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Atlanta Falcons: Able to Beat Eagles on Monday Night?

By John Buhler

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The Atlanta Falcons are the underdog by the slimmest of margins (1-point) to the Philadelphia Eagles when the two teams square off on Monday Night Football in Week 1.

Our Atlanta Falcons enter Week 1 as the slight underdog in their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night.  Regional bias aside, this is one of the more difficult games to pick in Week 1 as a great deal of uncertainty surrounds both teams.

-= Related: Dan Quinn Addresses Recent Roster Moves =-

The Atlanta Falcons have almost an entirely new coaching staff under first-year HC Dan Quinn.  In the Preseason, the NFL saw that the Atlanta Falcons will likely have a strong pass rush/front seven in 2015 and looked much-improved defensively.  However, there are major offensive line concerns and while the passing attack led by QB Matt Ryan is still lethal, the running game still is very much a work in progress.

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    • Philadelphia missed the NFC Playoffs last year, despite a strong 10-6 record.  HC Chip Kelly made a series of head-scratching roster moves this offseason that could actually pan out.  A lot is riding on new QB Sam Bradford‘s health, the continued dominance of newly acquired All-Pro RB DeMarco Murray, and the 1st Round reach of WR Nelson Agholor out of USC.

    With both teams looking to get back into the NFC Playoffs, who has the upper hand in Week 1 on Monday Night Football.  Is it the Atlanta Falcons or the Philadelphia Eagles?

    I see this as an evenly matched, high stakes game in Week 1.  A win for either team could serve as a launching off point for either club in the first quarter of their season.  While there are so many interesting parts of this game to watch, I’m most intrigued to see the Philly offense versus the Atlanta defense.

    Under Chip Kelly, no team in the NFL plays faster offensively, as Philadelphia adopted Kelly’s Oregon up-tempo offense upon his arrival in the City of Brotherly Love.  Though Bradford and Murray played together in college at Oklahoma, it’s something to keep an eye on when the Eagles’ offense takes the field.  Can Sam Bradford stay healthy in 2015?  Will DeMarco Murray have another All-Pro and not fumble the football, this time for the Philadelphia Eagles?

    There has been so much praise and fan fare over the arrival of the Dan Quinn defense in Atlanta.  The pass rush appears to have risen from its Rip Van Winkle slumber and could actually knock opposing QBs into the turf this fall.  Quinn has emphasized “playing as fast as possible” in his defensive scheme.  So it seems that Atlanta has conditioned itself to play at Philly’s grueling pace all offseason.  Hopefully it works out.

    So who wins in Week 1 at the Georgia Dome?  Don’t expect a lopsided victory for either team.  It should stay within a score or two for the duration.  The game will come down to turnovers, execution on third down, red zone efficiency, and in the special teams.

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    I see both Atlanta and Philadelphia scoring a pair of touchdowns in the red zone, but having to settle for a field goal on another drive.  This game will only have a turnover differential of maybe one, going either way.  Third downs seem like they’ll split 55%-45%, again it could go either way.  It comes down to special teams and who gets the football last.

    I have faith that if Atlanta can get the ball for a two-minute drill, I’m confident that Matt Ryan can orchestrate a drive from the Atlanta 20yd line to Philadelphia’s 30yd line to set up K Matt Bryant for a 45+ yard field goal as time expires.  Matt Bryant won’t miss the game-winning field goal, he’s a Top 5 kicker in football.  Atlanta 20, Philadelphia 17, a great game that will keep football fans on the edge of their seats all night long.  Only 4 more days! Rise Up, Atlanta!

    Next: Atlanta Falcons: NFC Power Rankings, Week 1

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