Eagles have no answer for Jones as Falcons rally for victory

ATLANTA— Julio Jones had 141 yards receiving and two touchdowns and Matt Ryan shook off a pair of interceptions as the Atlanta Falcons came back to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-24 Monday night after squandering a 17-point 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 44-yard field goal with 2:27 to go.

“Our defence 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 20-3 halftime lead. It could have been even more if not for Kiko Alonso’s dazzling one-handed interception while falling backward in the end zone.

Ryan had another interception on the first possession of the second half, turning the momentum in Philadelphia’s favour. Ryan 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 much-hyped running game, led by newcomer DeMarco Murray, was largely a bust. After leading the NFL with more than 1,800 yards rushing in Dallas last season, Murray was held to nine yards on eight carries. Ryan Mathews had only four yards, while Darren Sproles led the way with 50 yards on the ground.

Coach Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offence looked unstoppable in the preseason but bogged down in the first half against the fired-up Falcons, who hope the energetic Quinn can turn things around from a 10-22 showing the last two seasons under Mike Smith.

Other than a 69-yard drive that led to a field goal, the Eagles generated just 56 yards on their other seven first-half possessions.

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 four and 22 yards. The Eagles clamped down in the second half, but Jones finally got loose for his only catch after the break — a 44-yarder that set up Matt Bryant’s winning field goal from 47 yards with 6:27 left.