Eagles–Falcons rivalry
Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons
| |
| Location | Philadelphia, Atlanta |
|---|---|
| First meeting | September 18, 1966 Eagles 23, Falcons 10[1] |
| Latest meeting | September 16, 2024 Falcons 22, Eagles 21[1] |
| Next meeting | TBD (no later than 2027 regular season) |
| Stadiums | Eagles: Lincoln Financial Field Falcons: Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 38[1] |
| All-time series | Eagles, 21–16–1[1] |
| Regular season series | Eagles, 18–15–1[1] |
| Postseason results | Eagles, 3–1[1] |
| Largest victory | Eagles: 38–7 (1967) Falcons: 27–3 (1969)[1] |
| Longest win streak | Eagles, 4 (2000–2005), (2006–2010 Falcons, 3 (1978–1980), (2011–2015)[1] |
| Current win streak | Falcons, 1 (2024–present)[1] |
| Post–season history[1] | |
| |
The Eagles–Falcons rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons. The rivalry first emerged when the Falcons rallied in the fourth quarter against the Eagles in the 1978 Wild Card Round, and only intensified further in the 2000s with the emergence of star dual-threat quarterbacks in Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick.[2][3][4][5]
The two teams do not play every year; instead, they play once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules during which the NFC East and NFC South are paired up against each other, sometimes more often if they meet in the playoffs, or if the two teams finish in the same place in their respective divisions, they would play each other the following season.[6][7][8]
History
[edit]As of 2024, the Eagles lead the all-time series 21–16–1, and have a 3–1 playoff record.[9] The Eagles were the Falcons' second-ever opponent in the latter's inaugural 1966 season. In that game, Philadelphia won 23–10 as Atlanta went on to finish their first season at 3–11. It was not until 1978, however, that the rivalry truly took off.
1978 Wild Card Round
[edit]The Falcons finished the 1978 season 9–7, earning their first-ever playoff berth. Their reward was a home playoff game against the Eagles in the Wild Card Round. The Falcons initially trailed 13–0, but rallied to win 14–13. The turning point of the game came when Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski launched a deep pass to wide receiver Wallace Francis, who simultaneously caught the ball with Eagles defender Herm Edwards. Under NFL rules, Atlanta maintained possession following the simultaneous catch, gaining 49 yards in the process. Bartkowski later connected with tight end Jim Mitchell for a 20-yard touchdown, followed by a 37-yard touchdown pass to Francis late in the fourth quarter. Falcons kicker Tim Mazzetti scored the extra point to give Atlanta the lead. Philadelphia punter Mike Michel, who was thrust into kicking duties after a late-season injury to placekicker Nick Mike-Mayer, missed a potential game-winning 34-yard field goal, and was cut soon after.[10][11][2]
2000s: Donovan McNabb vs. Michael Vick
[edit]Both the Eagles and Falcons would meet almost frequently over the next several years, but in the early 2000s, the rivalry was reignited with the arrival of Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick. The two mobile quarterbacks met for the first time in the 2002 Divisional Round. However, the game failed to live up to the billing, as the Eagles defense sacked Vick (274 passing yards, 30 rushing yards) three times and forced two interceptions, including a 39-yard touchdown return by Bobby Taylor. Meanwhile, McNabb finished with 247 passing yards, 24 rushing yards and a touchdown as Philadelphia won 20–6.[12]
McNabb and Vick would meet once more in the 2004 NFC Championship Game, but the result again favored the Eagles in a 27–10 blowout victory. While McNabb had 180 passing yards, 32 rushing yards and two touchdowns (both were thrown to tight end Chad Lewis), Vick only managed 136 passing yards and 26 rushing yards. Vick was also sacked four times and intercepted twice.[12][2]
McNabb had defeated Vick in each of their first two meetings, but in Week 1 of the 2005 season, Vick finally bested McNabb in a meaningful contest. In the Monday Night Football opener (the series' final season with ABC until 2020), the Falcons defeated the Eagles 14–10, with Vick scoring the game's first touchdown on a seven-yard run.[12][13] Overall, the two quarterbacks faced each other in only three of a possible five times during their respective tenures with the Eagles and Falcons. In 2003, Vick missed the Eagles–Falcons game due to a leg injury he suffered in the preseason; the Eagles won 23–16. Then in 2006, McNabb did not play due to a serious knee injury in the Eagles' 24–17 win.
