Former Eagles react to their team’s epic collapse against the Atlanta Falcons
Former Eagles Seth Joyner, Emmanuel Acho, and Chris Long all weighed in on the Eagles' inability to put away Kirk Cousins and the Falcons.
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun gets shoved by Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts on Monday, September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles’ fourth-quarter collapse against the Atlanta Falcons has everyone searching for answers — including former Birds players.
What looked like a sure win at the two-minute warning turned into a devastating loss after Kirk Cousins drove the Falcons down the field and threw Drake London the game-winning touchdown.
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The Eagles’ defense got no pressure on Cousins, who was still struggling with mobility after his torn Achilles in 2023, on the final drive, and he was easily able to complete passes to Darnell Mooney and London on the minute-long touchdown drive.
Former Eagle Seth Joyner on 94 WIP called out Howie Roseman for taking nose tackle Jordan Davis in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, part of the unit that failed to contain Cousins on Monday.
“Jordan Davis, in my opinion, was a wasted draft pick and I said that on draft night,” Joyner said. “Now for two years and two games he’s proven that he cannot rush the passer. When you draft a player that high, you have to know for certain.”
Emmanuel Acho took a similar approach on FS1′s The Facility, suggesting that Roseman didn’t fully equip the defense and shouldn’t have signed Bryce Huff.
“You acquire Bryce Huff for $50 million from the [New York] Jets,” Acho said. “Bryce Huff had one 10-sack season. It was in his contract year. Do not trust a player who only balls in his contract year.”
Monday’s game was the home opener, the return of Nick Foles, who was in town to retire as an Eagle, and the return of Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox, who retired in the offseason and posted up at Xfinity Live! pregame to star on ESPN and hang out with the fans.
The fans showed up and brought the energy, but the Birds took the wind out of the building with the disappointing loss, Chris Long said on his podcast postgame.
“I’m disappointed in the way the Eagles came out,” Long said. “You’ve got Kelce in the South Philly Tuxedo, it’s Monday Night Football, he’s back in town, Nick Foles is back in town, all of that pageantry, and you blow it. This would’ve been a game that would’ve been great to get on the Cowboys. The way the Cowboys looked yesterday, you’re supposed to show up and stomp out Kirk Cousins in prime time. It’s what you do. It might not be what this team does.”
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III celebrates with teammates after intercepting the football in the fourth quarter. Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts leaves the field after the Eagles loss to the Falcons in their home opener.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni during a time out in the fourth quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley gets a first down against Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III, left, defensive end James Smith-Williams in the fourth quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles place kicker Jake Elliott kicks a field goal in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is stopped at fourth down and 1-yard in the fourth quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley gets a first down past Falcons safety Jessie Bates III in the fourth quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts keeps the ball on the second down play during the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scores during the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles tush push for a first down in the fourth quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts carries the football for yards during the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey reception brought down by Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell during the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney makes Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson miss a tackle during the third quarter. Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney flips into the end zone.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney goes upside down as he flips into the end zone to score a touchdown in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins reacts after failing to complete on a two-point conversion during the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is sacked by Atlanta Falcons linebacker Matthew Judon during the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith is brought down by Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier with a gain of 19 yards in the third quarter. Eagles get the first down.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs the football against Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss in the third quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams sacks Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in the third quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith scores a touchdown past Falcons safety Jessie Bates III and cornerback Harrison Hand in the second quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert is stopped by Falcons safety Richie Grant, left, safety Jessie Bates III, center, and linebacker Troy Andersen, right, in the second quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert celebrates with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith after Smith’s touchdown during the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun goes after Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts in the second quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football against Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus in the second quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley turns upfield but was stopped and loss five yards on the play during the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, center, celebrates a touchdown with teammates Saquon Barkley, left, and Cam Jurgens in the second quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during the second quarter. A penalty was called at the end of this play for spiking the ball.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts talks to his teammates during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley finds an opening during the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws an incomplete pass during the first quarter. At fourth and four, the Philadelphia Eagles will go for it.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean stops Falcons running back Bijan Robinson in the first quarter.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert can’t hold onto the pass on the fourth down during the first quarter. Eagles turn over the ball to the Atlanta Falcons.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Retired Eagles quarterback Nick Foles hypes the crowd before the start of the Eagles home opener against the Falcons.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown watches warmups before the start of the home opener against the Falcons.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Jason Kelce, left, Fletcher Cox and Nick Foles backstage at Xfinity Live! as part of ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage.Read moreSteven M. Falk / Staff Photographer
Jason Kelce greets fans at Xfinity Live! as part of ESPN's Monday Night Football coverage.Read moreSteven M. Falk / Staff Photographer
Long had a lot of thoughts about the play-calling deep in the red zone, especially on the Eagles’ first and final red zone drives — and the penalty issues, especially illegal man downfield penalties, which limited their RPO opportunities.
“We found out what happens when they’re one-dimensional at the end of the game,” Long said. “I guess it’s better we didn’t find that out earlier. Masterful by the Eagles leaving Atlanta back in the game so that Kirk didn’t get to the two-minute sooner, because it was Swiss cheese, man. We got shredded. It was crazy. I don’t know where to go with this, there’s so many ways you could’ve won that game.”