Eagles Down Atlanta In Crucial 24-15 Victory
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS) — Maybe it's something in the turf at Lincoln Financial Field that seeps into the bloodstream and causes everyone to drop things.
Atlanta all-world receiver Julio Jones dropped a wide open pass during a crucial moment in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against the Eagles.
Even the precise U.S. Marine Corps close order drill team dropped a rifle or two during the halftime show.
It's become commonplace to see Eagles' receivers drop passes.
The only thing this season the Eagles hadn't dropped at the Linc has been a game, and they kept that slate pristine on Sunday, skirting their own ineptitude to outlast the visiting Falcons, 24-15, at the Linc.
It's mid-November and there was an air of urgency that hovered over the Linc. The Eagles knew that they were playing for their season and the Linc's screaming denizens were feeling the same.
This game may have put their season on life support. At 5-4, the Eagles now travel to Seattle, host Green Bay on Monday Nov. 28, travel to Cincinnati, host Washington, travel to Baltimore and close the season hosting the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
The Eagles could very easily lose the next seven games. But at least for another week they continue to be competitive, with the enigmatic penchant of playing up or down to their opponents.
On Sunday, it happened to be up. Atlanta was beatable, considering the Falcons have one of the worst defenses in the league, giving up 28.8 points a game (28th in the NFL). The Eagles managed 24 points, but had to get 9 from three Caleb Sturgis field goals.
To remain relevant, coach Doug Pederson remembered he had Ryan Mathews, who came back from his banishment to rush for a season-high 108 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
"It was going to be a physical game and we just took it to them before they took it to us," Eagles tackle Jason Peters said. "Ryan is a great running back. When he wants to, he's one of the best in the league but lately, he hadn't been on track. This was a good game for him to get back to doing what he's been doing."
"It means a lot to have a running back that can get you four or five yards is big. We had to keep the ball out of Matt Ryan's hands and we controlled them pretty much the whole game. We've been running the ball well, we just hadn't been finishing," said Peters.
The Eagles now move to 5-4 and stay in the hunt for a playoff berth, which is actually pretty good for Pederson, who seems to be making things up as he goes along.
What Pederson and the Eagles are fortunate to have is a decent defense that stymied Matt Ryan and the NFL's best offense, holding them to 303 yards of total offense and 15 points—with just one touchdown. The Falcons entered the game leading the league in yards and points, averaging 429.2 yards and 33.9 points a game.
"This was a real big for us, especially with it coming at home," defensive tackle Bennie Logan said. "We're an important time of the season and we have to turn this around. We have to clean up our mistakes and get ready for the Seahawks. We knew we had to take away their running game and take Julio out of the game. I don't know what it is with the drops, maybe it's a focus thing, but I can't really say why everyone is dropping things here. I'm not a receiver; I don't catch balls for a living."
Carson Wentz had a solid game, completing 25 of 36 for 231 yards. He actually outplayed the NFL's top quarterback, Ryan, who had trouble dealing with the Eagles pressure to go 18 of 33 for 267 yards, with a touchdown and an interception.
"We have a lot of great backs and the line played great getting us to the secondary," Mathews said. "It was fun. I don't worry about my number of touches. We have a good room with the running backs supporting each other. We have each other's back. We all support each other and make each other better.
"This was big for us and we'll come back and get better."
