Reflection

This was an exciting game that the Falcons ultimately won, but they were quite lucky to win the game. The biggest point in this game was obviously the Saquon Barkley drop that would’ve sealed the game for the Eagles, but the Falcons were able to lead an excellent crunch time scoring drive. The defense came up big and got the final interception off of Jalen Hurts.

Despite the win, there were a few inconsistencies I noticed. Especially on the last drive, it felt like Kirk Cousins was not fully in sync with the passing concepts. The timing of his footwork looked off and there were a few instances where his ball placement was not where it needed to be. As we know Michael Penix would come in and become the Falcons’ starter, but it seems like the writing was on the wall for Kirk’s benching here, even in a clutch win.

The defensive line of the Falcons was honestly completely overpowered by the Eagles offensive line. It felt like the Eagles were plowing away the defenders for Barkley. This points to an important need for the Falcons to beef up their offensive linemen, and it looks to be a priority in the draft and free agency. I will also state that linebacker Kaden Elliss did not look very instinctual as a run stopper or pass defender, but he had a great rush late in the game. I know that Elliss has improved throughout the season, so I wonder if the Falcons want to transition him into a bigger pass rushing role for next year. Given his ability as a pass rusher, he could be a good fit as a replacement for Matthew Judon. Judon seems likely to leave in free agency, and Elliss would be an improvement over what Judon was this year.

What I Would Have Changed

The Falcons did squeak out the win, but Devonta Smith had a big game against the Falcons. I would have liked to see the Falcons have AJ Terrell shadow Devonta Smith, as Smith was able to get open on plays where he was covered by linebackers. If Terrell had shadowed Smith, it could have allowed the Falcons to have utilized a heavier box, which could have helped them stop the run.

As I mentioned earlier, I thought the Cousins looked off in this game. It didn’t appear that his footwork matched when he was supposed to release the ball, as Cousins would be still for a second and then release the ball, instead of releasing on a hitch. I also mentioned that Kirk’s ball placement was off at times. One example of this was the deep play to Mooney at the end of the 4th quarter. The ball was late, and if the corner, the rookie Quinyon Mitchell, had turned his head, he could have easily intercepted the ball. Even though Penix has taken the starting role, I think the Falcons should attempt to alleviate the issues that Cousins is having, in the case he does come into a game in the future.

Plays of the Game

Play 59 McCloud Catch While this play does not jump off the page, it turned out to be an important 3rd down conversion that set the Falcons up for a scoring drive right before the half. McCloud does a good job with the route and Cousins delivers a good ball to move the chains. Without this play, the Falcons would have had to punted to the Eagles with a good chunk of time on the clock. While the offense sputtered in the red zone on this drive, every point ended up mattering in this game.

Play 151 Drake London Touchdown This was the game winning touchdown for the Falcons. This was a great route by London to get open, and Cousins was able to easily deliver the game winner.

Jessie Bates Interception This is the previously mentioned Kaden Elliss rush. Elliss runs around half the offensive line and then pressures Hurts into a bad throw. Bates is in the right place and is able to go up and get the game sealing pick.

Players of the Game

Drake London

London was able to catch the game winning touchdown on a very crispy route, but he was also had the most receptions on the Falcons. London also did a great job of run blocking, which opened up lanes for the running backs.

Bijan Robinson

Robinson was once again the leading rusher for the Falcons, and he was very efficient, getting 97 yards on 14 carries and 25 yards on 4 receptions. While I emphasized London’s run blocking, Robinson had a few major pass blocks, including the one on the Mooney touchdown, which allowed Kirk to deliver the ball in time.

Ray-Ray McCloud

While McCloud is a 3rd offensive player, I wanted to highlight some of the blocks he made in the run game. On at least one play, McCloud blocked Brandon Graham, a linebacker, very well. Also, he made a key catch. McCloud showcased that he can be a versatile player for the Falcons.