The Falcons will need to get back on track in their home opener against the Eagles on Sunday night. However, Philly has won all three games against Atlanta since Dan Quinn took over as head coach in 2015. His team did little to inspire confidence during an embarrassing road loss to the Vikings in Week 1.
While it’s too early to panic, an 0-2 hole would seriously hurt the team’s playoff chances. So, let’s take a look at four matchups that Atlanta will need to win in order to come away victorious on Sunday night.
Falcons interior line vs. DT Fletcher Cox
The offensive line should be concern No. 1 for the Falcons in Week 2. With rookie right guard Chris Lindstrom out with a broken foot, backup Jamon Brown will get the start in his place. Philadelphia lost starting defensive tackle Malik Jackson for the year, but Cox has had Atlanta’s number the last two times these teams have faced off. Cox played extremely well in both the 2018 season opener and in the 2017 playoffs — finishing with 10 tackles and 2.5 sacks combined in those two games. It’ll be on Jamon Brown, Alex Mack and James Carpenter to hold up against the interior rush of Philadelphia.
WR DeSean Jackson vs. CB Desmond Trufant
Jackson’s Week 1 performance was so good that it got Quinn’s attention. The 32-year-old speedster recorded eight catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns (19.3 yards per catch). Atlanta’s top cornerback, Trufant will probably be matched up against him considering Isaiah Oliver struggled last week and it’d be cruel to throw him out there against Jackson. Trufant doesn’t get enough credit for being a strong cover corner, and Sunday night offers a great opportunity for Atlanta’s veteran defensive back to prove it.
WR Julio Jones vs. DB Ronald Darby
Jones was quiet in Atlanta’s road loss to the Minnesota Vikings. His six catches went for just 31 yards and a touchdown. Jones, who signed a mega-extension last week, said he expects to be way better in Week 2. As we pointed out this morning, Jones has never been held under 50 yards in two consecutive games. So it’s not just wishful thinking on Jones’ part; history tells us to expect a dominant performance. Darby is finally starting to come into his own, breaking up two passes and finishing with five tackles against Washington. It’ll take a collective effort from Philadelphia’s defense to slow down Jones, though. In five career games against the Eagles, Julio has averaged 119.4 receiving yards.
Eagles DC Jim Schwartz vs. Falcons OC Dirk Koetter
Schwartz has done an outstanding job since taking over as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, and the Falcons have found little success against him in their last two matchups. Atlanta was held under 20 points in both games, which ended similarly with the offense failing to score in the red zone in crunch time. Koetter was brought in to replace Steve Sarkisian as the offensive coordinator and the early results have not been promising. Matt Ryan was harassed all day against Minnesota, and the backs couldn’t get the run going. Koetter is dealing with a very inexperienced offensive line, so he’ll need to be at his very best to win this battle of wits.
