This Week 2 matchup on Monday Night Football features the Atlanta Falcons facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons enter this week after suffering an 18-10 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Eagles started their season strong with a 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

It’s still early in the season, and while this game might not qualify as a “must-win,” the Falcons could find themselves in a tough spot based on historical trends. Over the last five seasons, 41 teams have begun the season at 0-2, with only two of them making the playoffs. Additionally, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has had difficulty performing in primetime games throughout his career.

On the other hand, after the Dallas Cowboys lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the Eagles have an opportunity to assert themselves as the top team in the NFC East.

Key Matchups to Watch: Eagles vs. Falcons

The Eagles fortified their secondary during the draft, selecting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Despite the presence of veterans like Darius Slay and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the secondary remains their vulnerability. Following Week 1, head coach Raheem Morris noted, “We didn’t get the ball to Drake enough,” indicating that London should have a chance to bounce back tonight.

Even though the Eagles had a disappointing postseason last year, remember they were 10-1 and held the best record in the NFL entering December. Key injuries to important players, including All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown, significantly affected their performance.

On Saturday, the Eagles confirmed that Brown will not play in this game due to a hamstring injury sustained during practice late in the week. Consequently, former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith will take on a larger role, leading the Eagles’ receiving corps against the Falcons. How Kellen Moore, the new offensive coordinator, will adjust to Brown’s absence will be closely watched.

Out of the 40 snaps in the Eagles’ opener, Smith had 26 from the slot, while Brown had nine. This is noteworthy since Moore’s previous offensive systems saw significant contributions from slot receivers like Keenan Allen and CeeDee Lamb. Smith logged 32.4% of his plays from the slot last season.

On the perimeter, he’ll be matched up against A.J. Terrell, while he benefits from an easier matchup with Dee Alford in the slot. Atlanta predominantly used zone coverage in Week 1 under coach Raheem Morris. Smith’s last game without Brown was the Wild Card match against the Buccaneers in January, where he had an outstanding outing with eight receptions for 148 yards.

Saquon Barkley vs. Bijan Robinson

In the offseason, Philadelphia acquired talented running back Saquon Barkley, who previously played for the New York Giants. Showing off his incredible skills, Barkley scored three touchdowns and amassed 132 yards in his debut for the Eagles. He benefits from running behind a solid offensive line known for creating space, recording the second-highest rushing yards before contact over the last three seasons, even with Jason Kelce’s retirement. Barkley is poised for an outstanding season.

On the other end, Atlanta also boasts an exceptional talent in running back Bijan Robinson, who is pivotal to their offense. Robinson played a significant 90% of the snaps in Week 1. Although the Eagles have a strong run defense, expect Robinson to make contributions in the passing game as well, having run a route on 22 of the 28 passing plays last week.

Robinson was the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, marking the highest selection of a running back since Barkley in 2018. He runs behind an offensive line that faced challenges with pass blocking against the Steelers but showed great effectiveness with run blocking in Week 1.

Keys to Monday Night Football

• Atlanta’s offense operated mostly in shotgun or pistol formation on 96% of their plays in Week 1. Notably, Cousins had never taken more than ten snaps from the pistol formation in a single game in his previous 13 seasons.
• In his first game with the Eagles, Saquon Barkley recorded three touchdowns. This marked his second career performance with three touchdowns; his first was during his rookie season in Week 11 of 2018.
• In the previous week, Kyle Pitts was the sole tight end in the league to run a route on every passing play for his team.

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Viewing Details for Eagles vs. Falcons Tonight

• TV Channels: ESPN | ESPN2 | ABC
• Live Stream: ESPN+ | Fubo

This week and throughout the 2024 NFL season, “Monday Night Football” will be aired on ESPN and ABC.

This week, Peyton and Eli Manning will host the “ManningCast” on ESPN2.

Viewers without cable can catch the game via ESPN+—ESPN’s streaming service, which can be bundled with Hulu and Disney+—or Fubo,

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