Eagles Opponent Profile: Matt Ryan And Julio Jones Have Atlanta Falcons Taking Flight
The Philadelphia Eagles look to shrug off a two-game losing streak when they return home to Lincoln Financial Field this weekend to host the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are riding the momentum of a two-game winning streak after bucking their own two-game skid. They have the offense to give Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz plenty to worry about in preparation.
Falcons Season Record: 6-3
The Atlanta Falcons will come to Philadelphia this weekend in first place in the NFC South. No matter what happens Sunday afternoon, the Falcons will also be leaving town in first place in their division. Atlanta is the only team in the NFC South with a winning record, and they own a 1.5 game lead on the New Orleans Saints and two-game lead in the loss column on Tampa Bay and defending NFC champion Carolina.
The Eagles own a slight edge in the all-time series between the franchises, which dates back to 1966. Philadelphia leads the series, 15-13-1, but the Falcons have won three straight meetings with the Eagles starting in 2011. Atlanta won the last time they were in town, leaving with a 30-17 victory as Matt Ryan passed for 262 yards and three touchdowns.
Falcons on Offense
The Falcons have one of the best trios of offensive players you could ask for with quarterback Matt Ryan, wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman.
Ryan, an Exton native, is turning in a MVP-worthy season so far with 2,980 yards and 23 touchdowns in his ninth season in the NFL. Last week against Tampa Bay, Ryan passed for 344 yards and four touchdowns on the road, so the Eagles secondary will have to be on their toes.
That will not be easy with Jones showing why he is one of the top receivers in the league. Jones is a big target with 970 yards this season and five touchdown catches. He exploded earlier this season for 300 yards against Carolina and has four other games with at least 100 receiving yards.
Falcons on Defense
If there is a part of the Falcons that can be exploited by the Eagles, it will be the defense. The Falcons rank 29th in the league in total defense, giving up the 31st-most average passing yards per game (289.6) and giving up an average of 28.8 points per game (ranked 28th in the NFL). The Eagles have struggled in recent games to get the offense off on the right foot, but Atlanta's defense should lead to an opportunity to turn things around in that department. It's not all bad for the Falcons, though. Atlanta has sacked opposing quarterbacks 22 times this season, tied for fifth in the NFL.
Falcons Players to Watch
Vic Beasley, Jr. has been a beast at the linebacker position for the Falcons. In his second season out of Clemson, Beasley leads the Falcons with 7.5 sacks this season. Look for the former top 10 pick to be a dominant force causing problems at the weakside linebacker position for the Falcons.
Julio Jones, as referenced above, could be a real game changer in this one. With the Eagles secondary vulnerable, Jones could eat them alive with his size and good hands. Shutting Jones down is not easy, but it is possible to slow down his production.
Outlook
The Falcons come to Philadelphia clearly more equipped and confident than the Eagles on offense right now, but their defense has been a concern. If the Eagles can get Carson Wentz some protection early and have him start learning from mistakes from the past couple of weeks, the offense should do some good things against Atlanta. That assumes, of course, that the wide receivers can make some plays, which has been an issue. The Falcons are going to make some plays, which could mean we have a bit of a shootout-type game on our hands. The Eagles may not be ready to handle that kind of game right now, even against this Atlanta defense.
Post Author: Kevin McGuire.
