Atlanta Falcons     vs    Philadelphia Eagles

USA: NFL – Round 1

The Atlanta Falcons try to make up for last year’s pitiful season under the tutelage of newly-hired head coach Arthur Smith in Sunday’s opener against Nick Sirianni and the Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams finished last in their respective NFC divisions with only four wins.

This is a tough start right out of the gates on the road against a divisional opponent for Jalen Hurts as “the man” in Philly. I’m still a believer in his talent, but he’s going to make a couple of costly turnovers that puts his defense in a bind. Call it the Week 1 jitters or whatever you like, but the Eagles won’t play up to their potential in the opener.

Matt Ryan won’t be perfect by any stretch, but he’ll make the plays necessary to get his team a victory. I’m still not sold on the run game, but the Falcons have two dynamic playmakers between Pitts and Calvin Ridley to put some serious stress on the Eagles’ defenders