The Eagles Face the Falcons Once Again, But Things Have Changed

It seems like eons ago that the Eagles opened their 2015 season against the Falcons.

We all know the Eagles sure have changed. As much as the Falcons are still associated with Julio Jones and Matt Ryan after all these years, they have too. Those two players remain the focus on offense, and will for some time. Of course, Atlanta's attack looks different in 2016 even though it is headlined by the same big names. And defensively, there actually are a ton of a new faces. Here's which ones the Eagles will have to keep an eye out for this Sunday.

 
OFFENSE

Quarterback: Matt Ryan

A three-time Pro Bowler, Ryan has completed at least 66 percent of his passes and thrown for over 4,500 yards in each of the previous four seasons. Perhaps what he is doing in 2016 — leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns — shouldn't be surprising, yet in some ways it is. Ryan's 9.5 yards pet attempt are nearly two full yards better than his career high, while his 23:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio is on pace to shatter his previous single-season best of 28:9. It just goes to show the kind of transformation that can happen to a quarterback when you provide him decent protection and a solid ground attack, both of which the Falcons have lacked the past bunch of years. The third-overall draft pick in 2008, all of a sudden Ryan is better than ever.

Strength: Julio Jones

The Falcons have some bona fide weapons. Devonta Freeman is well on his way to 1,000 yards rushing. Mohamed Sanu is a fine complementary receiver, and little-known Taylor Gabriel has recently emerged as a do-it-all threat with 144 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the last two games alone. Of course, everybody playing offense has it a little bit easier with Jones drawing so much attention. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound wideout leads the league with 970 yards receiving, and he's been battling injury for much of the season. The scary thing is his totals project to be down from last season, when he led the league in both yards and catches. Jones is one of those freaks of nature that demand double coverage on every play, and that makes everybody else better.

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Weakness: Right guard

You have to dig pretty deep to find a flaw with the NFL's No. 1 offense, but their offensive line, while improved, isn't exactly the greatest. In particular, 33-year-old Chris Chester might be finally wearing down after 11 seasons in the league. The Falcons' starting right guard is on the hook for four sacks allowed according to Pro Football Focus, as well as a team-leading six quarterback hits and 14 hurries. Chester is far from the only issue up front, as Ryan has been taken down in the backfield 22 times this season, tied for the fifth-highest. If there is a weak link though, it's the unit's most senior member, and he could have his hands full with the likes of Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan on Sunday.

DEFENSE

Strength: Defensive ends

Two words: Vic Beasley. The eighth-overall draft pick is living up to his billing in only his second season in the NFL, already racking up 7.5 sacks. His 4.5 speed is insane for a defensive end, and we already saw that giving Eagles left tackle Jason Peters problems in Week 1 of last season. Beasley looks like the type of pass-rusher who is going to command double teams for the better part of the next decade. On the opposite end, while not a full-time player at this stage of his career, Dwight Freeney is still a valuable situationally. The 36-year-old has 3.0 sacks in a limited role. Similarly, Adrian Clayborn is vastly underrated as well, currently second on the team with 4.5 sacks, and he can rush from the interior as well. As a collective group, the trio is putting tremendous pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Weakness: Pass coverage

Despite the strong presence up front, the Falcons are a mess on the back end. As a defense, Atlanta ranks 31st out of 32 teams against the pass. It doesn't help matters at all that the secondary's best player, cornerback Desmond Trufant, is expected to miss the game due to injury either. Defensive backs are only part of the problem too. Between linebackers and safety, the Falcons have three rookie starters. As if that weren't enough, they are very undersized in the secondary, particularly cornerback Robert Alford (5-10), nickel corner Brian Poole (5-9) and safety Ricardo Allen (5-9). Simply put, opponents are exploiting Atlanta through the air, and with Trufant out, this defense might even struggle to cover the Eagles' receivers. Might.

X-factors: Keanu Neal and Deion Jones

They may be rookies, but two of the biggest playmakers on the Falcons defense have been those young players. A first-round pick out of Florida, Neal is starting at safety and leads the team in tackles. He's also made a name for himself as a hitter, forcing three fumbles. Second-rounder Deion Jones out of LSU has made an instant impact at middle linebacker as well, second to Neal in tackles and tied for the clubhouse lead in interceptions with two, returning one for a touchdown. They're rookies, and therefore can be beaten, but they are clearly talented and have the SEC pedigree that tends to translate so well to the NFL. If this goes south for the Eagles, you can bet one or both of these kids will be in the middle of it.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Eric Weems is one of the best all-around special teams players in the NFL, although explosive returns have been lacking in 2016. Matt Bryant has been kicking in this league forever it seems, and it shows, as his range on both kickoffs and field goals has been lacking for awhile now. Matt Bosher can punt it deep and routinely pins opponents in their own end. Overall, it's a solid and proven core group of specialists.

COACHING

Dan Quinn (second season, 14-11)

After getting off to a 6-1 start in his inaugural season on the Falcons' sideline, Quinn's squad hit the skids in a big way, going 2-7 down the stretch in 2015. It was enough to wonder how long he was for the job, despite the fine work he put in as defensive line coach and eventually coordinator of Seattle's perennially tough D. Now that Atlanta's offensive issues appear to be settled though, to put it mildly, a similar slide looks far less likely this season. Quinn doesn't have Seahawks-level talent on defense, and statistically, the unit isn't even very good. He's making the most out of it to say the least, and has obviously assembled a quality staff. In summary, the Falcons have the appaerance of a program on the rise under the current leadership.

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