Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons Preview

By John Onan  |   Monday, September 12, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

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In a rematch of the NFC Championship Game, the Philadelphia Eagles visit the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night. Kickoff is set for 9 PM EST.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, all the off season Terrell Owens drama is over, and it's time to get down to business. The team's first challenge in defending their NFC Title will be a big time matchup against the Falcons, the team they defeated 27-10 to earn a Super Bowl birth last year. But this time, they have to play them in the rowdy Georgia Dome.

From Owens' comments to reporters a few days ago, it looks like he is willing to let bygones be bygones with starting quarterback Donovan McNabb, and he is willing to communicate and coexist with his star teammate. This combination is essential to the success of the Philadelphia Eagles' offense.

On the other side of the ball, experts expect the defense to once again be amongst the best in the league, despite the fact they allowed defensive tackle Corey Simon to walk away and join the Indianapolis Colts. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson will once again play an aggressive scheme against the Falcon's athletic quarterback Michael Vick, forcing him to make quick decisions in the pocket.
For the Atlanta Falcons, their strong running game and the play of Michael Vick coming back off injury in 2003 almost got them to the Super Bowl. The Achilles heel for Atlanta was the lack of success in the passing game in the new west coast offense. They are hoping receivers Dez White and Michael Jenkins can step up and become big time playmakers.

Like Philadelphia, the Atlanta Falcons boast a tough defense that likes to get after the quarterback. The front seven looks strong, but coach Jim Mora is still concerned about his secondary in this game, especially since McNabb passed so well against them in the title game even without the injured Owens. Eagles' running back Brian Westbrook also presents problems for them, both running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield.
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