Atlanta Falcons: 3 Players that must shine vs. Eagles in Week 2

Before the Atlanta Falcons host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, here are three players that must shine in the NFC matchup.

After concluding the opening week of the 2019 NFL regular season with a disappointing performance on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, the Atlanta Falcons will look to bounce back quickly in their home opener on Sunday night in the second week of the year.

Atlanta will open up its home schedule with welcoming yet another tough NFC opponent into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta when the Falcons host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football.

Atlanta comes into the game as somewhat of underdogs to Philadelphia, and it’s understandable following how the Falcons looked while struggling in the season opener against the Vikings last Sunday.

The Falcons, who finished the 2018 season tied with the Carolina Panthers for second place in the NFC South with a record of 7-9, look to try and get back into the postseason in 2019 after missing the playoffs a year ago. The Falcons, however, already have some ground to make up early on in the regular season after falling to 0-1 on the season following their 28-12 loss in Week 1.

In the defeat to start the year last Sunday in Minnesota, Atlanta looked out of rhythm throughout most of the game while matching up against one of the top defenses in the league in the Vikings defensive unit.

With the exception of two late-game touchdowns, the Falcons were held scoreless through three quarters at US Bank Stadium, which isn’t something we’ve been used to seeing out of their high-caliber offensive group.  They will aim to get their mojo back at home this week.

Philadelphia, which concluded the 2018 season with a record of 9-7 to grab second place in the NFC East behind the Dallas Cowboys who finished 10-6, enter the Week 2 contest at 1-0 following its 32-27 victory over Washington to begin the year.

In the game, the Eagles were able to record 25 of their 32 points in the second half to come back and win, tallying 11 points in the fourth quarter alone to edge past the Redskins.

It’s only Week 2, but this contest between Atlanta and Philadelphia could be a game we look back on as playing a large part in where these two teams finish within the NFC standings in 2019.

Before the contest gets underway at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday night, let’s take a look at three Falcons players that will need to shine in the game in order for the Falcons to get back on track and move back to the .500 mark on the season against Philadelphia.