“Monday Night Football” had a shocking ending in Week 2.
After Atlanta fell behind late in a gritty contest dominated by each team’s run game, Kirk Cousins put together a game-winning drive with under a minute remaining to lift the Falcons over the Eagles on the road, 22-21. An interception from Jessie Bates III sealed the victory, Atlanta’s first of the season after losing to the Steelers in Week 1.
There are a few plays that will likely haunt Philadelphia looking back on Monday’s game, but none bigger than RB Saquon Barkley’s dropped pass with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter. With the Eagles up by three facing a third-and-3, Barkley dropped a wide-open pass that would’ve let his team maintain possession and potentially run the clock out.
Instead, the Eagles settled for a field goal to go up by six with little time remaining. That didn’t pressure Cousins much on the ensuing drive, as he put together a masterful six-play, 70-yard scoring march in just around a minute, finishing it off with a touchdown pass to WR Drake London.
The win was a significant one for Atlanta’s early-season momentum as the team looks toward Cousins to lead it back to the playoffs after giving him a massive contract in free agency. Now at 1-1, the Falcons face a tough challenge with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, but they’re now on the board with their first win.
As for Philadelphia, it was a deflating loss after the Eagles had the game in their hands late. In 2023, the Eagles collapsed late in the season, and the late-game breakdowns on Monday showed a lot of similar signs to last year’s team. What likely should have been a win became a loss for Philadelphia in the final seconds.
The Sporting News tracked scoring updates and highlights from the matchup between the Falcons vs. Eagles, two of the NFC’s playoff hopefuls, on “Monday Night Football.” Here’s what you may have missed.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
Falcons | 0 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 22 |
Eagles | 0 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 21 |
11:12 p.m. — Intercepted by Jessie Bates III! Hurts is picked off while throwing deep to Devonta Smith, and that ends the game. It’s an incredible win for the Falcons, coming back to take the lead in the final moments.
JESSIE BATES III SEALS THE IMPROBABLE FALCONS WIN. #ATLvsPHI pic.twitter.com/ukPLS3LjT8
— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
11:11 p.m. — The Eagles burn a timeout after a 13-yard completion to Goedert. Philadelphia has just one timeout remaining and could win it with a field goal if it can get in range.
11:07 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — What a drive for the Falcons. With no timeouts, Cousins cruises his offense down the field, then finds Drake London open in the end zone. A penalty makes the extra point longer, but Koo knocks it down, and the Falcons take a one-point lead.
DRAKE JUST DID THAT
ESPN | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/k7BjeVEFdt
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 17, 2024
11:05 p.m. — Atlanta is making things interesting. Cousins found an easy rhythm, hitting Darnell Mooney for a pair of 20-plus yard completions. The Falcons are inside the 10-yard line with under 50 seconds remaining.
11:02 p.m. FIELD GOAL— A massive drop from Saquon Barkley forces the Eagles to attempt, and knock down, a field goal. This game isn’t over yet though, as the Falcons are down just six, but have no timeouts left.
10:59 p.m. — A pair of Barkley runs force Atlanta to use its final two timeouts. The Eagles have 3rd & 3 with 1:46 left in this game.
10:55 p.m. — The Falcons take their first timeout of the half after the Eagles convert on a “Tush Push” for a first down. 1:56 remains with Philadelphia inside Atlanta’s 20-yard line.
10:51 p.m. — Barkley rushes up the middle for nine yards to hit the two-minute warning. Philadelphia, up by just three, could use some insurance points if it can’t just run the clock out.
10:48 p.m. — Hurts hits Dallas Goedert for 16 yards, but it still sets up a huge 3rd & 2 for the Eagles. Barkley picks up the first down with a four-yard catch.
10:43 p.m. — Drake London picks up eight yards, and the Falcons go for it on 4th & 1. Bijan Robinson then gets stuffed by CJ Gardner-Johnson on a massive play for the Eagles’ defense, and Philadelphia takes over.
CJ Gardner-Johnson STUFFS the 4th down play
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/SwOY6tvkwW— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
10:39 p.m. — Philadelphia, looking to take full control of this game, has forced a 3rd & 9 on Atlanta’s first set of downs. A significant play is coming for the Falcons after an injured player timeout.
10:33 p.m. — Hurts sneaks it in on another “Tush Push” to give Philadelphia the lead, and Nick Sirianni then opts to go for two. Barkley barely breaks through up the middle to give the Eagles a three-point advantage.
Tush Push for the lead!
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/IxmrL6mwlj— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
10:31 p.m. — A long drive for the Eagles continues, as a Saquon Barkley receiving touchdown is overturned after his knee was down a yard short of the end zone.
10:25 p.m. — Hurts completes short passes to Britain Covey and Smith, then the Eagles go back to the “Tush Push” to convert on 4th & 1.
Jason Kelce in the booth for the @Eagles tush push
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/SZ9a4ScgKY— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
10:19 p.m. —The third quarter comes to an end with an eight-yard completion from Hurts to Smith, who’s up to 71 receiving yards today. The Eagles will have 3rd & 4 to start the final frame.
