The Falcons are now 1-1 for the regular season after a 24-20 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. This is Atlanta's first win against the Eagles since Dan Quinn's coaching debut back in 2015. With a statement win against Philadelphia, here are the main takeaways from the game:
Jones and Ridley explode for big games
Julio Jones had a very notable performance against the Eagles. Jones finished with 5 catches for 106-yards including the game winning touchdown for 54-yards. Jones has now passed Roddy White for career leader in receiving yards for the franchise. Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley also came away with an efficient game. Ridley was targeted 10 times and recorded eight catches for 108-yards. He finished the game recording his second 100-yard receiving game of his career.
For more coverage on Jones and Ridley's performance and the teams reaction to Jones' game winning touchdown, click here
Ryan completes 300th career TD pass
Matt Ryan tied John Elway for all-time most career touchdown completions after tossing his 300th touchdown pass. Ryan tied Elway at eleventh on the list after connecting with Julio Jones for a 54-yard touchdown pass to win the game. For more coverage on Ryan making history, click here.
Falcons defense stand tall in close game
Atlanta's defense came ready to play against the Philly offense. The Falcons defensive line brought pressure to Eagle's quarterback Carson Wentz throughout the contest.
Wentz was sacked three times by defensive linemen Grady Jarrett, Adrian Clayborn and Vic Beasley. The Falcons secondary also caused two turnovers against Philadelphia with Desmond Trufant's two interceptions in the first half. Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver played an up to par game in the secondary with his five tackles and two pass deflections.
For more coverage on the Falcons defense, click here
Other notable performances:
Safety Keanu Neal led the defense in tackles, coming away with a total of nine and two pass deflections.
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell played well on defense. Campbell finished the game with eight tackles and was the second leader in tackles.
Linebacker Deion Jones stepped up on the defensive end. Jones recorded seven tackles in the game.
Defensive back Damontae Kazee also had a good turnout against Philadelphia. Kazee finished the matchup with six tackles recorded.
For those who want further analysis of Thursday's preseason game between the Falcons and Redskins, check out an archive of our live blog, below.
