Falcons rally to beat Eagles after Saquon Barkley’s late drop: ‘I let my team down’

National Football League

Updated Sep. 17, 2024 12:27 p.m. ET

Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins — especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.

“I let my team down today,” Barkley said after the game. “Shouldn’t have put my defense in that position. I make that catch, the game’s over.”

Barkley said he wasn’t surprised by the decision to pass in that short-yardage situation and “thought it was a great play call” from Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

“These games come down to a few plays and it hurts a little more when you’re the one making mistakes on those plays,” Barkley said.

The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his Achilles tendon last Oct. 29 while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the final drive.

Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.

The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope.

And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought it was getting when it signed him to a four-year, $180 million contract.

The Associated Press and FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacciano contributed to this report.

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