Atlanta Falcons vs Philadelphia Eagles: Tale of the tape

The quarterbacks

Both the Eagles and Falcons boast top offenses, and with those come excellent quarterbacks. In Atlanta, it’s the ever-reliable Matt Ryan. There’s a new leader in Philadelphia as Sam Bradford takes over after being traded from the St. Louis Rams for Nick Foles.

Holding Bradford back from living up to expectation after being selected first overall back in 2010 has been his health. Bradford’s career has been plagued with injuries, and he has suffered two ACL tears in the past couple of seasons. This is a huge risk the Eagles are willing to take, but when healthy he’s proven he can play at a high level.

In the seven games he started in 2013, he completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 1,687 yards, 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Now entering Kelly’s high-paced offense, he should succeed as long as he can stay on the field.

Ryan is on the opposite end of the spectrum and has been fortunate with injuries his career. He’s missed just two games in his seven years in Atlanta, and he’s consistently one of the top-10 quarterbacks in the league. Last year, he threw for 4,694 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 picks. He hasn’t failed to reach 4,000 yards passing since 2010.

When healthy both are excellent quarterbacks, but durability concerns cloud Bradford’s outlook while Ryan continues to prove why he’s one of the best.

Next: The offenses