The Falcons Game-Winning Drive In Philly Gave Us The ManningCast At Its Best

The Atlanta Falcons needed a miracle to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football this week. That miracle came in the form of a 6-play, 70-yard drive that took just over a minute in the waning moments of the game, with Kirk Cousins marching the Falcons down the field in Philadelphia and connecting with Drake London for a game-winning touchdown with only 34 seconds remaining.

Atlanta went on to pick off Jalen Hurts on the ensuing possession to secure a 22-21 win. As for the drive itself, viewers of the ManningCast were treated to some pretty fortunate booking, as longtime Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan joined Peyton and Eli Manning as it happened. In the aftermath of the game, Omaha Productions uploaded the full conversation that the three had during the drive, which you can watch right here.

The thing with the ManningCast — which has been a successful MNF simulcast for ESPN ever since it launched a few years back — is that for all the big name celebrities from outside the world of football that it books, it’s at its absolute best when Peyton, Eli, and someone else who knows the game are able to break things down in real time. The fact that Ryan is a Falcons legend was an added bonus here, but stuff like Peyton getting riled up because Kyle Pitts didn’t hand the ball right to the official after getting a first down and therefore let a few extra seconds melt off the clock is the kind of insight you can only get from a football genius.