PHILADELPHIA — Kirk Cousins ​​​​exorcised his Monday Night Football demons and gave the Atlanta Falcons their crucial first win of the season in one drive.

Trailing by six points with 1:39 left, Cousins ​​took the Falcons 80 yards and found wide receiver Drake London for a 7-yard, go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds left. Atlanta escaped Lincoln Financial Field with a 22-21 victory in Week 2. Cousins ​​went 4-10 on Monday nights, winning four of his last five MNF games.

Cousins ​​was 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had 97 yards on 14 carries and 122 yards total from scrimmage. The Eagles had taken the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Hurts with 6:47 left.

Here are the key things you need to know for both teams on Monday night:

For most of the eight quarters, it looked like the Falcons really needed to improve their offensive skills.

For the second straight week, the team sputtered on that side of the ball, which should have been a major strength with the addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins. But Cousins ​​was still out of shape after missing most of his 2023 season with a torn right Achilles tendon. And despite a potent rushing attack, Atlanta was unable to score on third down or in the red zone.

Until the final moments of the game. Cousins ​​took the team 80 yards and connected with wide receiver Drake London for the go-ahead touchdown with just 34 seconds left. It didn’t erase the uneven play Atlanta’s offense had in the first two games. But it was enough to at least step up the win column.

The Falcons really needed a win over the Eagles. The next few weeks could be dangerous, especially with the way the team has been playing. Atlanta hosts the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs in primetime next week. And after that? The Falcons welcome their arch-rival New Orleans Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams, Atlanta’s NFC South opponents, are currently undefeated.

Cousins ​​and the Falcons will have to hope that last-minute drives are now the rule, not the exception. It’s the NFL, and it gets late early here.

Promising trend: Bijan Robinson has been a focal point of the team’s offense, drawing criticism from the Falcons’ play-calling in 2023. The second-year running back became the first Falcons running back to record 100 or more receiving yards in each of the team’s first two games of a season since Michael Turner in 2011.

Interesting statistic: Cousins ​​has 51 passing touchdowns against the blitz over the last five seasons, tied for the most in the NFL during that span with Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes is third with 47. It’s a glimpse of what the Falcons could have if Cousins ​​returns to pre-injury form.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Falcons secondary provided ample coverage and the pass rush had its moments, but Hurts could improvise and create big plays with his feet. Atlanta had no answer for him and it resulted in Hurts converting two big fourth downs, three crucial third downs with his legs and a touchdown run. –Marc Raimondi

Next match: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 22)

Life without receiver AJ Brown can be a grind. The Eagles were reminded of that during Monday night’s slugfest against the Falcons, when Brown sat out with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for a few games.

Still, it appeared they had done enough to tide the Falcons over — and then things went wrong. Atlanta mounted a lightning-fast six-play, 70-yard drive in 1:05 to stun a capacity Lincoln Financial Field crowd and pull the Eagles to an 1-1 tie.

From here it gets tougher. They play at the red-hot New Orleans Saints and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before a Week 5 bye.

Adversity has struck this team early. After a 1-6 collapse at the end of last season, all eyes will be on whether they can pick up the pieces after a heartbreaking loss.

Describe the game in two words: Brutal loss. The win was in the hands of the Eagles before Atlanta pulled it away with a six-play, 70-yard drive in the final moments. A final effort by the Eagles offense ended in a Hurts interception.

Crucial game: Leading by three points with under two minutes remaining, the Eagles faced a 3rd-and-3 deep in Atlanta territory. Hurts had Saquon Barkley open in the flat, but Barkley dropped it, forcing Philadelphia to settle for a field goal. Moments later, the Falcons mounted their game-winning drive.

Worrying trend: The Eagles edge rushers struggled to pressure the quarterback for the second straight week. Much of the focus will be on Bryce Huff, the former Jet who signed a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency to compensate for the eventual departure of Haason Reddick. He has zero pressures through two games.

Interesting statistic: Kirk Cousins ​​​​was pressured on just 2 of 14 dropbacks (14%) in the first half, the lowest percentage in a half since Week 1 2023. –Tim McManus

Next match: at New Orleans Saints (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 22)