Greg Olsen and Joe Davis are on the call, with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines on the FOX Sports broadcast of Saints vs. Eagles in Week 3:
We already know that FOX Sports is casting a wide net for Week 3’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles — TV broadcast coverage extends all throughout the Southeast and up both coasts, and there will be a lot of eyes on this game. But who will we be listening to on the call?
Depending on who you ask, the FOX Sports A Team. Greg Olsen and Joe Davis will be in the broadcast booth with Pam Oliver reporting from the sidelines at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt’s crew is the network’s A Team, on paper, but Brady’s lackluster performance on the mic has led to a lot of viewers asking for Olsen. He and Davis have made for a popular B Team at FOX.
The three-time Pro Bowl tight end was a big-time rival of the Saints’ for years with the Carolina Panthers, and he’s transitioned well to a role in the media. Olsen has gained a lot of fans for his ability to play up dramatic moments in games as naturally as he breaks down why something is so impressive from a schematic point of view. So Saints fans could be in for a treat with Olsen sharing his commentary this Sunday.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins was lethal in the second half against the Eagles
There’s a reason why the Atlanta Falcons have taken to calling him “Kirko Clutch.” The quarterback was an ace in the second half of Monday night’s 22-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, completing 13 of his 16 pass attempts for 166 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Cousins’ second-half passer rating was 149.5. He finished out the game 20-for-29 with 241 yards and zero turnovers. Despite the heroics so many Falcons fans heralded him for after the victory, Cousins was still critical of himself following the Week 2 win.
“I still am not sharp enough,” Cousins told ESPN’s Lisa Salters “I didn’t feel like I was sharp enough today, accurate enough. I’ve got to be better. But that last drive can hopefully get us a boost going into next week. We can build on that.”
The criticism was warranted, though, given how abysmal Cousins and the offense looked through the first two quarters of the contest. At halftime, the unit had put just six points on the scoreboard and the signal-caller had just 75 passing yards to his name.
Cousins was also underwhelming in the season opener in which the Falcons lost 18-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. He connected on 16 of his 26 passing attempts for 155 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions in Week 1.
The way Cousins performed in the final minutes of Monday night’s win gives plenty of reason for optimism, though. If the Falcons QB can replicate that performance in Week 3 against the Chiefs, this team may be better than we realized.
Derek Carr has an opportunity to join an elite group with a big game against the Eagles. Even Drew Brees didn’t pass this milestone:
New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has a chance to make history on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, accomplishing something only four players at his position have done. Carr has an opportunity to become the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least two touchdowns and maintain a passer rating of 100-plus in seven consecutive games.
It’s a feat that would place him within elite company. And it’s something his legendary predecessor Drew Brees never achieved throughout an illustrious career worthy of the Hall of Fame.
The only other players to have accomplished this in their careers are Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. Many would argue that these four players are regarded as the greatest players to ever take a snap under center. Carr reaching this milestone doesn’t tell the whole story of his career, but it would definitely depict the tremendous improvement he’s made dating back to the end of last season.
Since Week 15 of the 2023 season, Carr is first in the NFL in passing touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentage, and is looking to continue this impressive streak this Sunday.
Falcons vs. Eagles: Best photos from Week 2 showdown on MNF
The Atlanta Falcons are making their triumphant return to ESPN’s Monday night football, taking on the Philadelphia Eagles in the final game of Week 2. The Falcons need a win to avoid starting 0-2 but the Eagles are one of the tougher teams in the NFC.
Thus far, running backs Bijan Robinson and Saquon Barkley are putting on a show for the fans in Philadelphia. Check out the best photos from Monday’s prime-time matchup. We’ll update the gallery throughout the game.
Dennis Allen shared an update on Taysom Hill’s chest injury during Monday’s press conference, but was short on details about what’s ailing him:
The New Orleans Saints have had some injury concerns the past few weeks with key players like Marshon Lattimore and Taliese Fuaga missing time at practice, but they’ve fought their way to a 2-0 record in spite of it. However, the Saints did pick up another concerning injury in Week 2’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Taysom Hill had to visit a Dallas hospital for further evaluation after leaving the Cowboys game with a chest injury. Thankfully, he made the trip back to New Orleans with the team and initially, it seems to not be a major concern. Saints head coach Dennis Allen spoke on the injury in Monday’s press conference after Week 2.
“Taysom’s doing good, he feels good, and I don’t know if we’ve gotten all the results back on (the testing) he went and had some more imaging today,” Allen said. “I think we avoided anything real serious.”
When pressed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell on whether Hill would have a more detailed listing on this week’s injury report, Allen declined to specify.
“We’re just gonna go with chest,” Allen responded. “That’s what it’s going to say on the injury report. He has a chest injury, it’s nothing that’s serious, and so he’ll be in the rehab process just like everybody else is and we’ll kind of go from there. Look I think sometimes there’s things that are precautionary, you want to make sure everything is okay, and so we went about whatever that normal medical procedure is and Taysom flew back with us on the plane, and he’s back with us today so we’re just monitoring throughout the week, see what he can do, see what he can’t do, and go from there.”
So things are trending in the right direction for Hill, though it’s too soon to say whether he’ll be available for Week 3’s home game with the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a positive sign that Hill stuck with the team and reported to the facility with them on Monday, and that Allen believes it is at this time an issue that could be viewed more as precautionary. We’ll just have to see how this situation develops during the week ahead.
Dennis Allen got back to .500 as head coach of the New Orleans Saints. One more victory and he’ll have his best-ever win streak:
Dennis Allen’s team improved to 2-0 on Sunday, which means his record as head coach of the New Orleans Saints climbed up to 18-18. He’s back to .500 after a rough start to his tenure left him at 7-10 in his first year on the job. One more victory and Allen will be 3-0 this season, with the longest win streak of his coaching career.
If you want to be technical (and who doesn’t?), Allen is already there. His Saints beat the brakes off the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final two weeks of the 2023 regular season, so you could argue he’s actually won four in a row. And for the sake of argument we’ll fight back against that.
Winning three games in three weeks would be much more impressive than stretching that streak across two different seasons, especially when you consider that it’s another playoff team lining up across from the Saints next Sunday. The Philadelphia Eagles just had a laugh at their division rivals’ expense, and you can bet they don’t want to get clowned on SportsCenter like the Dallas Cowboys are right now. They’ll give the Saints their best shot.
Knowing that, it would have to be even more satisfying for Allen to see his team pluck those Eagles out of the sky. A 3-0 start would be the best of his career. He’s been over .500 before with the Saints (they started 2-0 last season, too, and got ahead by a single win on three different occasions). But he’s never been three games ahead. If he can keep this positive momentum going, it would do a lot to push back against the narratives that have trailed him since his ugly 8-28 run with the Raiders all those years ago.
The challenge is clear. So are the stakes. And so is the opponent. It’s a new week. Let’s see if Allen’s team can get the job done.
Falcons vs. Eagles: How to watch, listen and stream Week 2 matchup on Monday night football
The Atlanta Falcons have a tough road matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 and the entire country will be watching. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins didn’t get off to the start he wanted in Week 1 but it was his first game in nearly 11 months.
Cousins and the offense will look to shake the rust off while the defense attempts to slow down the Eagles’ many playmakers. Philadelphia signed division rival Saquon Barkley away from the New York Giants and the move is already paying off. Barkley’s three-touchdown performance in Week 1 earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
Here’s everything you need to watch, listen and stream Monday night’s prime-time matchup:
The Eagles are currently favored by 6.5 points over the Falcons. Check out Atlanta’s latest depth chart, injury report and updated 53-man roster heading into Monday’s game.
The stars, studs and duds from the Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Eagles.
The Green Bay Packers were dealt a season-opening loss and a multiple-week injury to quarterback Jordan Love during a 34-29 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 of the 2024 season.
The defeat, while disappointing, wasn’t at all damning. The Packers had multiple opportunities to take hold of the game or win it late, and missed opportunities are almost always costly. A few stars wearing green and gold shined under the bright lights in Brazil, but an underwhelming performance in the red zone and from Jeff Hafley’s defense ended the international business trip with a loss.
The injury to Love could be tricky to navigate. Matt LaFleur’s team is now in an 0-1 hole and facing the prospect of playing three or more games without Love under center. At least this team knows how to dig out of an early-season hole.
Here are the stars, studs and duds from the Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Eagles:
Stars
WR Jayden Reed: The opener was a magnificent assemblage of playmaking music orchestrated by Reed, who turned only five touches into 171 total yards and a pair of breathtaking scores. His rare combination of burst, vision, creativity with the ball in his hands, long speed and toughness make him special in multiple ways. On his 33-yard touchdown run, Reed burst through the hole and made a tackler miss in the open field. On his 70-yard touchdown catch, Reed ran away from the coverage on a deep over route and then juked the last man. In the second half, he made a running catch moving right to left and then immediately absorbed a big hit. On the final drive, his spinning catch along the sideline gave the Packers hope late and will likely go down as one of the finest catches made by a Packers player in 2024. If he can avoid nagging injuries, Reed could have a special second season.
