Atlanta Falcons vs. Philadelphia Eagles: Full Report Card Grades for Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles ground out a 24-15 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Eagles improve to 5-4 on the season and remain undefeated at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles offense managed to control the football for 38:10 and run the football at will. The Eagles finished with 429 yards of offense including 208 yards on the ground. Ryan Mathews made his return as the Eagles lead back with 108 yards an two touchdown on 19 carries.
Carson Wentz finished 25-of-36 for 231 yards. The rookie was able to rely on his defense and running game but still made big throws to help keep the offense moving.
The Atlanta Falcons offense entered the game as the top unit in the NFL, but the Eagles held them to their lowest point total on the season. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz mixed his play-calling, and the Eagles defense executed at a high level.
The Eagles were sloppy at times but made enough plays down the stretch to earn their first win in a tightly contested game.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The Philadelphia Eagles made life easy for Carson Wentz. By running the football, controlling the clock and playing stingy defense, the Eagles kept Wentz from having to carry them. Wentz finished 25-of-36 for 231 yards.
While the rookie may not have posted big fantasy numbers, Wentz made all of the throws the Eagles needed him to. He was efficient and helped keep the offense on track. The explosive passing plays were gone, but so were the interceptions.
Grade: B-
Running Back
2 of 10
The Philadelphia Eagles entered the game averaging 108 rushing yards per game; They ran for 208 against the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles running backs averaged 5.8 yards per carry on the day. They also added 87 yards receiving.
Ryan Mathews entered the game on probationary status with the coaching staff. Fumbling issues and a toothache limited the Eagles' top back to just nine carries combined the previous two weeks. Mathews responded with 108 yards, two touchdowns and a big two-point conversion.
Wendell Smallwood continued to see his role in the offense increase. The rookie back finished with 70 yards on his 13 carries. Most notably the coaching staff showed faith in him by giving him three consecutive carries on the Eagles' final drive.
Darren Sproles got fewer carries than he has in recent weeks but had 57 yards receiving and a team high eight catches.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz remain the Eagles only consistent receiving targets. They combined for 12 catches and 128 yards. Matthews had a bad drop shortly before the half but redeemed himself by drawing a 21-yard pass interference call to set up the Eagles' go ahead touchdown.
Outside of Ertz, Matthews and the running backs accounted for the remaining Eagles' receiving targets, which combined for three catches and 16 yards. Dorial Green-Beckham is 6'5", but for the second consecutive week he was completely invisible. Bryce Treggs helped bring a vertical threat to the Eagles passing attack against the Cowboys but was not targeted this week.
Grade: C-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The big boys up front got the job done for the Eagles offense. After constant reshuffling over the last month, the Eagles offensive line seems to be building chemistry. The running backs had holes to run through, and for the most part Carson Wentz had time to complete his progressions.
The coaching staff were able to use Jason Kelce's athleticism as a weapon, and the center was excellent as a pulling blocker. Rookie third-round pick Issac Seumalo seems to have supplanted Matt Tobin as the designated extra lineman in short-yardage situations.
The only major blemish for the offensive line were the penalties. The false starts have been a running theme throughout the season and need to stop. Those aren't a talent issue; it just comes down to concentration.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Eagles first unit defensive line came to play. Bennie Logan returned to the lineup after missing three weeks with an injury and forced an intentional grounding late in the game. Connor Barwin had a sack.
Brandon Graham had a sack and continues to be nearly impossible to block in both the run and pass game. Fletcher Cox may not have stuffed the stat sheet, but he returned to his typical disruptive form after a tough few weeks.
The second unit was fairly quiet. Vinny Curry continues to provide pressure when the starters come off the field, but the rest of the group was unspectacular.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Eagles linebackers weren't very involved in the Eagles victory over the Falcons. Atlanta only ran 48 plays, and their game plan was seemingly to feed Julio Jones at the expense of everything else. The linebackers were mostly used to blitz and tackle short crossing routes.
Mychal Kendricks had one of his better games in a long time. He has long struggled with his open-field tackling ability, but on the day he made several tough tackles.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 10
When Nolan Carroll left the game with a concussion, the Eagles had a decision to make. Insert Leodis McKelvin, struggling with a hamstring injury and coming off a bad game, or play undrafted rookies with no NFL experience. The coaching staff decided to go with McKelvin, and it almost immediately backfired. McKelvin bit on a double move and was burned for a 76-yard touchdown.
McKelvin would find his redemption. The veteran corner jumped Matt Ryan's pass to Julio Jones and sealed the Eagles' victory.
Jalen Mills continues to battle through the ups and downs of being a rookie corner pressed into starting duty. Nobody will confuse Mills with a shutdown corner, but he battles and has done enough to earn the right to continue to start.
Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod are the glue that hold the Eagles defense together. They are seemingly everywhere on every play. Both are equally adept in coverage and in the run game. Their unique skill sets allow defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to be creative in the looks he gives to opposing offenses.
Grade: A-
Special Teams
8 of 10
Caleb Sturgis had an interesting day. The kicker converted three field goals including a late one to give the Eagles a two-score lead. Sturgis also missed two field goals earlier in the game. Head coach Doug Pederson initially considered going for it on 4th-and-one just before the two-minute warning, but after a timeout he reconsidered, and his faith in his kicker was rewarded.
Kenjon Barner had three long returns on kickoffs. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp is doing an excellent job with his units.
The lowlight for the special teams came on a late Donnie Jones punt. The ball rolled out of bounds, but reserve linebacker Najee Goode decided to tackle the return man for an unnecessary roughness penalty.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
Head coach Doug Pederson was another member of the Philadelphia Eagles with a bounce-back game. The game plan was to establish the running game and keep the ball away from the Atlanta Falcons. The Eagles did both extremely well. They dominated the time of possession and were able to help lighten the load on Carson Wentz.
Pederson is a guy players will love to play for. He put his trust in his kicker despite a rough day, and it paid off. My favorite moment of the game was Pederson's reaction to Jordan Matthews receiving a vicious hit to the head. The Eagles were called for a penalty last week on a much more tame hit, but when the referees didn't throw a flag, Pederson lost it. There was a non-zero chance he was going to assault a referee. Players love when a coach has their back like that.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz had a great game as well. He mixed up his play-calling, varying from exotic blitz looks to heavy coverage. Matt Ryan never seemed to find a rhythm. With the exception of McKelvin's blown coverage, the defense had a near-perfect game against an explosive scoring attack.
Grade: A
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Position | Grade |
| QB | B- |
| RB | A |
| WR & TE | C- |
| OL | A- |
| DL | B+ |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | A- |
| ST | B+ |
| Coaching | A |
Cumulative Grade: B+
It wasn't a pretty game. The Philadelphia Eagles made things more difficult than they needed to be. At the end of the day, though, it was a game about redemption. Ryan Mathews, Leodis McKelvin, Doug Pederson and Caleb Sturgis all found ways to overcome their recent struggles and played a key role in the Eagles victory.
The Eagles finally proved they can win a tight game; They now have that monkey off their collective backs. The Eagles are now 5-4, undefeated at home with four of their remaining seven games in Philadelphia.
The Eagles travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks next week. If the Eagles can find a way to emerge from a hostile road environment, against a top team, their playoff hopes will remain strong with a win.
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