Five Matchups to Watch for Falcons Week 2 Matchup Against Eagles

1) Devonta Smith vs. Dee Alford

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Dee Alford has already exceeded expectations for the Atlanta Falcons . The CFL product joined the Falcons two years ago and steadily climbed the depth chart until he carved himself out a role as the starting nickel. He's been solid in that role. He'll get a heavy dose of former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith on Monday night. Smith saw his slot snaps dramatically in one game under offensive coordinator Kellen Moore . He lined up in the slot on 53.9% of snaps, playing the CeeDee Lamb / Keenan Allen role in Moore's offense. It's a tall task for Alford, especially since he'll again be at a size disadvantage. Limiting Smith's production will go a long way toward keeping the Philadelphia Eagles from putting points on the board.

2) Jessie Bates and Justin Simmons vs. Jalen Hurts

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Former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and quarterback Justin Fields avoided throwing over the middle of the field like a plague last Sunday. According to Smith, it was by design, as he fully knows how good Atlanta's safety duo is. Jalen Hurts has struggled throwing over the middle as a passer. Against the Green Bay Packers , Hurts's two interceptions came in that area. Most of his success, including his two touchdown passes, went outside the numbers. The duo has had a knack for creating turnovers and if Hurts is going to attack the middle, Bates and Simmons need to make him pay.

3) The Falcons WR corps vs. Avonte Maddox

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The weakest area on Philadelphia's defense is their nickel spot. Avonte Maddox filled in due to injury after splitting time between corner and safety in camp. He played 38 snaps in the slot and struggled, allowing 60% of the passes that came his way to end in a completion in addition to giving up a touchdown. The Falcons have primarily deployed Ray-Ray McCloud in the slot, but Darnell Mooney and Drake London have seen time there as well. Look for Zac Robinson to highlight this matchup, and feed targets to whoever Maddox is covering.

4) Jalen Carter vs. the Falcons interior OL

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Jalen Carter has looked the part of an All-Pro talent early on in his career. The Georgia product burst onto the scene as a rookie, registering four sacks and twenty-nine pressures before hitting a rookie wall later in the year. The young man is a force to be reckoned with, racking up three pressures during the Eagle's opening game. It'll take a collective effort between Matthew Bergeron , Drew Dalman , and Chris Lindstrom to contain him. As good a player Carter is, he graded out poorly against the run. Perhaps Atlanta can find some success in that area.

5) Kirk Cousins (and Zac Robinson) vs. his Achilles tendon

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We've had an exhausting week of controversy surrounding Kirk Cousins ' health. Many around the league believe that the Falcon's signal-caller hasn't fully recovered from his torn Achilles tendon. It's a fair question. Kirk was a statue in week one. He barely moved and any play action or rollouts were nonexistent. Offensive coordinator Robinson had Kirk in shotgun or pistol on 96% of their plays, and of those plays out of shotgun there were ZERO designed runs. That's a recipe for disaster against the Eagle's pass rush. Simply put, if Kirk is as healthy as the team claims they have to show us. Run plays from under center, and get the boot game going. Play off the threat of the run and allow Cousins to manipulate the middle of the field. There are a ton of unknowns around the quarterback position in Atlanta, and (if Kirk can move) Zac Robinson's ability to draw up a game plan. We'll get a lot of answers Monday night.

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