Following a dog-fighting scandal and a 21-month prison sentence, Vick was released by the Falcons after the 2008 season. The Eagles eventually signed Vick prior to the 2009 season, and in his first game in Atlanta with the Eagles, Vick scored two touchdowns while serving as McNabb's backup in the Eagles' 34–7 rout.[14] Vick eventually reclaimed the starting job during the 2010 season after McNabb was traded to the Washington Redskins.
Recent years
[edit]After releasing Vick, the Falcons groomed Matt Ryan, a Philadelphia native, whom they chose with the third pick in the 2008 NFL draft, as its new starter. In the 2011 season, Ryan and Vick faced each other for the first time as starting quarterbacks. Vick's second return in Atlanta did not go well, as he suffered a concussion and left the game. Ryan's four touchdowns helped the Falcons defeat the Eagles 35–31, his first career victory over Philadelphia.[15] Ryan also defeated Vick in 2012 as the Falcons cruised to a 30–17 victory. It was also Atlanta's first win in Philadelphia since 1988.[16]
The Eagles and Falcons would not meet again until the Kickoff of the 2015 NFL season under the Monday Night Football lights. A new look Eagles led by quarterback Sam Bradford and third-year coach Chip Kelly against Matt Ryan and new Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. Despite a 20–3 lead mounted by the Falcons going into halftime, the Eagles came back and took the lead midway in the fourth quarter with a Ryan Mathews rushing touchdown that gave the Eagles a narrow 24–23 lead. However, the Falcons drove down the field and regained the lead with a Matt Bryant field goal. The Falcons defense sealed the win with a Ricardo Allen interception off of Bradford.[17][18] This would eventually be the Eagles' last visit to the Georgia Dome as the stadium was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017.
The two teams would meet again the following season with the 6–3 Falcons, sporting a high-flying Falcons offense led by Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, going up against a 4–4 Eagles team now led by the rookie quarterback-head coach tandem of 2016 second overall pick Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson. Despite the Falcons being favorites entering the game, the Eagles mostly held them in check and didn't allow them to score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when Matt Ryan found receiver Taylor Gabriel for a 76-yard touchdown pass to take a 15–13 lead (Matt Bryant missed the extra point after). However, the Eagles answered with 11 unanswered points and held on for a 24–15 upset win.[19]
The Eagles and Falcons resumed their playoff rivalry in the 2017 Divisional Round. While Ryan had remained the Falcons' quarterback to that point, the Eagles were now led by Nick Foles, who originally replaced Vick in 2013 and later replaced an injured Carson Wentz as the starter that season. The Falcons entered the contest as the defending NFC champions, while the Eagles were the top seed in the NFC. Despite being home underdogs, the Eagles managed to win 15–10 after stopping the Falcons on a goal-line stand in the final minute. Foles passed for 246 yards, while Ryan ended up with 210 passing yards and a touchdown. The game's key points were scored by Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, who, having missed the extra point on the Eagles' lone touchdown of the game, scored three consecutive field goals, the first coming in the final seconds of the first half with the Eagles trailing 10–6.[20][21]
A rematch took place in the form of the 2018 NFL Kickoff Game. Much like their playoff meeting the previous year, the Eagles defense stopped yet another potential Falcons' game-winning touchdown in an 18–12 victory. Eagles running back Jay Ajayi scored the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, and the Eagles broke up a potential Ryan touchdown pass to Julio Jones on the final play following an illegal contact on fourth down gave the Falcons one additional play.[22][21]
The following season, the two teams met again in Week 2 on Sunday Night Football. In the first meeting between the two teams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Falcons prevailed, defeating the Eagles 24–20 in part due to a go-ahead, 54-yard touchdown by Julio Jones off of a screen pass from Matt Ryan late in the game.[23]
The Eagles and Falcons met again in Week 1 the 2021 season, but this time it was Ryan with new head coach Arthur Smith (who replaced Dan Quinn after a 5-year run with the franchise) against a young and rebuilding Eagles team led by second year quarterback Jalen Hurts and new head coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles dominated the game from start to finish en route to a 32–6 win over the Falcons.[24]
The teams met for the third time on Monday Night Football, this time in Week 2 of the 2024 season. In a game featuring new Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins and new head coach Raheem Morris, Atlanta narrowly won 22–21, as Cousins led a 70-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a go-ahead touchdown pass to Drake London with 34 seconds left in the game.
