Eagles News: Philadelphia fans don't need to push the panic button

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10 things we learned from the Eagles' loss - BGN
Bradford didn't come out as sharp as the Eagles would have hoped in this one. His passes were off target early on. It was clear there were timing issues with his receivers. He really got things cooking in the second half, however, going 20 for 22 prior to the final drive. Considering this was his first real game since 2013, Bradford did OK relative to expectations. Moving forward, he needs to be better. One big concern was that he didn't really look to go deep too often. That's obviously been an issue with him in the past. To his defense, it was hard to tell if he ever had anyone open deep.

Eagles fans, don't panic yet - Daily News
I will say all of that if you like, but here's the bigger truth: The Eagles would have won this game had they executed just a little bit better, and that includes a dominant second half in which they outscored the Falcons, 21-6. Maxwell would have played much better had that vaunted defensive line gotten home even a few times on its own, without needing the help of those second-half blitzes.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Falcons game - PhillyVoice
I mean, I get it. The Falcons had eight in the box all game, and the run game wasn't exactly working, but literally nobody has the following split of carries in mind before the season began: DeMarco Murray: 8, Darren Sproles: 5, Ryan Mathews: 3. The backs did contribute in the passing game, especially Darren Sproles, who was great. But still... Bleh.

Tough Loss - Iggles Blitz
It would be easy to get all "The sky is falling!!!" after this loss, but that’s not the way I feel right now. The 1st half was a complete disaster and the team trailed 20-3. They looked out of sync on offense and played on their heels on defense. The Eagles were borderline dominant in the 2nd half, outscoring Atlanta 21-6 and missing a FG. The defense was much more aggressive and the offense got into a great rhythm. This was the Eagles team I expected to see all night long.

10 observations from Eagles-Falcons - CSN Philly
I probably should have mentioned this more prominently, but Zach Ertz is a freaking warrior. Just to go out there and play football one month to the day after undergoing sports hernia surgery is beastly. But to make the catches he was making? Ertz caught three for 46, including a diving 21-yard catch down to the 20-yard line to set up the fourth-quarter touchdown that temporarily gave the Eagles the lead. What a performance.

Four Downs: Secondary Struggles Lead To Loss - Birds 24/7
Malcolm Jenkins warned us about Kyle Shanahan’s knack for calling play-action passes while keeping extra defenders into block and sending as little as two receivers out on routes. Well, the Falcons did just that and the Eagles still got burned on those plays. Although the secondary didn't "bite the cheese," they still consistently gave up 20-yard completions. Matt Ryan had a lot of time to throw the ball, but you shouldn't blame the Eagles' defensive line. Atlanta consistently kept seven or eight guys in for pass protection while Philadelphia only rushed four defenders. It's unreasonable to expect the Eagles to get pressure in those situations, but it's not unreasonable to expect four defensive backs to cover two receiver.

Not time to panic, but plenty to be concerned about in Eagles' loss to Falcons - NJ.com
After a strong preseason and plenty of changed in the offseason, the Eagles' new-look secondary looked a lot like their old one, with cornerback Byron Maxwell playing the role of Bradley Fletcher to perfection. Maxwell was roasted by whoever he was matched up with against Atlanta, and was beat badly on a key 44-yard reception by Falcons' receiver Julio Jones late in the game. If the Eagles had plans of putting Maxwell on the other team's best receiver and having to not worry, it doesn't seem those plans are going to come to fruition.

Slow Start, Penalties, Mistakes Mar Opener - PE.com
The pass from quarterback Sam Bradford glanced off the hands of wide receiver Jordan Matthews and floated in the air, and Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen caught it, cradled it and ended the Eagles’ hopes of a stirring comeback victory at the Georgia Dome on Monday night as the Falcons prevailed, 26-24. Truth is, the game shouldn’t have come down to Matthews’ fingertips. A lousy first half, a total of 14 penalties whistled against the Eagles, some porous pass defense and missed opportunities doomed the Eagles in this one, a quirky way to open the 2015 regular season. That didn’t matter to Matthews, who was clearly disappointed in the outcome on the third-and-8 play from the Eagles’ 16-yard line with 1:17 remaining in the game.

MMBM: The Cowboys are better without Dez Bryant - SB Nation
This team just works better without Dez. Having Bryant out of the line-up allows Tony Romo to execute the offense better and spread the ball around to players like Jason Witten and Cole Beasley instead of having to worry about getting a threatening phone call from JZ for not throwing 4 consecutive goal line fades every time they get inside the ten. Not to mention all the off-the-field stuff that goes along with him. This is a franchise that is all about what happens between the stripes, and no Dez Im not talking about a chalk outline in a Wallmart parking lot. Some people will be quick to point out that Dez has never been convicted of a crime but thats just goes to show you how sneaky and devious he really is that hes able to get away with everything you have to imagine he's doing.

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