the improvement, and hopefully, it carries over to next week against the Chiefs.
To close, being 1-1 is a lot better than being 0-2, that's for sure. Even without A.J. Brown, this was a huge win, and doing it in Philly is no easy task. There were definite improvements, but more are needed—especially on third down, in the red zone, and with the pass rush—if the Falcons want to compete with the defending Super Bowl champs on Sunday Night Football. That’s right, the Falcons get another primetime game, this time against "some pop star’s boyfriend’s team" (insert eye-roll emoji here). Either way, it’ll be a good test to see how the Falcons measure up against the Chiefs dynasty on primetime!
Conrad's Three Stars (Heading 5 in Bold with standard Bold Text below)
1st Star – Kirk Cousins (22/29 241 yards, 2TD, 0INT)
2nd Star – Bijan Robinson (14 carries, 97 yards. 4 receptions, 25 yards, and chip-block of the year?)
3rd Star – Drake London (6 receptions, 54 yards, and the game-winning touchdown)
-----3rd star easily could've gone to Mooney or Bates, but the game-winner gets the cake----
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