PHILADELPHIA — — Oh, so this is what Atlanta expected from the $180 million spent on Kirk Cousins.

It was certainly not a lackluster performance as the 36-year-old veteran showed in the season opener, raising concerns about whether the quarterback would return to form after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

Cousins ​​managed to calm the tension in the final phase and threw all the decisive throws in Philadelphia that his opponent Jalen Hurts could not, allowing the Falcons to secure the winning goal.

Cousins ​​led a flawless last-minute ride for Atlanta and connected to Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown With 34 seconds left on the clock, the Falcons delivered a 22-21 victory over the Eagles on Monday night.

“He went out there and made a big play in the biggest moments at the biggest times,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “Those are the things you want to happen when you have a chance to go out there and win. It was great to see that today with Kirk Cousins.”

Saquon Barkley threw a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left, forcing the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was more than enough time for Cousins ​​— especially against an Eagles defense that played soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.

Cousins, playing in his second game since torn his Achilles tendon Oct. 29 of last year while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the decisive drive.

Cousins ​​found London on a short pass to the right and he burned Darius Slay for the equalizer, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) ahead with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The go-ahead drive lasted just 65 seconds.

“We just left enough time for those guys to get down there, march and score that winning touchdown,” Morris said.

Cousins ​​completed 5 of 6 passes and carried 6 times for 70 yards on the final drive.

“That’s how you have a great season,” Cousins ​​said. “When you have games that could go either way, you find a way to make it go your way. That’s the way this league is and if we can find those inches, it can really change the story of the season.”

Hurts had his last pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III scored Atlanta’s victory and sparked wild celebrations on the sidelines.

The Eagles (1-1) took the lead on Hurts’ 1-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop gave the Falcons some hope.

And then Cousins ​​started playing like the QB Atlanta thought they were getting when they gave him a four-year, $180 million contract.

Cousins ​​finished 20 of 29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Atlanta’s first TD was a 41-yarder from Cousins ​​to Mooney, who finished with three catches for 88 yards.

All crucial actions leading up to the final drive.

“When you’re down six, you can definitely try your best, but we just tried to take what they gave us and work our way down,” Cousins ​​said. “And we were able to get a couple of plays that basically got us down there, low enough where the clock wasn’t really our enemy.”

Hurts was 23 of 30 for 183 yards, including a touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith. With No. 1 receiver AJ Brown out with a hamstring injury, Smith led the Eagles with seven catches for 76 yards and a score.

Jake Elliott kicked two field goals for the Eagles, his 28-yarder with 1:39 left making it 21-15.

Atlanta stalled in the red zone, getting three field goals from Koo before Cousins ​​fired over the middle to Mooney, who got loose from C.J. Gardner-Johnson and left him on the turf before somersaulting into the end zone for a 15-10 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter. Cousins ​​failed on the 2-point conversion pass.

Hurts had a pep in his step during a second-quarter TD drive, running with abandon for big plays, just as he has throughout the 2022 season. He drove the ball in a rare, raw display of emotion on a 23-yard run that earned him a delay of game penalty. He shook off the 5-yard setback and ran 9 yards and 15 yards to move the Eagles inside Atlanta’s 19.

While comedian Shane Gillis and actor Bradley Cooper were among the fans cheering on the Eagles, Hurts connected with Smith in the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown, making it 7-3.

Koo shot field goals from 39, 22 and 34 yards, the latter enough for a 9-7 lead in the third quarter.

“They made a few more plays than we did in the final period. We made a few more plays; they made more,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “And that’s our responsibility. That starts with the coaching and goes to the players. We’re all responsible for the loss.”

Questionable call

Rather than accept a chip-shot field goal from Elliott, the Eagles’ fourth-and-four gamble at Atlanta’s 9-yard line in the first quarter failed when Hurts threw an incomplete pass.

Elliott hit a 29-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter to give the game a 10-9 lead.

Running wild

Bijan Robinson ran for 97 yards for the Falcons. The Eagles stopped him late on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 39.

Barkley was quiet until the go-ahead drive, a week after rushing for 109 yards and scoring three touchdowns against Green Bay. Eagles fans booed when the game’s opening drive ended without Barkley touching the ball. They went wild when he had consecutive nine-yard runs to open the second drive. Barkley had rushed for 40 yards in the first half.

Foles honored

Former Eagles QB Nick Foles, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl title, served as honorary captain and led the crowd in a rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”

Injuries

The Falcons played without LB Nate Landman (calf, quad).

Next

Atlanta hosts Super Bowl champion Kansas City on Sunday.

The Eagles play in New Orleans on Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl