ATLANTA -- Well that was a buzz kill. On a frustrating night in Atlanta, the Eagles came out extraordinarily flat, and their second-half rally fell short as the Falcons sent them to an 0-1 record out of the gate. Win or lose, as always, our 10 post-game awards!
The 'Why'd you spend so much on running backs if you're not gonna use 'em' award: Chip Kelly
- MORE ON THE EAGLES
- Chip Kelly's decision to kick proves to be wrong one vs. Falcons
- Sam Bradford has X-ray, but says 'I'm all good'
- Instant observations: Falcons 26, Eagles 24
- WATCH: Eagles LB Kiko Alonso's one-handed interception
I mean, I get it. The Falcons had eight in the box all game, and the run game wasn't exactly working, but literally nobody has the following split of carries in mind before the season began:
- DeMarco Murray: 8
- Darren Sproles: 5
- Ryan Mathews: 3
The backs did contribute in the passing game, especially Darren Sproles, who was great. But still... Bleh.
Meanwhile, Sam Bradford threw the ball 52 times. Maybe we should have called this the Andy Reid Award?
The Odell Beckham Jr. Award: Kiko Alonso
This speaks for itself:
Alonso, chatterbox that he is, described the play in the locker room after the game.
"I just had the guy coming in, and I turned around, and he threw it my way."
Thanks, Kiko.
The Bradley Fletcher Award: Byron Maxwell
Last season, we used to refer to #24 as Bradley "Under the Rainbow" Fletcher.
To be fair, Julio Jones is pretty freaking good, but we saw a bunch of this...
The Ruh Roh Award: Cody Parkey
After a very shaky preseason, Parkey missed an incredibly important 44-yard field goal that Chip Kelly categorized as "not a tough one." It would have given the Eagles a one-point lead with about two and a half minutes to go.
Would you say it's time for Eagles fans to crack each others' skulls open and feast on the goo inside? Yes, I would, Kent.
The Dink and Dunk Award: Sam Bradford
OK, so if the Falcons had eight in the box all game, why not take a few shots down the field? It's hard to determine whether the Eagles just weren't calling for deeper throws or if Bradford chose not to attempt them, but that's certainly one way to keep a defense honest.
The Cinderblock Hands Award: Malcolm Jenkins
The Invisible Man Award: Nelson Agholor
After a great training camp and flashy preseason, Agholor started but didn't have a catch until the fourth quarter. One catch, five yards.
The Surprise Nickel Award: Malcolm Jenkins and Chris Maragos
There were questions as to who the Eagles were going to use at nickel back. Would it be Eric Rowe? E.J. Biggers? Nope. The Eagles opted to slide Jenkins down into the slot and put Maragos in at safety. In other words, the Eagles would prefer a special teams guy be on the field with the regular defense over their second-round draft pick.
The No Holes Award: Eagles' OL
The Falcons bottled up the Eagles' rushing attack inside all game long, as the Eagles' OL failed to open up any holes in the interior of the Falcons D. That is concerning, as the inside run is an enormous part of the Eagles' offense.
The 'Must Win' Award: Eagles
Yep, we're headed into Week 2 and the Eagles already face a 'must win' game at home against the Cowboys next Sunday.
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