ESPN’s Monday Night Football kicks off its 2015 season with the annual doubleheader. The first game of the evening features what could be one of the most exciting matchups of Week 1 when the Atlanta Falcons welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to the Georgia Dome.
Eagles vs. Falcons 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch ‘Monday Night Football’ online
Dan Quinn makes his head coaching debut against Chip Kelly and company at the Georgia Dome on Monday night.
It’s been a wild offseason for the Eagles, thanks to Chip Kelly’s near-constant wheeling and dealing. Out are running back LeSean McCoy, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, quarterback Nick Foles, linebacker Trent Cole and offensive lineman Evan Mathis. In are running backs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews, quarterback Sam Bradford, linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell. That’s an awful lot of turnover for a team that missed the playoffs by just one game last season.
Still, Kelly’s roster shuffling just might pay dividends. The offense was explosive in the preseason, and Bradford looked like a completely different player from the one we saw in St. Louis. His health remains a concern (two torn ACLs in the past two years), but if Bradford stays on the field, the 2010 top overall pick could have a career renaissance under Kelly’s tutelage. Add in the one-two punch of Murray and Mathews -- along with young wideouts Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor -- and this could be the most lethal scoring machine in football.
The defense also got a makeover, with Maxwell replacing Cary Williams as the top corner. Alonso should give the linebacker corps a boost after recording 159 total tackles and two sacks in his rookie year with the Buffalo Bills. Fletcher Cox returns as the anchor of the defensive line. The big concern is at the safety position, where oft-injured Walter Thurmond III is making a transition from cornerback to free safety. The secondary looks better on paper, but it’s only a couple of injuries away from collapsing again.
As for the home team, the Falcons are debuting a new coaching staff. Head coach Dan Quinn replaces Mike Smith, who was let go after a disappointing 6-10 season. Quinn was formerly the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks and is looking to remake that side of the ball. He brought in Kyle Shanahan to run the offense, while Scott Pioli joined Thomas Dimitroff in the front office.
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones remain Atlanta’s bread and butter, but the team is trying to get more balanced on offense. Steven Jackson flopped as a free-agent signing and was released in the offseason. Third-round rookie Tevin Coleman was already named the starter and is tasked with giving the running game a shot in the arm. Roddy White is as reliable as ever despite having more injury worries with age.
The offensive line was one of Atlanta’s biggest weaknesses last year, and the team attempted to address this by trading for guard Andy Levitre before roster cuts. The Falcons are also expecting improvement from left tackle Jake Matthews, who struggled in his rookie season. Additionally, Shanahan is implementing his zone blocking scheme with the goal of improving this unit.
On the defensive side, there haven’t been many changes aside from rookie pass rusher Vic Beasley, who was drafted No. 8 this year. Otherwise, it’s mostly the same unit that gave up the most yards in the league last season. Quinn is a solid defensive mind, but he faces an uphill battle on that side of the ball.
When: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters
Online: Verizon NFL Mobile, WatchESPN
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