Monday Night Football Week 2 Preview: Falcons vs Eagles
Atlanta Falcons (0-1) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
- Over Under: 45.5
- Spread: Eagles -5.5
Breakdown
The Falcons in week 1 were disappointing, to say the least. Only managing to score 10 points against the Steelers. Newly acquired Kirk Cousins had a tough debut, only throwing for 155 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. The Steelers defense is tough but you would like to see more from a team who has their eyes set on winning the NFC South. Cousins will have better days ahead and he has the pass-catching weapons to get the job done. Wide receiver Drake London is poised for a breakout campaign. The lengthy receiver has shown flashes but putting it all together with Cousins will be vital for this team’s passing attack this season. Kyle Pitts is entering year 4 and he has so much to prove. He has all the physical traits you could want at the tight end position, yet has been stifled to start his career. He played every game last season and only recorded 667 yards and 3 touchdowns. The rising star of this offense is Bijan Robinson. Coming into year 2, Robinson has become one of the premier backs in the league and he is expected to take that next step forward and be the catalyst for this offense.
The Eagles got the job done in Brazil in week 1 against the Packers but should be challenged in this matchup with the Falcons. The Eagles did seem to have everyone involved but Saquon Barkley stole the show. In his Eagles debut, Barkley ran for 109 yards and 2 touchdowns and added another 23 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. Barkley is an elite dual-threat running back and could be just what the Eagles need to return to the Super Bowl. Top pass catcher A.J. Brown had a great game 1 but will be missing this contest with a hamstring injury. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league and this will be a big loss for Jalen Hurts. DeVonta Smith plays a key role in this offense and he should see an uptick in targets in this game with the absence of Brown. Smith is a great underneath target while Brown is a great compliment and can take the top off the defense.
Keys To Victory
Falcons: Utilize all your playmakers. In the Falcons week 1 loss, London and Pitts only had 4 combined catches. On paper, the Falcons have game-changers at running back, receiver, and tight end, they need to find a way to get the ball into their hands more frequently. Cousins looked shaky in his first game since returning from an Achilles injury, but he needs to put that behind him and be the veteran leader this offense needs.
Eagles: Saquon Barkley. Barkley seemed to unlock this offense in week 1. Rushing for 4.5 yards a carry in week 1, he moved the chains but also made the passing attack more fluid for the offense. Smith and Brown both had more than 80 receiving yards. With Brown out this game, Hurts may look for Barkley out of the backfield more often and rely on his playmaking back to move the chains.
Prop Bet Pick
Saquon Barkley Over 2.5 Receptions (-140)
Barkley should be so heavily involved in this game and in his first game ever with the Eagles he brought in 2 catches already. This, combined with the fact that A.J. Brown will be missing this contest, will mean that there are plenty of targets that need to be spread out and Barkley is more than worthy of seeing a few more opportunities in the passing game. I could see this line moving to 3 receptions and I’d still take that. The Falcons gave up 3 receptions to the running back position in week 1.
DFS Picks
Atlanta Falcons: Darnell Mooney. Mooney played 53 of the Falcons 56 offensive snaps in their week 1 game. The Falcons offense needs to find their groove under new quarterback Kirk Cousins. Mooney isn’t a flashy selection, but London, Pitts, and Robinson are much bigger names who carry a much higher salary. Mooney is worth a shot because of how much lower his cost is and he was always on the field in week 1.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jake Elliot. Yes, a kicker, but a kicker on a good offense who just lost their number 1 target in A.J. Brown. DeVonta Smith, I believe is a great play this week, but his cost also reflects that. I don’t trust Goedert or Dotson to have a significant impact on the game either. Elliot should see a few opportunities in this matchup and he has been great the last few seasons converting his field goal tries.
