Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning have started a combined 782 games at quarterback in their NFL careers. They’ve been in plenty of late-game situations where clock management is paramount. And they were unanimous Monday night that no matter what the Eagles did when they got a late lead against the Falcons, they couldn’t risk running out the clock with an incomplete pass.

Ryan was a guest on the ManningCast with Peyton and Eli. With the Eagles up 18-15 late in the fourth quarter, all three warned Eagles coach Nick Sirianni not to pass.

“I don’t think the ball is going to go back in the air,” Ryan said at the two-minute warning.

But Ryan was wrong, as Sirianni called for a third-and-3 pass that dropped Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, stopping the clock and giving the Falcons 40 extra seconds in a game they would ultimately win by scoring a touchdown with 34 seconds left.

The Manning brothers thought this was the only way the Falcons could win.

“Do you think they’re going to get the ball back, Peyton?” Eli asked during the broadcast as the Falcons used their final timeouts.

“If Philly throws it,” Peyton replied.

“They’re not going to throw it,” Eli mocked.

Ryan agreed: “This ball cannot stay in the air for the rest of the game.”

Both Eli and Peyton thought the Eagles would try the tush push on third-and-3, and then try again on fourth down if the tush push didn’t yield three yards.

“The push is coming. You can’t throw it here,” Peyton said.

The Eagles did throw it there. Incomplete, to stop the clock after the Falcons had used their final timeout.

“That’s why you don’t throw,” Peyton said. “Kirk Cousins ​​is out there celebrating. As soon as he saw him fall back, he said, ‘Yeah!'”

The Eagles’ pass attempt was one of the most shocking decisions of the young NFL season. It was a decision that three quarterbacks who had previously been in a similar situation begged not to make.