PHILADELPHIA -- The Atlanta Falcons were confident their offense would come to life once the regular season started and Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman returned to the lineup after sitting out in preseason.
Not exactly.
Thursday's season-opener against the Eagles was about survival as both teams struggled offensively and turned the ball over. But from the Falcons' perspective, it was far from the ideal way to start Year 2 under offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
The 18-12 loss magnified the same red-zone issues that plagued the Falcons last season. The Falcons finished one for five in the red zone, and Ryan threw a red-zone interception.