Falcons at Eagles
While the Atlanta Falcons have made themselves at home on the road by winning four of five contests, quarterback Matt Ryan will enjoy an even more familiar feeling on Sunday afternoon when the team visits the Philadelphia Eagles. Ryan (NFL-best 2,980 yards, 23 touchdowns) brings the league's top-scoring offense (33.9 points per game) into Lincoln Financial Field, which resides approximately 30 miles away from where he grew up in Exton, Pa.
A die-hard Eagles' fan in his youth, Ryan disappointed the Philadelphia fans in his last visit home in 2012 with three touchdowns passes in a 30-17 victory and fueled the Falcons to their third straight win over the Eagles last season by tossing a pair of TD passes in a 26-24 triumph. The 31-year-old hasn't slowed down in 2016, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors following his four-touchdown performance in a 43-28 victory over Tampa Bay on Nov. 3. The City of Brotherly Love was quick to embrace its current quarterback in rookie Carson Wentz, but the second overall pick answered three season-opening wins with subpar performances in four of his last five outings. The Eagles predictably have gone 1-4 in that stretch, but look to bounce back at home where they are 3-0.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Pick. O/U: 50
ABOUT THE FALCONS (6-3): Ryan's success routinely hinges on the electric Julio Jones (NFL-best 970 yards), and the stud wide receiver hasn't been shy about giving Philadelphia fits in his career - highlighted by a nine-catch, 141-yard, two-touchdown performance in last season's opener. The 27-year-old Jones also found the end zone versus the Buccaneers on a 3-yard fade and faces an Eagles' secondary that yielded four touchdowns to the Giants' wideouts. While Jones has excelled, running back Devonta Freeman was limited to just 112 yards rushing during the two-game absence of Tevin Coleman (hamstring), who expects to be back on Sunday.
ABOUT THE EAGLES (4-4): Although Ryan Mathews has scored in back-to-back contests, fellow running back Darren Sproles has assumed the lead role in the backfield. "By stats and by what you're seeing, I would say that Darren is the No. 1 back right now," coach Doug Pederson said of the 5-foot-6 Sproles. "Obviously we haven't hung our hat on one guy, but we tend to lean more toward Darren Sproles. It's hard to take him off the field right now." The 33-year-old Sproles, who is averaging nearly five yards a carry and 10 yards per catch in eight games, rolled up 126 scrimmage yards (76 receiving, 50 rushing) in the last encounter with Atlanta.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Philadelphia S Rodney McLeod has three interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble in his last three home games.
2. Atlanta LB Vic Beasley leads the team with 7.5 sacks, but DE Adrian Clayborn has collected four in his last three contests.
3. The Eagles will play their fourth consecutive game against a team on extra rest, with Minnesota, Dallas and the Giants coming off their bye weeks.