Roob’s Observations: Eagles drop home opener in horrifying last-minute loss to Falcons originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Welcome back to 2023.
After blowing three games last year that they led with two minutes left, the Eagles did it again Monday night.
A nightmare last minute after the Eagles took a six-point lead with 65 seconds left turned what looked like a dramatic comeback win into a horrifying 22-21 loss in the home opener at the Linc.
Here we go with our 10 Observations.
1. That last drive Kirk Cousins – who can’t move – needed only 65 seconds to drive the Falcons 70 yards for the game-winning touchdown. The Eagles got away with some really bad defense much of the game, but it all caught up to them on the final drive. Bad coverage. Bad tackling. Bad everything. They didn’t put up a fight. You really want to think that the way last year ended was out of this team’s system, but this is a game that if you want to call yourself a Super Bowl contender, you just can’t lose. In your own building? In your home opener? Against this team? This was inexcusable. And until the Eagles prove that it’s not 2023 anymore, until they prove they have the mental toughness to win a game like this, until they make the plays to finish a game, that shadow of last year’s disastrous 2023 Eagles finish will loom large over Nick Sirianni and the 2024 Eagles.
2. It’s hard to be too critical of Saquon Barkley. The guy is a beast. A flat-out beast and for two weeks in a row now he’s produced in a big way. In his Eagles debut against the Packers he had 132 scrimmage yards and added 116 Monday night. Some huge plays. But he’s got to catch the football. He just has to. There’s no excuses for that drop. Catch the ball, fall down, ballgame. It’s over. Third-and-3. Eagles up 21-15 with 1:46 left. Ball on the Falcons’ 10-yard-line. Nobody near him. At the sticks. Easy first down. I mean, the game is over as soon as he catches it and falls down at the 7-yard-line. Barkley plays so hard and has been so good. But that just can’t happen. That’s not the only reason the Eagles lost Monday night, but, man, that was just a terrible drop.
More coming …
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