Game Preview: Falcons vs. Eagles

2. After a 3-TD debut, what does Saquon Barkley do in his second act?

The crowd is going to be absolutely bonkers for Barkley after his game in Brazil, and understandably so. He was great and those 26 touches felt just about right. How does Moore deploy Barkley in this game? Can he be more involved as a pass catcher? Is he going to get 20-plus carries? Do the Falcons stack the box and dare the Eagles to win with the passing game? This is such a chess match, and Barkley will be right in the middle of all the moves. The counter to that is Atlanta’s approach, which is likely to have all eyes on No. 26.

3. Vic Fangio’s defense looks for the next step

All in all, the Eagles’ defense did well against Green Bay, holding the Packers to two early field goals and clinching the game on the final drive. Fangio also saw some mistakes which resulted in big plays for the Packers, and that is where the defense looks to improve on Monday. Playing against Kirk Cousins, the Eagles could see a quick-passing game, a lot of involvement from running back Bijan Robinson, and Cousins doing everything he can to stay away from pressure and turnovers.

4. Keeping an eye on the turnover ledger

It rarely happens, but it did in Week 1 for the Eagles: They were -2 in the turnover department and still won the football game. Head Coach Nick Sirianni termed that statistic “unsustainable” and has always preached ball security. The message has not changed, because it has been a consistent daily message since the day Sirianni arrived. So, let’s see how it plays out. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is in command of the offense and he rebounded from his tough start last week. The Eagles took the football away once from Green Bay and turned that into seven huge points. Atlanta had all kinds of problems offensively last week and Cousins threw a pair of interceptions. This is, as always, a huge statistic to watch.