'MNF' takeaways: Falcons, Kirk Cousins silence doubters with shocking comeback

How the heck did that happen? The Falcons escaped "Monday Night Football" with a wild 22-21 win over the Eagles.

Here are five takeaways from a Monday night stunner.

Falcons heard everyone's Kirk Cousins concerns

The Falcons dispelled any notion about Cousins' health with their opening offensive series.

A week after Atlanta ran 96% of its plays out of the pistol or shotgun, Cousins began Monday night's game under center.

He handed off to running back Bijan Robinson twice and attempted a play-action pass that was batted down at the line of scrimmage.

As ESPN's Bill Barnwell noted online, the sequence felt meant to send a message.

Cousins finished 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. For all the handwringing about Cousins' Week 1 performance, he looked fine on Monday night.

Eagles play-calling confounds

Thanks to Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, running back Saquon Barkley waited until Philadelphia's second offensive series to get the ball in his first game in front of the hometown crowd.

Considering how well Barkley ran once he got an opportunity, Moore should probably feature him in the team's opening script going forward.

The former Giants first-round pick was electric, gaining 39 yards on four carries.

However, just as he was getting going, Barkley didn't receive a touch after getting the Eagles down to Atlanta's 15-yard line. Over Philadelphia's next four plays, the offense gained six yards and turned the ball over on downs.

Moore didn't get Barkley involved enough early, contributing to Philadelphia's slow offensive start.

Dropped pass spoils Barkley's home debut

For most of Monday night, Barkley was Philadelphia's MVP. He finished the loss with 22 carries for 95 yards and added four receptions for 21 yards. Unfortunately, it's the catch he didn't make that will live in infamy.

On a third-and-3 with under two minutes remaining and Atlanta out of timeouts, Barkley dropped a pass that hit him in the hands, which, if completed, would have likely given the Eagles a first down and allowed them to run out the clock.

It was the cruelest possible ending for a player who sparked the Eagles offense early.

Fans likely won't let him forget that miscue for a while. But considering how vital he is to Philadelphia's attack, Barkley can't allow it to shake his confidence.

Eagles should call Jets about Haason Reddick

If Reddick refuses to play for New York, Philadelphia needs to pick up the phone and not hang up until it works a deal to bring him back to town.

Reddick led the team with 68 pressures in 2023, while Eagles edge-rushers Nolan Smith, Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat combined for four pressures on Monday. ( h/t Pro Football Focus )

Cousins wasn't pressured at all on Atlanta's winning touchdown drive with under two minutes, allowing him to pick apart the defense.

NFC South is a beast

With its miraculous win, Atlanta made a surprising statement: the NFC South might be the best division in football. That's pretty remarkable since it also has the league's worst team, the Panthers.

But based on how the Saints (2-0) and Bucs (2-0) have started the season, the division that's been ridiculed as the worst in football for the past two years might be strong enough to boast three playoff teams by the end of the season.