Even though the Eagles know Atlanta will air the ball out, Matt Ryan has the ability to pick apart the defense with his duo of star receivers. The Falcons will continue to rely on their passing attack this season without an established running back to lean on. Atlanta finished slightly above the Eagles last season with 4,553 total passing yards. Similar to Philadelphia, the Falcons have the ability to throw the ball effectively all over the field. If Bradford can operate like he did in the preseason, this game will showcase one of the best passing attacks in the league against a defense that struggled mightily in that department last season. YoWillieM™ Looking forward to this accuracy all season by Sam BradfordĪll eyes will be on Bradford Monday night as he makes his regular-season debut for Philadelphia. Quinn tried to address this need by drafting Clemson's sack specialist Vic Beasley in the first round of this year's NFL draft, but the inexperienced player will be going against a talented and veteran Philadelphia offensive line. One of the main issues for Atlanta was their lack of a pass rush, as they finished with the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last season with 22. On the other side, Philadelphia threw for 4,356 yards last season. Atlanta gave up more ground through the air last year than any other team, at 4,478 yards surrendered. The Falcons enter the season with a new defensive-minded coach that has to try to fix the worst pass defense in the league, based on their performance last year. Philadelphia operated well both through the air and on the ground last season, but look for the Eagles to try to throw the ball early and often against the Falcons on Monday night. Last year, Philadelphia finished fifth in the league for total yards and third in total points scored, behind only the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Some of these changes may factor into their strategy against the Atlanta defense.Ĭhip Kelly and the Eagles are well known for their rate of play and ability to score in the blink of an eye. The Eagles saw a lot of changes on the offensive side of the ball, in particular with a new starting quarterback and running back, and the loss of their leading receiver from last year. On the other side, Philadelphia brought in a lot of talented players, but they also shipped out a lot of key contributors, so it is yet to be seen if they actually improved their roster enough to win the division. Atlanta will likely rebound from their poor season due to their offensive talent, but the transformation may take time.