As Week 2 comes to a close, the NFL gifts us with yet another great primetime matchup. The Philadelphia Eagles, following a shootout victory against the Packers in Brazil, head back to the US to host the Atlanta Falcons. Expectations were high for Atlanta going into the season. They acquired star players like Kirk Cousins and Matthew Judon in the offseason along with replacing Arthur Smith with Raheem Morris at head coach. After years of sub par quarterback play and offensive coaching, the Falcons finally have the opportunity to showcase all of their talent. With Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson all being Top 8 overall picks in their respective drafts, it is clear that this offense has a ton of untapped potential. However, in the season opener the Falcons came up short. They lost 18-10 against the Steelers in a game where they didn’t let up a single touchdown. Cousins threw for 155 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Now, what can we expect when they face off against Philadelphia in their first prime time game of the season? Here’s what I’ve got:
Kirk Cousins Over 21.5 Completions
We are going to see a very different Falcons offense than we saw last week. Last week against the Steelers, Cousins learned that his time in the pocket is limited. If he waits too long he will likely get sacked or throw an interception. This week, playing a defensive line that’s maybe even better than the Steelers, I expect Atlanta to make some adjustments. We will see a lot of quick screen and slant passes from Cousins. These easy completions are Atlanta’s key to success. They need to get the ball in the hands of their most skilled players.
Another reason I like this bet is because I don’t anticipate Atlanta will be playing with a big lead for much of the game. It will either be competitive, or they will be playing from behind. The Falcons passing offense will be relevant for all four quarters. Following a full week to settle in and adjust to the new season, 22+ completions is inevitable for Cousins tonight.
Jahan Dotson Over 27.5 Receiving Yards.
Towards the tail end of this offseason the Eagles surprised the whole league by trading for Jahan Dotson, making him perhaps the best WR3 in the NFL. Dotson had some promising moments in Washington, but struggled to be consistent due to poor QB play. Tonight AJ Brown is out, meaning Dotson will have an increased role playing as WR2 for the Eagles. There’s no denying that the Eagles have a ton of options on offense through both the run and pass game. However, setting a line this low for the second receiving option on the Eagles seems disrespectful. To be fair, Dotson did not record a single catch for the Eagles last week in Brazil. This week will be different. Tonight is the night Dotson proves himself as a valuable piece of this Eagles offense for this game, and for the rest of the season.
Saquon Barkley to Score a TD
Last week we got a glimpse of the new Eagles goal line offense following Jason Kelce’s retirement. It’s clear that things are not as simple as they used to be. We saw multiple shaky attempts at the tush push including a near turnover. Now, when the Eagles get inside the five yard line, the safest option is going to be to hand the ball off to Barkley. Part of the reason the tush push was so useful last year was because the alternative was to hand the ball off to a smaller back like D’andre Swift of Kenneth Gainwell. Barkley is different, he is big and strong enough to be a successful goal line back. He is also a big play candidate who could easily find a gap and score a long touchdown. One way or another, Barkley is finding his way into the end zone tonight.
Tonight’s game will answer a lot of questions. Is Cousins 100% recovered from his injury? Will Jalen Hurts improve his decision making? Which star running back will shine the brightest? There is a lot on the line tonight as we watch the script for this season slowly unravel.
