The Falcons, after upsetting the Rams in the wild-card round, are the favorites to beat the top-seeded Eagles in Saturday's divisional playoff matchup in Philadelphia. The Falcons, however, will try to shake off some recent struggles in this matchup to live up to that surprising status.
It's another homecoming for Philly-area product Matt Ryan, but only one of the previous four return trips resulted in a victory. Last season, Atlanta lost in November in Philadelphia, 24-15, losing a lead in the fourth quarter.
Coming off a 26-13 victory in L.A., the Falcons have great momentum and confidence. The Eagles had a well-earned bye, but there are growing concerns about how well Nick Foles will be able to replace Carson Wentz at a quarterback in a game with so much at stake.
As much as Ryan, Foles, Julio Jones, Alshon Jeffery, Devonta Freeman and Jay Ajayi will be in the offensive spotlight, this game features two top-10 defenses, with the Eagles (No. 1 in total defense) and Falcons (No. 9) especially effective against the run.
Who has the overall edge in what looks to be the toughest, tightest tilt of the divisional round? Sporting News' NFL experts break down how they expect the Falcons-Eagles game to play out:
NFL playoff picks: Falcons (-3) at Eagles
Date, time: Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV: NBC
Live streaming:
eagles vs falconsOdds: Falcons -3; total: 41
Vinnie Iyer: Ryan has gone seven straight games without having multiple TD passes. Foles, after a solid road performance against the lowly Giants in his first start, struggled back-to-back at home against the Raiders and Cowboys for a game and a half. Reference:
falcons vs eaglesThe Eagles have missed the explosiveness and versatility they had with Wentz, so they need to change their mindset to more ball control in this one. That means giving the volume to Ajayi, who as a Dolphin rushed for 130 yards on 26 carries against the Falcons in Week 5. If Philadelphia doesn't trust Foles throwing deep, both Ajayi and tight end Zach Ertz are tough tests for the Falcons' pass defense.
