Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons Prediction & Match Preview - September 12th, 1 PM ET | NFL Week 1
The Atlanta Falcons host this Sunday, September 12th, at 1 PM ET, the Philadelphia Eagles in both teams' first game of the 2021 NFL season. This Battle of the Birds deserves everyone's attention because both teams are in the same situation: surrounded by doubts.
Match Details
Fixture – Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons | 2021 NFL Week 1.
Date & Time – Sunday, September 12th, 1 PM ET.
Venue – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia.
Philadelphia Eagles Preview
The Eagles' last season was chaotic. Before the end, it was clear that both coach Doug Pederson and quarterback Carson Wentz wouldn't return in 2021, and they didn't. So now the Eagles have a new head coach in Nick Sirianni and three QBs fighting for the starting role.
Key Player – Jalen Hurts
The sophomore QB started some games last year after the misunderstanding between Wentz and Pederson. Hurts, a second-round pick, seemed the logical choice to start the year, but the Eagles added Joe Flacco and Gardner Minshew to their roster. Hurts needs to be his best version from the first to the last snap. Otherwise, he'll be back on the bench.
Philadelphia Eagles Predicted Lineup
QB – Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, Gardner Minshew.
RB – Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell.
WR – DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward.
TE – Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll.
OL – Jordan Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Bradon Books, Lane Johnson, Andre Dillard, Nate Herbig, Landon Dickerson, Brett Toth.
DL – Brandon Graham, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett, Ryan Kerrigan, Hassan Ridgeway, Milton Williams, Josh Sweat, Tarron Jackson, Marlon Tuipulotu.
LB – Genard Avery, Eric Wilson, Alex Singleton, Patrick Johnson, TJ Edwards, Davion Taylor, Shaun Bradley.
CB – Darius Slay, Steven Nelson, Avonte Maddox, Zech McPhearson, Andre Chachere.
S – Rodney McLeod, Anthony Harris, K'Von Wallace, Marcus Epps, Andre Chachere.
K – Jake Elliot.
P – Arryn Siposs.
KR – Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Quez Watkins.
PR – Jalen Reagor, DeVonta Smith, Greg Ward.
Atlanta Falcons Preview
Like the Eagles, the Falcons last season was also chaotic. After starting 0-5, the team fired coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff in October. At the age of 38-years, head coach Arthur Smith has the arduous task of rebuilding the team while maximizing QB Matt Ryan's game.
Key Player – Kyle Pitts
Pitts is a once-in-a-generation kind of player. The tight end out of Florida is a fourth-round pick, the highest TE in the history of the draft. He's so good that the Falcons traded future Hall of Fame WR Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans. Pitts is a gifted receiver who can make an immediate impact on the Falcons' offense.
Atlanta Falcons Predicted Lineup
QB – Matt Ryan, Feleipe Franks, Josh Rosen.
RB – Mike Davis, Cordarrelle Patterson, Wayne Gallman, Keith Smith.
WR – Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage, Christian Blake, Olamide Zaccheus, Tajae Sharpe, Frank Darby.
TE – Kyle Pitts, Hayden Hurst, Lee Smith.
OL – Jake Matthews, Jalen Mayfield, Matt Hennessy, Chris Lindstrom, Kaleb McGary, Jason Spriggs, Colby Gossett, Drew Dalman.
DL – Grady Jarrett, Tyeler Davison, Jonathan Bullard, Marlon Davidson, Ta'Quon Graham, John Cominsky
LB – Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, Deion Jones, Foyesade Oluokun, Dante Fowler Jr., Brandon Copeland, Mykal Walker, Dorian Etheridge, Adetokunbo Ogundeji.
CB – AJ Terrell, Fabian Moreau, TJ Green, Isaiah Oliver, Darren Hall, Kendall Sheffield, Avery Williams.
S – Erik Harris, Duron Harmon, Jaylinn Hawkins, Richie Grant.
K – Younghoe Koo.
P – Cameron Nizialek.
KR – Cordarrelle Patterson.
PR – Avery Williams.
Philadelphia Eagles vs Atlanta Falcons Match Prediction
With so many doubts surrounding both teams, it's hard to predict anything. If Kyle Pitts is in the NFL, the same player he was in the NCAA, the Falcons have the upper hand in this game. But Fletcher Cox can easily disrupt the Falcons' O-Line.