10:12 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — After converting a 4th & 4, Cousins hits Darnell Mooney in stride for a 42-yard score. The two-point try is no good, meaning the Falcons will maintain a five-point lead.
Cousins to Mooney! @AtlantaFalcons have their first TD of the night
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/OYOWjShvSj— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
10:05 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Jessie Bates III made a strong tackle to break up a potential second touchdown for Smith. Philadelphia settles for the field goal, reclaiming the lead. Just over four minutes remain in the third quarter.
Jessie Bates III saves a TD ‼️
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/M7yWsQWANZ— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
10:02 p.m. — Hurts connects with Smith again on a pretty-looking play, pushing the Eagles deep into Falcons territory. 1st & 10 at the Atlanta 13-yard line coming up.
10:00 p.m. — Matthew Judon picks up the Falcons’ first sack of the game, but Hurts recovers by finding Smith for 14 yards on the next play.
Red sleeves wreaking havoc
ESPN | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/ZPceZm38Tf
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 17, 2024
9:55 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Milton Williams records the first sack of the day to set up a 4th & 12 for the Falcons. Koo comes through again from 34 yards out, giving Atlanta the lead.
9:53 p.m. — Atlanta has gotten some nice chunk plays to begin the second half. Robinson runs for 19 yards and makes a 13-yard reception to continue his big night, then Allgeier hits the outside for another 12 yard gain.
9:49 p.m. — The Falcons receive the second-half kickoff looking to take the lead.
9:34 p.m. — Hurts takes a knee to send the game to halftime. This matchup has been all about the run game for both teams: Bijan Robinson has 72 rushing yards on 10 carries, Jalen Hurts has 51 rushing yards on six carries and Saquon Barkley has 37 rushing yards on eight carries.
9:31 p.m. FIELD GOAL— Cousins’ pass on 3rd & Goal is incomplete, so Atlanta takes another field goal from Koo to pull within a point.
9:28 p.m. — The Falcons’ run game takes them to 1st & Goal, and a face mask call on Brandon Graham gets them even closer to the end zone. However, time isn’t on Atlanta’s side as halftime nears.
9:20 p.m. — Atlanta is slowly driving into Eagles territory toward the end of the first half. Robinson continues his strong start with 24 yards over a pair of carries, but McCloud earns a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty as we hit the two-minute warning.
Ray-Ray McCloud III was penalized for unnecessary roughness for this after Eagles DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson pulled his mouthpiece off. pic.twitter.com/RXhUzQKA2N
— ESPN (@espn) September 17, 2024
9:16 p.m. — Falcons TE Kyle Pitts makes his first catch of the game for two yards. On third down, Cousins come through with a 12-yard connection with Ray-Ray McCloud III.
9:11 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — It’s Devonta Smith coming down with the ball in the end zone on a seven-yard completion from Hurts. Over halfway through the second quarter, we have our first touchdown of the matchup.
6 for 6 special‼️@DeVontaSmith_6 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/uwHcCNLdm6
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 17, 2024
9:08 p.m. — Hurts is doing it all with his legs right now. On 2nd & 20, he picks up nine yards. Then, he does it again with a physical 15-yard run to set up 1st & Goal for Philadelphia.
JALEN HURTS TOO STRONG.
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/D8LN7dUMw5— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
9:04 p.m. — Hurts finds Devonta Smith for 18 yards to enter Falcons territory. On 4th & 3, Philadelphia goes for it again, and Hurts scrambles for 23 yards to keep the drive alive. However, he spiked the ball in excitement at the end of the play, earning the Eagles a five-yard delay of game penalty.
RUN ON ‘EM, JALEN! pic.twitter.com/UvmkzBFDcy
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 17, 2024
8:58 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Younghoe Koo knocks one through for Atlanta after Cousins picked up just one yard on third down.
8:54 p.m. —The Falcons are putting together their best drive yet. RB Tyler Allgeier catches one for 12 yards, then runs for another 15. 3rd & 9 coming up for Atlanta.
8:48 p.m. — Another punt. The Eagles go three-and-out this time around, then Drake London picks up 19 yards for the Falcons to end the first quarter.
8:44 p.m. — Atlanta’s second drive looked similar to its first. Robinson had a nice 14-yard gain on the ground, but Cousins can’t get much going after. The ball is going back to Philadelphia as the first quarter nears an end.
8:37 p.m. — The Eagles went for it on 4th & 4 instead of taking a field goal, but it didn’t pay off. Atlanta locks up all of Hurts’ available options and forces an incompletion, keeping this game scoreless.
8:34 p.m. — Saquon Barkley is finding all kinds of room to run on this drive. He’s up to four carries for 39 yards, and Philadelphia is inside the Falcons’ 20-yard line.
Nasty cut from Saquon 😬
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/UHOjceuEaV— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
8:32 p.m. — Something to keep an eye on: ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters reported that A.J. Brown expects to miss multiple weeks.
A.J. Brown told ESPN’s Lisa Salters that he expects “to miss a couple of weeks.”
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) September 17, 2024
8:27 p.m. — Atlanta’s first drive goes similarly to Philadelphia’s. Bijan Robinson picked up 14 yards on the ground, but two incomplete passes and a six-yard catch for Drake London force the Falcons to punt. Back to work for Hurts.
