3. Sept. 6: at Philadelphia Eagles
There’s no better way to reconcile the Falcons loss to the Eagles in last year’s NFC Playoffs than by beating Philly on opening night. It’s never fun to play on the road in the first game of the year, but a victory in Week 1 would go a long way in helping Atlanta start off the 2018 regular season on a high note. Needless to say, that would be best-case scenario.
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Whether the Falcons win or lose is besides the point; this NFC clash will have huge implications come December. I have a feeling both of these squads will be competing for playoff spots this season, which means the all important “tiebreaker” will mean everything at the start of January. It may only be Week 1, but the intensity between both sidelines will be extremely high.
The good news for Atlanta is that while Philly has lost some big pieces from their Super Bowl-winning team a year ago, the Dirty Birds’ roster is relatively still in-tact. Not to mention, with some potentially big selections in the 2018 NFL Draft, this Falcons team could be even better when September rolls around.
We saw the Kansas City Chiefs destroy the New England Patriots last year on opening night, so at least we know it’s possible for the reigning champs to fall early. At the end of the day if the Falcons want people to believe in their chances of winning a title in 2018-19, winning in Philly on opening night is extremely important.