FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Philadelphia Eagles have won as many prime-time games as the Atlanta Falcons have played in during the NFL's modern era.
The key number in the following information is 85.
The Eagles are 85-63 in prime-time games since the 1970 merger, totaling 148 appearances. The Falcons are 36-49 in the same time for 85 total appearances.
These two NFC teams will face off in the upcoming Monday Night Football showdown for Week 2 at Lincoln Financial Field.
"Obviously prime-time games are what you want as a team," Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said. "I'm really excited to get going out there, especially in Philadelphia, where their fans are super hostile. I can't wait to go out there and play."
While Monday will mark the Falcons' first prime-time appearance since 2022 — when the Falcons lost to the Carolina Panthers, 25-15, in Week 10 — the Eagles have already had one this season. Philadelphia opened up its 2024 schedule last week with a Week 1 prime-time game in Brazil, where the Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers, 34-29.
As for the Mondays themselves, Atlanta is 15-28, with the most recent game coming in Week 4 of 2020 when the Falcons lost to the Packers, 30-16. Philadelphia is 39-31, with its most recent Monday showing being a 20-17 loss in Week 15 of 2023 to the Seattle Seahawks.
To better understand why the Eagles have had more prime-time opportunities than the Falcons, it's easier to zone in on the past decade in general for explanation.
Below is a table showing how the Falcons and the Eagles performed from 2014-23, along with how many prime-time games they had in each season.
| YEAR | ATL: PRIME TIME | ATL: RECORD | PHI: PRIME TIME | PHI: RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 7-10 | 6 | 11-6 (LOST WC) |
| 2022 | 1 | 7-10 | 5 | 14-3 (LOST SB) |
| 2021 | 1 | 7-10 | 4 | 9-8 (LOST WC) |
| 2020 | 2 | 4-12 | 5 | 4-11-1 |
| 2019 | 2 | 7-9 | 4 | 9-7 (LOST WC) |
| 2018 | 3 | 7-9 | 5 | 9-7 (LOST DIV) |
| 2017 | 5 | 10-6 (LOST DIV) | 5 | 13-3 (WON SB) |
| 2016 | 2 | 11-5 (LOST SB) | 4 | 7-9 |
| 2015 | 2 | 8-8 | 6 | 7-9 |
| 2014 | 2 | 6-10 | 4 | 10-6 |
For reference, before 2023, the last time the Falcons did not have a single prime-time game was 2008. They went 4-12 the season prior. As for the Eagles, 1999 was the last time they didn't have a prime-time game, after going 3-13 the year before.
Anyways, that's 20 prime-time games for the Falcons and 48 for the Eagles. Overall, through those 10 regular seasons, the Falcons had a losing record of 74-89 (a 45.4% success rate) with two playoff runs and the Eagles had a winning 93-69-1 record (a 57.1% success rate) with six playoff runs.
"It's definitely more exciting because you're the only show under the lights," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "That's always cool for the overall team and everybody that's a part of that, when you're talking about the marketing team, you're talking about our president, you're talking about all those things. Those things are always exciting, and it's definitely something that you want to get yourself used to and accustomed to because that's where you want to be. You want to be those guys that are those marketable teams that play a lot in prime time."
Prime-time games tend to go to either teams with the most success or teams with the best stories. Essentially, interest is rewarded.
This season, the Falcons have four prime-time games, their most since 2017 when they had five. Atlanta played in the 2016 season's Super Bowl, so five prime-time games the following year made sense.
Though the Falcons went 7-10 in 2023, their 2024 offseason moves — mainly hiring Raheem Morris as head coach, signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and drafting another passer in Michael Penix Jr. — drew so much national attention that broadcast networks want to showcase the new-look team, so that's why four prime-time games makes sense.
"Last year, I think we were playing at 1 o'clock every week, which is cool," Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. "But it's pretty cool to see our team get on a prime-time type of game, where the whole world is watching."
The Eagles, meanwhile, have five prime-time games this season, which tracks with their recent allotments. Last year, the Eagles lost in a wild-card game. They're still considered a playoff-worthy team. Hence, the continued spotlight.
An argument can be made that some teams perform better under the bright night lights. Perhaps they thrive under the added pressure of a larger audience. Whether that's the 2024 Falcons, who are currently 0-1, has yet to be seen. Monday will be their first opportunity to not only prove their worthy of a prime-time slot but also that their Week 1 outcome was a fluke.
"There's still going to be a normal football game," Bates said. "There's still going to be the same amount of time on the clock. Just a little bit more hype behind it being nationally televised for us to go show out, show the world what we can do.
"This week, too, our goal is just to go 1-0. Doesn't matter if it's a prime-time game or whatever type of game it is."
