The 49ers lost running back Frank Gore, their all-time leading rusher, as a free agent to the Indianapolis Colts after last season.
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Rallying from a 17-point halftime deficit, Philadelphia grabbed the lead for the first time midway through the fourth quarter. Many expected the Philadelphia Eagles to win, following their strong preseason, however it wasn’t to be as their comeback fell short following a missed Cody Parkey field goal.
The offense had generated only 125 yards, the Eagles were 1 for 8 on third down, they had just six first downs, and Bradford – in his first game in two years and first game in an Eagles uniform – was a skittish 15 for 27 for 117 yards with a bad interception just before halftime that led directly to a Falcons touchdown. They finished 6-10 and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year after hosting the NFC Championship Game following the 2012 season.
Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly on the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter at the Georgia Dome.
“Perfect snap. ideal hold every time”, he said. My fault. There’s no rhyme or reason to missing. “Nothing more, nothing less”. It could have been even more if not for Kiko Alonso’s dazzling one-handed interception while falling backward in the end zone. About that secondary…The Eagles replaced three of their four starters after finishing next-to-last in pass defense previous year , but things looked much too familiar for much of the game.Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan went 23-for-34 for 298 yards and a pair of TDs.
With Murray, Mathews and Darren Sproles in the backfield, the Eagles were expected to dominate on the ground. But the first-half offense showed its face again on the Eagles’ final two possessions, when they had a chance to re-take the lead. But it wasn’t just Maxwell whom Jones beat for nine catches worth 141 yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Chip Kelly made a questionable decision on a critical third-and-1 just prior to Parkey’s field-goal miss, leaving DeMarco Murray on the sideline and giving the ball to Ryan Mathews, who was stopped for no gain. Walter Thurmond stepped in to make the interception, returning it 23 yards to the Atlanta 8.
Niners linebacker NaVorro Bowman had one of five sacks against Bridgewater and also seven tackles in his first game in 20 months following a left knee injury sustained during the NFC Championship game loss at Seattle in January 2014 that required surgery. One team rushed for more than 100 yards (105).
The last time Jones played on ESPN Monday Night Football, he caught 11 passes for a career-high 259 yards and one touchdown at Green Bay last December. He caught his second touchdown pass of the first half with 45 seconds remaining, sending Atlanta to the locker room up 20-3. Hyde gained 17 yards to the Vikings 10 and scored on a 10-yard burst over right guard with 9:30 left to play.
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Quinn, making his coaching debut for the Falcons, is impressed by the job Kelly has done turning the Eagles into his own. There are big question marks regarding the offensive line, the running game (where rookie Tevin Coleman gets the start), and the revamped defense.
