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Peyton Manning and Eli Manning have been through it on the ManningCast when Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that would have resulted in a crucial first down in the 22-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.
Peyton stood up from his chair as Eli completely “surrendered, Cobra” as the ball hit the turf. Former Falcons star Matt Ryan, on the other hand, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
The three former quarterbacks also provided insight during Atlanta’s game-winning drive, and Peyton’s competitive spirit was boundless as Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins led the offense down the field without a timeout.
Barkley had another strong performance in his second game with Philly, running for 95 yards on 22 carries and catching four passes for 21 yards. The drop, however, is the only thing people will remember.
“I let my team down today,” he told reporters. “I shouldn’t have put the defense in that position. If I catch the ball, the game is over.”
On the other hand, the story looked quite different.
The Falcons’ comeback has changed the conversation around Cousins in a big way. The four-time Pro Bowler just didn’t seem to be at 100 percent in Week 1, his first start since tearing his Achilles tendon, and Atlanta’s offense couldn’t do much in the first half.
After halftime, Cousins flipped a switch.
PFF @PFF
Kirk Cousins in the 2nd half against the Eagles:
🥶 13/16
🥶 166 yards passing
🥶 2 touchdowns
🥶 149.5 Passer rating pic.twitter.com/D2STH1RFRm
It’s too early to call this a season-defining win or turning point for the Falcons. Their next three games are against the Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that stretch will be a much better gauge of how Atlanta’s season will unfold.
As for Monday night’s game, ManningCast provided a good representation of neutral observers’ reactions to recent mood swings.