8:20 p.m. — Philadelphia punts it away, slowing down after the initial first down. Kirk Cousins and the Falcons offense will take the field inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line.
8:17 p.m. — First play of the game goes 15 yards, a pass to the middle of the field caught by Eagles TE Grant Calcaterra.
8:16 p.m. — The Eagles receive the opening kickoff. Jalen Hurts and his offense are taking the field.
8:10 p.m. — Almost time for kickoff. This is RB Saquon Barkley’s home debut for Philadelphia after he had three touchdowns in Week 1.
8:02 p.m. — Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, a known Eagles fan, joined Kelce to make pregame their picks. Safe to say, Kelce doesn’t think the Falcons will win tonight.
.@JasonKelce‘s Monday Night Football pick 😂
📺: #ATLvsPHI on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/xAsbI94sxz— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
7:36 p.m. — WR A.J. Brown is inactive for Philadelphia tonight, so Jalen Hurts will likely be relying on TE Dallas Goedert and WRs Devonta Smith and Jahan Dotson in his absence.
#Eagles WR A.J. Brown inactive tonight but out here with the team pregame. pic.twitter.com/uecHTNpSoP
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 16, 2024
7:04 p.m. — Nearing an hour from kickoff, here’s Falcons QB Kirk Cousins’ arrival to the stadium. He had 155 passing yards last week in his return to action.
.@KirkCousins8 has arrived in Philly.
📺: #ATLvsPHI – 8:15pm ET on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/OGhKeuqSFu— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2024
6:47 p.m. — Some more Kelce-related fun going on pregame from ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Schefty rocked the Jason Kelce Super Bowl parade suit for Monday Night Countdown 😅 @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/UHq3DM25I8
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 16, 2024
6:17 p.m. — Now-retired Eagles center Jason Kelce is in town for this matchup, and he should show up periodically on the broadcast. Kelce looks like he’s already having a great time.
JASON KELCE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE AN ENTRANCE IN PHILLY 🔥 🦅 pic.twitter.com/Ypa41ShOGn
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 16, 2024
The Falcons vs. Eagles game will be aired on ESPN along with ESPN2, which carries the “ManningCast” broadcast with Peyton and Eli Manning.
Fans can also stream the game on ESPN+ or Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users.
Viewers in Canada can stream every NFL game through DAZN.
Monday’s meeting between the Falcons and Eagles will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET, the usual slot for “Monday Night Football.” The game will be played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Here’s a look at Philadelphia schedule this season, including its Week 1 win over Green Bay.
Week | Opponent | Date, Time (ET) |
1 | vs. Packers (W, 34-29) | Sept. 6, 8:15 p.m. |
2 | vs. Falcons | Sept. 16, 8:15 p.m. |
3 | at Saints | Sept. 22, 1 p.m. |
4 | at Buccaneers | Sept. 29, 1 p.m. |
5 | Bye | |
6 | vs. Browns | Oct. 13, 1 p.m. |
7 | at Giants | Oct. 20, 1 p.m. |
8 | at Bengals | Oct. 27, 4:25 p.m. |
9 | vs. Jaguars | Nov. 3, 8:20 p.m. |
10 | at Cowboys | Nov. 10, 4:25 p.m. |
11 | vs. Commanders | Nov. 14, 8:15 p.m. |
12 | at Rams | Nov. 24, 8:20 p.m. |
13 | at Ravens | Dec. 1, 4:25 p.m. |
14 | vs. Panthers | Dec. 8, 1 p.m. |
15 | vs. Steelers | Dec. 15, 4:25 p.m. |
16 | at Commanders | Dec. 22, 1 p.m. |
17 | vs. Cowboys | Dec. 29, 4:25 p.m. |
18 | vs. Giants | Jan. 5, TBD |
Here’s a look at Atlanta’s 2024 schedule after its 0-1 start to the year.
Week | Opponent | Date, Time (ET) |
1 | vs. Steelers | Sept. 8, 1 p.m. |
2 | at Eagles | Sept. 16, 8:15 p.m. |
3 | vs. Chiefs | Sept. 22, 8:20 p.m. |
4 | vs. Saints | Sept. 29, 1 p.m. |
5 | vs. Buccaneers | Oct. 3, 8:15 p.m. |
6 | at Panthers | Oct. 13, 4:25 p.m. |
7 | vs. Seahawks | Oct. 20, 1 p.m. |
8 | at Buccaneers | Oct. 27, 1 p.m. |
9 | vs. Cowboys | Nov. 3, 1 p.m. |
10 | at Saints | Nov. 10, 1 p.m. |
11 | at Broncos | Nov. 17, 4:05 p.m. |
12 | Bye | |
13 | vs. Chargers | Dec. 1, 1 p.m. |
14 | at Vikings | Dec. 8, 1 p.m. |
15 | at Raiders | Dec. 16, 8;30 p.m. |
16 | vs. Giants | Dec. 22, 1 p.m. |
17 | at Commanders | Dec, 29, TBD |
18 | vs. Panthers | Jan. 5, TBD |
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