Philadelphia @ Atlanta preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 28, 2012 ) Atlanta 30, Philadelphia 17

The new Sam Bradford Era kicks off in earnest on Monday night when the oft-injured quarterback leads the Philadelphia Eagles into Atlanta to face the Falcons in the season opener. Acquired from St. Louis for fellow QB Nick Foles in the offseason, Bradford isn't the only highly publicized new face on Chip Kelly's team, as reigning Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray (1,845 yards, 13 touchdowns) has shuffled over from NFC East rival Dallas to take the place of the departed LeSean McCoy.

Philadelphia allowed free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to head to Kansas City, believing that second-year Jordan Matthews can thrive on the inside while rookie Nelson Agholor can make hay on the outside. Speaking of wide receivers, two-time Pro Bowler Julio Jones reeled in 104 receptions for a franchise-record 1,593 yards last season en route to securing a five-year deal worth $71.25 million in the summer. "We think Julio is an elite receiver in this league, obviously," Kelly said. "He presents a lot of problems because of his combination of size and speed. Usually guys that are 6-foot-2-plus, 6-3, 220 (pounds) don't run as fast as Julio." Matt Ryan (4,694 yards, 28 TDs) will likely look for Jones on many occasions, but his rebuilt offensive line may have a say in whether he has enough time to find him.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Eagles -3. O/U: 55

ABOUT THE EAGLES (2014: 10-6, 2nd, NFC EAST): Philadelphia's defense also features several new faces as linebacker Kiko Alonso was acquired from Buffalo for McCoy and cornerback Byron Maxwell came over from Seattle. At 6-1, 207 pounds, Maxwell may be the best candidate to press Jones at the line, but he'll need help over the top to keep the speedy wideout in check. Also new to Philadelphia is Ryan Mathews, who is expected to spell Murray while also platooning with pass-catching Darren Sproles in the backfield.

ABOUT THE FALCONS (2014: 6-10, 3rd, NFC SOUTH): New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will attempt to figure out a backfield in flux as rookie Tevin Coleman has been promoted to starter with Devonta Freeman nursing a nagging hamstring injury. Veteran Roddy White is dealing with a balky knee following a pair of injury-plagued campaigns while Leonard Hankerson replaces the departed Harry Douglas (Tennessee) as the team's third wideout in a pass-happy offense. Atlanta finished last season second in completions (418), third in attempts (632) and fifth in passing yards (4,553) while its 372 rushing attempts were sixth worst in the league.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Atlanta (279.9) and Philadelphia (264.9) allowed the most passing yards per contest last season.

2. Eagles LB Connor Barwin's 14.5 sacks were tied for fourth-best in the league with Buffalo DE Mario Williams.

3. The Falcons addressed their beleaguered offensive line by trading for veteran LG Andy Levitre from Tennessee last week.

PREDICTION: Eagles 34, Falcons 27