The Atlanta Falcons are one of only two teams to beat the Super Bowl champion Eagles with a healthy Jalen Hurts. The Tampa Bay Bucs and Washington Commanders are the only other teams to have beaten Philly in the 2024 season in what was a truly impressive run. However, from Atlanta's perspective it gives the fanbase hope perhaps they aren't as far away as first expected.
Not only did the Falcons beat the Eagles in the 2024 season they won on the road in Philly in clutch fashion. In complete fairness, the Eagles were missing A.J. Brown due to injury and Saquon Barkley had a late drop that would have locked up the game. However, simply playing with the team that blew the Kansas City Chiefs off the field is an accomplishment.
How far could the Atlanta Falcons have gone if Kirk Cousins hadn't imploded?
The answer to this question is simply not very far even if the veteran quarterback continued to play at a high level. Atlanta's defense has nowhere close to the ceiling of Philly or the league's top defensive unit. Even though the Falcons beat the eventual Super Bowl champs there isn't a valid argument that this team could have gone on a deep run.
What the Falcons need to learn from this game is what their fanbase already knows. Games are won in the trenches and until the Atlanta defensive line isn't getting consistently bullied, the frustration will continue. Still, it is interesting to look back at Atlanta's early season win over the Eagles and consider just how impressive it truly was.
Easily Atlanta's most impressive win of the season it was Kirk Cousins and this Atlanta team at their very best. One of only two teams that can say they were able to beat Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in what was a dominating 2024 Super Bowl run is Atlanta's best accomplishment of 2024.