For the Birds
ATLANTA — Julio Jones had 141 yards receiving and two touchdowns, Matt Ryan shook off a pair of interceptions, and the Falcons came back to beat the Eagles 2624 Monday night after squandering a 17point halftime lead.
Ricardo Allen’s interception off a deflected pass sealed the victory with 1:11 remaining, giving Dan Quinn an upset victory in his first game as Falcons coach. The Eagles missed a chance to go ahead when Cody Parkey missed a 44yard field goal with 2:27 to go.
“Our defense stepped up at the end of the game,” Ryan said. “Ricardo has worked so hard.”
Coming off the best season of his career and with a lucrative new contract, Jones dominated the Eagles’ revamped secondary as the Falcons raced to a 203 halftime lead. It could have been even more if not for Kiko Alonso’s dazzling onehanded interception while falling backward in the end zone.
Ryan had another intercep tion on the first possession of the second half, turning the momentum in Philadelphia’s favor. The Atlanta quarterback finished 23 of 34 for 298 yards.
Sam Bradford, in his first regularseason game in nearly two years and making his debut for the Eagles, was 36 of 52 for 336 yards. But Philadelphia’s muchhyped running game, led by newcomer DeMarco Murray, was largely a bust.
After leading the NFL with more than 1,800 yards rush ing in Dallas last season, Murray was held to 9 yards on eight carries. Ryan Mathews had only 4 yards, while Darren Sproles led the way with 50 yards on the ground.
Coach Chip Kelly’s uptempo offense looked unstoppable in the preseason but bogged down in the first half against the firedup Falcons, who hope the energetic Quinn can turn things around from a 1022 showing the last two seasons under Mike Smith.
Other than a 69yard drive that led to a field goal, the Eagles generated just 56 yards on their other seven firsthalf possessions — three of which went threeandout, and another ended quickly when Bradford was intercepted.
Jones, on the other hand, was unstoppable. After signing a new $71.25 million contract, he gave Atlanta its money’s worth by hauling in eight passes for 97 yards before halftime, including touchdowns of 4 and 22 yards.