NFL’s Flying Start

Adding another weapon for Matt Ryan in wide receiver Calvin Ridley, the Falcons will again be among the elite offenses. Despite the loss of Dontari Poe to fellow NFC South rivals Carolina Panthers, Atlanta is still expected to be a Top 10 defense.

It’s the pass game which will be a difference-maker for the Falcons as will be their ability to fend off Philadelphia’s rush. Although the team lost Vinny Curry, they added former Seattle star Michael Bennett. Although the Eagles will likely be without DT Tim Jernigan, this will be a defensive front hard for Devonta Freeman to find lanes against.

The Eagles allowed a paltry 3.8 yards per carry to opposing offenses and just seven touchdowns on the ground.

Matt Ryan will rely on Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, and Ridley to move the chains against a much more vulnerable Eagles secondary which ranked 16th against the pass. Freeman is also likely to do more damage through the air out of the backfield than on the ground.

The Eagles will open the season with a formidable foe but will be carrying the swagger that comes with winning a Super Bowl and beating this very opponent on the road hoisting the Lombardy Trophy.

As with last season, their strength will be on the defensive side of the ball, their ground attack, and red zone efficiency. Although they scored just 9 touchdowns on the ground, Jay Ajayi and company totaled 2,115 yards in 2017. That, with Darren Sproles missing a majority of season due to injury.

Although LeGarrette Blount was also responsible for another 766 yards on the ground last year, the Eagles will be more diverse with Sproles back healthy, Corey Clement and rookie Josh Adams.

Where the Eagles are hoping for improvement is the passing game, where they were 13th in total yards but tallied 38 scores. While 13th is by all means nothing to sneeze at, the team is hoping some new additions can stretch the field vertically.

Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, and Zach Ertz will each again lead the charge in the passing game. However, they are hoping veteran speedster Mike Wallace or second year wideout Mack Hollins will provide the big play potential necessary to keep defenses from bringing help up front. This is especially important given Jeffery will be out until Week 3 due to his shoulder recovery.

This game comes down to each team’s ability to fend off talented wide receiving corps. Atlanta gets the edge here given the Eagles can trust in Ronald Darby but are extremely young at the position. The loss of Patrick Robinson means someone needs to stand out and will have to deal with Sanu or Ridley. The Eagles played more than 2/3’s of their defensive snaps in nickel and Robinson was one of the best slot corners in the league last year. Now that he’s gone, the Eagles have not figured out if Sidney Jones or Avonte Maddox will be the nickel guy. They both have 1 game combined of experience and Atlanta will be sure to test them early and often.

Atlanta, on the other hand, returns veterans Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford who will be joined by rookie Isaiah Oliver. These are guys much more well equipped to deal with Agholor and Wallace.

Sproles will be the wildcard in making up the difference for Philadelphia but the matchups favor Atlanta.

Atlanta 26, Eagles 20.