Eagles cornerback Byron Maxwell was torched by Falcons receiver Julio Jones in the Birds 26-24 loss on Monday night Football. Photo by T.J. Engler / contrastphotography.com

The Eagles were predicted by many to make mince meat out of the Atlanta in their season opener on the road.

Someone forgot to tell the Falcons.

Atlanta (1-0) held off a furious comeback by Sam Bradford and the Eagles to post a 26-24 win on Monday Night Football.

Rallying from a 17-point halftime deficit, the Eagle took the lead for the first time midway through the fourth quarter. But the Atlanta Falcons bounced back for the win, holding on when the Eagles squandered a couple of opportunities in the closing minutes.

Cody Parkey missed a 44-yard field goal with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Eagles (0-1) got one more chance, but Bradford’s pass over the middle to Jordan Matthews slipped through the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by Ricardo Allen, sealing Atlanta’s victory in the coaching debut for Dan Quinn.

A year ago, the Eagles trailed Jacksonville 17-0 in the opening game before scoring 34 straight points in the second half.

They were in position for another unlikely victory when, facing fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 26, coach Chip Kelly hesitated briefly before sending on his field-goal unit.

“I’ve got great confidence in Cody that he would put it through,” Kelly said. “He’s hit those before.”

But Parkey’s kick sailed wide of the right upright.

“Perfect snap. Perfect hold every time,” he said. “My fault.”

There was still plenty of time when the Eagles got the ball back, but those hopes faded when Matthews couldn’t hang on to Bradford’s final pass, the ball deflecting into Allen’s arms with 1:11 left.

“I’ve just got to make a play,” Matthews said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

Atlanta receiver Julio Jones outplayed Eagles prized off season acquisition, cornerback Bryon Maxwell hauling in nine passes for 141 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, and led the Falcons to a 20-3 halftime lead. The margin would have been even bigger if not for Kiko Alonso’s dazzling one-handed interception while falling backward in the end zone.

The Eagles rallied behind Bradford, taking the lead for the first time at 24-23 on Ryan Mathews’ 1-yard run with 8:37 remaining.

EAGLES NOTES
* RB Darren Sproles accumulated 126 yards from scrimmage, including 76 receiving yards. He now has 592 career receiving yards on Monday Night Football, which ranks as the sixth-highest total all time among running backs. He trails Keith Byars (721), Roger Craig (683), Marcus Allen (678), Tony Dorsett (670), and Marshall Faulk (597). Among the players on that list, only he and Faulk (14 each) have played in fewer than 20 MNF games.
* In his first regular season action since 10/20/13, QB Sam Bradford threw for 336 yards and a touchdown on 36 of 52 passes, setting a career high in completions and marking the third-highest yardage total of his career. He completed passes to 10 different receivers. Bradford now has eight 300-yard games … WR Jordan Matthews set a career high with 10 receptions, while registering his fourth-career 100-yard performance (102 yards) … The Eagles marched on a 13-play 95-yard touchdown drive, their longest since a 97-yarder on 10/12/14 vs. NYG and just their eighth drive of 95-plus yards since 1994 when Pro Football Reference began tracking that stat.
* RB DeMarco Murray scored his 29th career rushing touchdown and his first as an Eagle. He now has at least one rushing score in each of his last eight games (including playoffs), the longest active streak in the NFL … Murray also scored his second career receiving touchdown, marking his second-ever game with a rushing and receiving touchdown. The last Eagle with a rushing and receiving score in the same contest was LeSean McCoy on 10/28/12 vs. Atlanta … RB Ryan Mathews scored his first rushing touchdown of the season and the 24th of his career.
* LB Kiko Alonso’s one-handed interception in the end zone was the fifth of his career and his first since notching two on 9/29/13 vs. Baltimore as a member of the Bills … DE Fletcher Cox picked up his first sack of the season and his fifth in the last nine games … DB Walter Thurmond recorded his second-career interception … The interceptions by Alonso and Thurmond were the first picks by a player making their Eagles debut since Cary Williams did so in 2013.
* LS Jon Dorenbos played in his 134th game, tying for 19th on the Eagles all-time list … WR Nelson Agholor made his first-career start and reception … The following players played in their first career game: DB Eric Rowe, DE Taylor Hart and LB Jordan Hicks.

EAGLES MEDIA RELATIONS AND ASSOCIATED PRESS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY