Falcons save best for last in Monday night rally at Eagles

PHILADELPHIA — Kirk Cousins exorcised his “Monday Night Football” demons and got the Atlanta Falcons their crucial first win of the season in one drive.

Down six and with 1:39 remaining, Cousins took the Falcons 70 yards and found wide receiver Drake London for a 7-yard, go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds left. Atlanta escaped Lincoln Financial Field with a 22-21 victory in Week 2. Cousins moved to 4-10 on Monday nights and has won four of his past five MNF games.

Cousins was 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 97 yards on 14 carries and 122 total yards from scrimmage. The Eagles had gone ahead with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Hurts with 6:47 left.

Here are the most important things to know from Monday night for both teams:

For most of eight quarters, the Falcons looked like they really needed to figure things out on offense.

For the second straight week, the team sputtered on that side of the ball, which was supposed to be a major strength with the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. But Cousins had yet to return to form after losing most of his 2023 season to a torn right Achilles. And, despite a potent rushing attack, Atlanta was not able to convert on third down or in the red zone.

Until the closing moments of the game. Cousins took the team 70 yards and connected with wide receiver Drake London for the go-ahead touchdown with just 34 seconds left. It did not erase the uneven play of Atlanta’s offense over the first two games. But it was enough to put a notch in the win column, at the very least.

The Falcons really needed a victory against the Eagles. Over the next few weeks, things could get dicey, especially with the way the team had been playing. Atlanta hosts the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs next week in prime time. After that? The Falcons welcome the archrival New Orleans Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams, Atlanta’s NFC South foes, are currently undefeated.

Cousins and the Falcons need to hope that last-minute drive will now be the rule, and not the exception. It’s the NFL, and things get late early around here.

Promising trend: Bijan Robinson was a focal point of the team’s offense, which was a criticism of the Falcons’ playcalling in 2023. The second-year running back became the first Falcons running back to have 100 or more yards from scrimmage in each of the team’s first two games of a season since Michael Turner in 2011.

Eye-popping stat: Cousins has 51 pass touchdowns against the blitz over the past five seasons, which is tied for the most in the NFL during that period with Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes is third with 47. That’s a glimpse at what the Falcons could have if Cousins returns to pre-injury form.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Falcons’ secondary provided good enough coverage, and the pass rush had its moments, but Hurts was able to improvise and create big plays with his feet. Atlanta had no answer for him, and it resulted in Hurts converting two big fourth downs, three crucial third downs and scoring a touchdown with his legs. — Marc Raimondi

Next game: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)

Life without receiver A.J. Brown can be a slog. The Eagles were reminded of that during Monday night’s slugfest against the Falcons as Brown sat out with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for a couple of games.

Still, it seemed they had done enough to muscle past the Falcons — and then the wheels came off. Atlanta mounted a lightning-quick six-play, 70-yard drive in 1:05 to stun the capacity Lincoln Financial Field crowd and drop the Eagles to 1-1.

The road gets tougher from here. They play at the red-hot New Orleans Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a Week 5 bye.

Adversity has hit this team early. Following a 1-6 collapse down the stretch last season, all eyes will be on whether the Eagles are able to pick up the pieces after a gut punch of a loss.

Describe the game in two words: Brutal loss. The win was in the Eagles’ hands before Atlanta ripped it away with a six-play, 70-yard drive in the closing moments. A last-ditch effort by the Eagles’ offense ended in a Hurts interception.

Pivotal play: Nursing a three-point lead with under two minutes remaining, the Eagles face a third-and-3 deep in Atlanta territory. Hurts had Saquon Barkley open in the flat, but Barkley dropped it, forcing Philadelphia to settle for a field goal. Moments later, the Falcons mounted their game-winning drive.

Troubling trend: The Eagles’ edge rushers struggled to put heat on the quarterback for a second straight week. Much of the focus will be on Bryce Huff, the former Jet who signed a three-year, $51 million deal in free agency to help offset the eventual departure of Haason Reddick. He has zero pressures through two games.

Eye-popping stat: Kirk Cousins was pressured on just 2 of 14 dropbacks (14%) in the first half, the lowest rate he has faced in any half since Week 1 of 2023. — Tim McManus

Next game: at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 22)