Season–by–season results
[edit]| Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons Season-by-Season Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1960s (Eagles, 2–1)
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1970s (Falcons, 3–1–1)
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1980s (Eagles, 4–3)
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1990s (Falcons, 3–2)
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2000s (Eagles, 7–1)
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2010s (Tied, 4–4)
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2020s (Tied, 1–1)
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Summary of Results
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See also
[edit]Notes and references
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "All Matchups, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Atlanta Falcons". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ a b c Dave Choate (September 13, 2015). "Falcons-Eagles rivalry history: Bitterness and bitter defeats abound over 31 games". SB Nation. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ Choate, Dave (2015-09-13). "A little Falcons-Eagles series history primer". The Falcoholic. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
- ^ Clancy, Shamus (2021-09-06). "The history of the Eagles opening the season against the Falcons". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
- ^ Papaserge, Ryan (September 29, 2010). "Michael Vick Vs. Donovan McNabb: A Look Back (And Ahead)". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
- ^ Davis, Scott. "The NFL schedule is created with the help of a simple formula". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "NFL gives East teams a break traveling West". ESPN.com. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ Trapasso, Chris. "How Is the NFL Schedule Created?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ Dave Choate (September 8, 2021). "What is the defining moment of the Falcons - Eagles rivalry?". SB Nation. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "» Eagles Kicked Out of Playoffs by Falcons in 1978 Philly Sports History". Archived from the original on 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ^ "Classic Rewind: Falcons Fly Past Eagles for Wild Card Win | Sports then and Now". 13 October 2010.
- ^ a b c Ryan Papaserge (September 29, 2010). "Michael Vick Vs. Donovan McNabb: A Look Back (And Ahead)". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Falcons, Eagles building quite a rivalry". Associated Press (via Deseret News). September 14, 2005. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Vick picks up 2 TDs in lopsided Atlanta return as Eagles stomp Falcons". Associated Press (via ESPN). December 7, 2009. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Matt Ryan's career-high 4 TDs rally Falcons over hurt Michael Vick, Eagles". Associated Press (via ESPN). September 19, 2011. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Matt Ryan throws 3 touchdowns, helps Falcons remain unbeaten". Associated Press (via ESPN). October 29, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Julio Jones' 2 TDs, Sam Bradford's interceptions help Falcons prevail". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ Ricardo Allen Interception to Seal the Game | Eagles vs. Falcons | NFL, retrieved 2022-01-03
- ^ "Ryan Mathews runs for 2 scores, Eagles beat Falcons 24-15". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
- ^ "Eagles use goal-line stand, Elliott FGs to beat Falcons". Associated Press (via ESPN). January 14, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ a b Ed Kracz (May 12, 2021). "Eagles Open Season in Atlanta, Where There is Plenty of History with Falcons". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Eagles stop Ryan to Jones again, beat Falcons 18-12". Associated Press (via ESPN). September 7, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
- ^ "Recap: Falcons earn major comeback win over Eagles, 24-20". Falcons Wire. 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ "New era in Philly: Hurts 3 TDs, Eagles rout Falcons 32-6". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
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| Franchise | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture | |
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Wild card / First round berths (8) | |
| Division championships (6) | |
| Conference championships (2) | |
| Ring of Honor | |
| Current league affiliations |
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