Eagles raise their first Super Bowl championship banner

PHILADELPHIA – This is might be a new season, but it didn't seem that way in the Philadelphia Eagles' 18-12 season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. There were so many reminders of the Super Bowl, from the pregame celebration, to the Eagles taking a late fourth-quarter lead, to the defense making a crucial stop, to Doug Pederson calling a variation of the Philly Special.

And if that wasn't enough, the game was decided just as it was in the Eagles' postseason victory over the Falcons in January — with a Matt Ryan incompletion to Julio Jones in the end zone. It was even the same end zone.

"It was deja vu," said cornerback Ronald Darby, who covered Jones on the last play this time around instead of Jalen Mills. "Jones is one of the best but we got the stop."

Jay Ajayi rushed for an 11-yard touchdown with 2 minutes, 19 seconds on the clock to put the Eagles ahead 18-12 after a two-point conversion. It was the Eagles' biggest lead of the game, and all they needed was the defense to keep Atlanta out of the end zone — just like they did on the final drive of the playoffs last season. The Falcons drove into scoring distance, but the Eagles defense proved clutch when it mattered most.

"We put a big emphasis on red zone," safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "We trust our matchups and do we do our job."

Ajayi's two touchdowns led the Eagles. Nick Foles finished 19 of 34 for 117 yards and one interception. The Eagles defense kept the Falcons to one touchdown despite five red-zone trips.

"That's a great defense and a great team," Jones said. "You aren't going to score at will on that team. They won a Super Bowl for a reason, they have the same guys on defense."

On a third-and-5 at the Falcons' 41-yard line in the third quarter, Foles handed the ball to Corey Clement, who pitched the ball to Nelson Agholor reversing field, who threw it to Foles down the right sideline. Foles, just like on Feb. 4, was wide open. The 15-yard gain gave the Eagles a first down, but even more, it gave the Eagles life. A crowd that sat through a weather delay and a sluggish first half came alive with Philly's favorite play. The Eagles carried that momentum into the end zone five plays later when Ajayi pushed through for a score.