Um, that game was something else. First of all, there was a 35-minute delay due to storms. Then the game that was so terrible for the first for about the first 55 minutes. But, it actually turned out to be a good game. The Philadelphia Eagles, somehow, someway, found a way to beat the Atlanta Falcons. They won with a score of 18 to 12.
Both teams were rusty in this game and made most of this game unbearable to watch. Whether it was the terrible quarterback play or the countless amount of penalties, this game was an eyesore.
Eagles Offense
Well, where to start. This offense was trash. Scratch that. Nick Foles was trash. The Super Bowl MVP really did not help his case after a poor preseason. Foles passed for 117 yards while making 19 of his 34 passes. He also did not record a touchdown but did record an interception. Now the pick was not necessarily his fault, as it was rookie tight end Dallas Goedert’s.
Doug’s playcalling also might’ve limited him a bit. The gameplan was very conservative as it was extremely short passes. The leading receiver, Zach Ertz, had 48 yards on five receptions. That 48 yards could’ve been more if he was able to catch a ball. Nelson Agholor brought in eight balls but only for 43 yards.
Nick Foles did have one highlight play though but on the receiving end. Doug Pederson decided to jumpstart the offense in the third quarter by running a fan that some Eagles fans might be familiar with. That is, of course, the “Philly Special”, now called the “Philly Philly” according to Doug. Agholor threw a nice pass on the reverse to a wide open Foles on a third down to gives the fans some energy.
When the Eagles ran, they did succeed. Both of their touchdowns came from runs and also 113 yards came via the ground. Jay Ajayi was the man to run for both of those touchdowns as he had 62 yards on 15 carries.
Eagles Defense
Without a doubt, the Eagles defense won this game. As the offense was mostly sputtering, this defense just continued to grind and keep the Falcons offense in check. With a little help of Matt Ryan’s terrible play, the Eagles held the Falcons to 13 points.
There was one problem with the defense. That was the All-Pro wide receiver, Julio Jones. Jones just did whatever he wanted in route to 169 yards and ten receptions. Should’ve been more though. The NFL messed up again with the catch rule. Jones caught a great pass by Ryan after making a double move for 50 yards. The problem is it was somehow not a catch. After the NFL said they have simplified the catch rule this past offseason, it seems like that was just thrown out the window. But you know what, Eagles fans will take the mishap by the league.
Catch didn’t count but that footwork 😳 @juliojones_11 pic.twitter.com/zpKBZCFH0h
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) September 7, 2018
The Falcons touchdown actually didn’t come from Julio Jones. It came from Tevin Coleman after the Nick Foles interception. Other than that touchdown, Coleman or his counterparts were really able to get anything going on the ground. The line played great this game in stopping both the run and rushing the passer.
The play of this game was almost deja vu to last year. The dirty birds managed to march down to the red zone with a chance to win the game in the waning moments. The Falcons had five chances inside the ten but were unable to succeed. The Eagles stood the Falcons up again in the red zone, like they have for most of the game. Without the Birds great red zone defense, this game would’ve been a blowout. There was also the start of the game when the Eagles forced a turnover on downs at the goal line.
Penalties/Miscues
This game was filled with penalties, it was terrible. The two teams combined for 26 penalties for a whopping 236 yards. Yikes.
As mentioned before, this game was an absolute eyesore. It looked like no team wanted to win as it was mistake after mistake. For example, on a punt the Eagles had Shelton Gibson made a bonehead play. Instead of running away from the ball, he decided to stay near it and stay engaged with the blocker. Gibson then managed to touch the ball and it was a turnover. Then Matt Ryan decided, why not give this ball right back. He threw the ball right on a platter to Rasul Douglas, who came in just that play to give Ronald Darby a breather.
