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A stale offensive game turned into an absolute shocker on “Monday Night Football,” as the Atlanta Falcons took down the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-21, thanks to a brilliant Kirk Cousins last-minute drive.
The key play of the game was a third-and-short situation in the Falcons’ red zone, where quarterback Jalen Hurts did play action instead of running the ball to kill more clock, and he was looking for Saquon Barkley.
Barkley, who had a tremendous Eagles debut with three touchdowns, appeared destined for a first down that would’ve iced the game – had he caught the ball. With the drop, the clock stopped, bringing on kicker Jake Elliott for the field goal to make it an 18-15 game.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher-Imagn Images)
So, with 1:39 left on the clock, Cousins and the Falcons’ offense, with no timeouts, had a chance to drive down the field and score a touchdown with the extra point needing to be hit for the victory.
Well, Cousins got to work, finding his tight end Kyle Pitts for 11 yards and then two catches by Darnell Mooney for a total 47 yards to get in Philadelphia’s red zone.
Then, on third-and-5 from the Philadelphia 7-yard line, Drake London ran a perfect out route that Cousins found him on in the end zone and the Lincoln Financial Field crowd went dead silent.
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A small wrinkle in the Falcons’ potential game-winning extra point came when London was called for excessive celebration, moving the 33-yard attempt back to 48 yards. But Younghoe Koo buried it down the middle.
The Eagles, with all of their timeouts, still had a chance to get into field goal range for Elliott to save the night, but Hurts, who had a great game prior, threw an interception to safety Jessie Bates III to wipe out that possibility.
The Falcons and Eagles are now 1-1 after the stunner in Philly.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) runs past Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (8) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
This game looked all but wrapped up when C.J. Gardner-Johnson stonewalled Bijan Robinson on fourth-and-1, turning the Falcons over on downs after the Eagles had just tush-pushed Hurts into the end zone to give themselves a three-point lead after Barkley had a two-point conversion.
But the saying it ain’t over until it’s over had another example added to its ranks thanks to some clutch passing by Cousins, who finished 20-of-29 through the air for 241 yards with two touchdowns.
Cousins had previously struggled in this game, and some were wondering if that repaired Achilles was bothering him as he was leaving passes short all night. But he let one fly in the third quarter to Mooney, who hauled in a 41-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 15-10 lead. It was the longest play from scrimmage in a night where Mooney led Atlanta with 88 yards on just three receptions.
For the Eagles, DeVonta Smith, playing the role of top receiver with A.J. Brown sidelined due to a hamstring injury that likely has him out next week as well, had the game’s only touchdown before Mooney got in. He caught a seven-yard strike from Hurts in the second quarter.
Robinson was a key contributor for the Falcons on the ground, having a game-high 97 yards rushing on 14 carries. Barkley was two yards short of him on 22 carries, while Hurts had 85 yards on 13 tuck-and-runs.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)
Hurts was efficient before that game-ending interception, throwing for 183 yards on 23-of-30 passing.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
