Ravens have problems against Raiders, Vikings win over 49ers
Prince Grimes analyzes all the ups and downs of the second week of the 2024 NFL season.
Sport in Seriousness
Week 2 in the NFL is almost complete and two emerging NFC playoff contenders are closing out Monday Night Football.
The Atlanta Falcons will look to avoid an 0-2 start when they face the Philadelphia Eagles, who are trying to join the undefeated. Many eyes will be on Kirk Cousins as he tries to rebound from a disappointing debut with his new team. But the Eagles will also be under scrutiny in their home opener following their big win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil. Philadelphia will have to recalibrate its offense for the evening with star wide receiver AJ Brown out with a hamstring injury.
USA TODAY Sports will have live updates throughout the evening, so check back for the latest on Falcons vs. Eagles:
PHILADELPHIA — Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was seen roaming the sidelines before kickoff, with his former protégé and former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia by his side.
Belichick’s new role on Monday night is to join Peyton and Eli Manning in the “ManningCast” as the six-time Super Bowl head coach plays his first football season in five decades away from the NFL sidelines. — Chris Bumbaca
- The Falcons game against the Eagles begins at 8:15 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
- TV channels: ESPN | ESPN2
ESPN will once again be the broadcast headquarters for Monday Night Football. The long-time team of Joe Buck (live commentary) and Troy Aikman (color) will be on the phone, with Lisa Salters reporting from the sidelines.
Viewers can also tune in to the “ManningCast” with Peyton and Eli Manning and Bill Belichick on ESPN2.
Those without cable and wanting to stream the game live can turn to Fubo TV. Fubo TV carries NBC as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of channels, so you can watch NFL action for the rest of the season.
ESPN+, ESPN’s proprietary streaming service, will also broadcast the game.
Due to a thigh injury, Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown will not be able to play against the Falcons on Monday Night Football.
Inactive Falcons players:
- RB Jase McClellan
- CB Antonio Hamilton Sr.
- DL Brandon Dorlus
- OG Jovaughn Gwyn
- OT Brandon Parker
- DL Ruke Orhorhoro
Inactive Eagles players:
- QB Tanner McKee
- WR AJ Brown
- CB Eli Ricks
- LB Devin White
- OL Darian Kinnard
- OG Trevor Keegan
- DT Byron Young
According to BetMGM NFL odds, the Eagles are the favorites to beat the Falcons. Want to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering 2024 NFL betting action.
- Spread: Eagles (-5.5)
- Moneyline: Eagles (-250); Falcons (+200)
- Over/Under: 45.5
Here are USA TODAY Sports’ expert picks for the game:
Monday night’s meeting will be the 38th ever meeting between the Eagles and the Falcons, including playoff games.
The Eagles hold a 21-15-1 lead in the series, which dates back to the Falcons’ inaugural season in 1966 — including a 3-1 record in postseason games. For any NFL history buffs out there, the head coaches in that first meeting between the Eagles and Falcons were Joe Kuharich (Eagles) and Norb Hecker (Falcons), and the starting quarterbacks were Norm Snead (Eagles) and Randy Johnson (Falcons).
The biggest meeting between the two franchises came in the 2004 NFC Championship Game, a 27-10 victory for the Eagles that ended a three-year losing streak in conference championship games. In the 2017 playoffs, the Eagles defeated the Falcons in the divisional playoffs to win Super Bowl 52.
For those who like to test their NFL knowledge with Pro Football Reference’s immaculate spreadsheets, there are a number of notable players who played for both teams. Pro Football Hall of Fame member Claude Humphrey played 10 years with the Falcons and then his final three NFL seasons with the Eagles, including as a member of the Philadelphia team that made it to Super Bowl XV. Quarterback Michael Vick was the Falcons’ quarterback in the aforementioned 2004 NFC title game, but also started a playoff game for the Eagles during the 2010 season. Seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones played a decade in Atlanta and had his final season (2023) in Philadelphia. — Jim Reineking
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