September 8, 2018

The Philadelphia Eagles defense was excellent in their 18-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. The Eagles used the bend-but-don't-break philosophy against the Falcons. The Eagles allowed 299 total yards of offense, although they only permitted the Falcons one touchdown and two field goals in five trips in the red zone. They forced the Falcons to turn the ball over on their other two trips inside the 20, once on downs and when second-year cornerback Rasual Douglass picked off a Matt Ryan pass at the four-yard line early in the fourth. Overall against Atlanta, the Eagles recorded four sacks along with eight tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, 10 passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble. Philadelphia now has held 10 of its last 19 opponents, including last year's postseason run, to under 20 points. The Eagles defense, ranked ninth in fantasy points, finished fourth in the league in yards allowed as well as points per game and turnovers in 2017. The unit also recorded 42 sacks and scored six touchdowns. The team added veterans Haloti Ngata and Michael Bennett to provide depth along the defensive front during the offseason. Also, linebacker Jordan Hicks and cornerback Sydney Jones are healthy again. Philadelphia's defense should definitely be among the teams under consideration every week for fantasy football owners.--Daniel Benjamin
Source: ESPN