RT Zach Tom: Against a deep and talented defensive line, Tom nearly pitched a shutout in the passing game, and he was dominant in the run game. The only pressure Tom allowed all night was when he was asked to reach block Jalen Carter — a tough assignment for any lineman. Bryce Huff, the Eagles’ prize free agent addition, accomplished next to nothing as a pass-rusher against Tom.
Studs
RB Emanuel Wilson: His four carries created 46 yards, including runs of 14 and 18 yards. He has good feet and burst for a 226-pounder. The second-year back also made a tough catch in traffic for a first down, and his lead block on Reed’s touchdown run helped spring the big play. The Packers can take their time with MarShawn Lloyd because Wilson looked more than ready to be RB2 in the opener.
S Xavier McKinney: On the first series alone, McKinney showed his playmaking ability. On second down, he ranged to his right and helped disrupt a sideline throw. A play later, he ranged to his left to intercept Jalen Hurts’ throw up the seam. As a last line defender, McKinney made a couple of sure tackles in the open field. “X” came as advertised.
TE Tucker Kraft: The Packers would probably like more impact from Kraft’s 30 routes run in the passing game, but he did have a catch-and-run for 29 yards to help set up a touchdown. He’s in “studs” because of his work as a run blocker. Both inline and on the move, Kraft got the job done. He’s a physical player who seeks out contact and doesn’t shy away from hunting defensive ends and linebackers as a blocker in the Packers run scheme.
LB Edgerrin Cooper: The speed and playmaking ability jumped off the screen across only 11 defensive snaps played. On a second-down run in the second half, Cooper made a sure and physical tackle on Saquon Barkley after a 2-yard gain. On the first play of the fourth quarter, he came on the blitz, batted down a quick throw to the flat and likely prevented a big play to A.J. Brown. The rookie also made an impact special teams play, producing a tackle inside the 20-yard line while covering a kickoff in the first quarter. Expect to see more of No. 56 moving forward.
LG Elgton Jenkins: He didn’t allow a single pressure across 43 pass-blocking snaps, and he was a people mover in the run game. Showcasing his versatility again, Jenkins moved inside to center for the final two snaps of the game after Josh Myers went out with cramping.
Duds
(Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)
CB Jaire Alexander: The interception was a huge play, no doubt about it. Alexander came off coverage and made an instinctual play as Jalen Hurts was navigating the scramble drill. But Alexander still had a tough opener. A.J. Brown beat him for four catches. On the first, Brown won inside on a slant. Later, Alexander was playing 10 yards off the ball when Brown ran a quick out, made the catch and circled around Alexander’s tackle attempt for 20 yards on 3rd-and-8. He also beat Alexander on a deep dig for 13 yards. The killer play was the 67-yard bomb. Brown beat lazy coverage and out-ran Alexander for six.
LB Isaiah McDuffie: The -year linebacker missed a pair of tackles, gave up a touchdown pass to Saquon Barkley and committed a penalty on special teams. While he plays hard on every down, it’s fair to wonder if the Packers can have a plus run defense with McDuffie playing close to 100 percent of the defense’s snaps.
LT Rasheed Walker: Committing three penalties in a game is a sure-fire way to land in “duds.” Walker was flagged for holding on the third play following Xavier McKinney’s interception, helping force the Packers to settle for a field goal. Later, he false started on a field goal. Finally, Walker’s second holding penalty turned 2nd-and-1 into 2nd-and-11, and Love was intercepted on the next play. As a pass protector, Walker gave up a team-high four pressures.
WR Dontayvion Wicks: He dropped his first target in traffic. On his second target, Wicks slipped coming out of his break and couldn’t recover in time to make the catch even though he was wide open — a tough result given the field conditions. Later, Jordan Love’s sideline throw drifted inside and Wicks couldn’t make the catch through contact. He ran 16 routes but didn’t have a catch.
TE Luke Musgrave: He played only 17 snaps and was surprisingly relegated to TE2 in the opener. At this point, Tucker Kraft is just far superior as a do-it-all tight end. Musgrave was targeted twice and didn’t have a catch, and it’s possible the coaches will put some — if not all — of the blame on Musgrave for Jordan Love’s interception. He drifted and didn’t attack the ball in the air. In the run game, the gap between Musgrave and Kraft as blockers is gigantic.
Based on grades from PFF, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ Week 1 loss to the Eagles.
The Green Bay Packers got star performances Zach Tom and Jayden Reed and an impressive debut from Edgerrin Cooper and Xavier McKinney on defense, but a dominant performance from the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line and big games from A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith and Zack Baun were too much to overcome in a 34-29 loss in the season opener on Friday night.
The much-anticipated debut of Jeff Hafley’s defense was mostly a flop.
Based on grades from Pro Football Focus, here are the best and worst players from the Packers’ season opening loss to the Eagles:
Tom didn’t give up a single pressure over 43 pass-blocking snaps and earned an elite run-blocking grade. Reed had a drop, but he also averaged 4.93 yards per route run, picked up 54 yards after the catch and had a 33-yard rushing touchdown. Jenkins didn’t allow a pressure in the passing game and was solid in the run game. Wilson had two runs over 10 yards, a tough catch for a first down and a solid block on Reed’s touchdown run. Morgan allowed a single quarterback hit over 19 pass-blocking snaps and was solid in the run game.
Top 5 defense
1. LB Edgerrin Cooper: 85.9
2. S Xavier McKinney: 76.2
3. LB Eric Stokes: 66.7
4. CB Keisean Nixon: 65.4
5. DE Lukas Van Ness: 65.3
Cooper had a run stop, a batted pass and three total tackles on only 11 snaps. McKinney intercepted a pass, gave up only one completion into his primary coverage and made four tackles without a miss. Stokes had a missed tackle but ended up giving up only two catches into his coverage. Nixon had a sack of Jalen Hurts, a pass breakup and two stops, but he gave up four catches and missed two tackles. Van Ness had one hurry and one run stop over 19 snaps.
Bottom5 offense
1. TE Luke Musgrave: 43.8
2. WR Dontayvion Wicks: 44.0
3. C Josh Myers: 50.1
4. TE Tucker Kraft: 55.1
5. WR Christian Watson: 59.6
Musgrave ran eight routes but didn’t catch either target, and he was the target on Jordan Love’s interception. Wicks had a drop and was 0-for-3 catching his targets. Myers gave up two pressures, was penalized once and received average run-blocking grades. Kraft was solid as a run blocker, but his 30 routes run resulted in only two targets. Watson caught a touchdown, but he turned 28 routes and five targets into only 13 yards.
McDuffie missed two tackles and gave up a touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley. Clark had four hurries but earned terrible grades against the run. Enagbare didn’t have a pressure or a tackle over 30 total snaps. Brooks delivered a pressure and two stops but earned the team’s lowest run defense grade. Slaton had three assisted stops and a hurry but also received poor grades against the run.
Special teams
Edgerrin Cooper had a tackle covering a kickoff and was the highest rated special teams player. Zayne Anderson also had a tackle. The Packers didn’t miss a tackle on special teams, but Rasheed Walker, Xavier McKinney and Isaiah McDuffie all had penalties. Brayden Narveson missed a 43-yard field goal. Daniel Whelan put one punt out of bounds inside the 20 and another forced a fair catch — his net average was 37 yards.
Quarterback play
Jordan Love: 64.6
Malik Willis: 42.5
Love was credited with two “big-time throws” and two “turnover-worthy plays,” and he was hurt by three drops, two throws while being hit and three throwaways. His adjusted completion percentage was 69.0 on an average depth of target of almost 10 yards. Love did connect on 3-of-5 passes over 20 yards downfield, but he was just 2-for-8 in the intermediate areas. He was 3-for-10 — including the 70-yard touchdown pass — on 12 pressured dropbacks. Willis threw wildly incomplete on his first snap and was sacked before attempting a Hail Mary on his second and final snap.
Stat to know
Cornerback Jaire Alexander had an interception, but he also allowed four catches for 108 yards and was penalized for holding. A.J. Brown was responsible for all four catches against Alexander, including a game-changing 67-yard score early in the second half, creating a decisive win for the Eagles in this primetime matchup.
Numerous former Georgia Bulldogs made impacts in the matchup between the Packers and the Eagles on Friday night in Brazil.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers met in Brazil for the second game of the NFL season on Friday night. Both rosters are filled with former Bulldog players, with four former UGA football players suiting up for the Packers and six on the roster for Philadelphia. A host of these players made contributions on Friday.
On the Eagles side of things, linebacker Nakobe Dean shined, recording four tackles and a tackle-for-loss, an encouraging sign for Eagles fans who have been waiting for a linebacker to step up. Along the defensive line, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith each recorded two tackles, while Jordan Davis did not record a stat but started and played for most of the game.
For the Packers, a pair of Bulldogs shared the team lead in tackles, as linebacker Quay Walker and rookie safety Javon Bullard each recorded 11 stops, with Walker adding a tackle-for-loss. Eric Stokes recorded two tackles from the cornerback position, while defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt registered a tackle and a tackle-for-loss.
The Eagles will take their 1-0 record back home against the Atlanta Falcons next Monday night. The Packers, meanwhile, will try to rebound at Lambeau field against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
