Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning and Eli Manning started a combined 782 games at quarterback in their NFL careers. They’ve been in plenty of late-game situations where managing the clock is paramount. And they were unanimous on Monday night that whatever the Eagles did while leading late against the Falcons, they should not risk stopping the clock with an incomplete pass.
Ryan joined Peyton and Eli on the ManningCast, and with the Eagles leading 18-15 late in the fourth quarter, all three were warning Eagles coach Nick Sirianni not to call a pass.
“I don’t think the ball’s going in the air again,” Ryan said at the two-minute warning.
But Ryan was wrong about that, as Sirianni called for a third-and-3 pass that Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dropped, stopping the clock and handing the Falcons 40 extra seconds in a game that they’d end up winning by scoring a touchdown with 34 seconds left.
The Manning brothers thought that was the only way the Falcons could win.
“Think they’ll get the ball back, Peyton?” Eli asked on the broadcast as the Falcons were using their final timeouts.
“If Philly throws it,” Peyton answered.
“They’re not gonna throw it,” Eli scoffed.
Ryan agreed: “This ball shouldn’t go in the air the rest of the game”
Both Eli and Peyton thought the Eagles might try the tush push on third-and-3, and then go for it on fourth down and try it again if the tush push didn’t gain three yards.
“The push is coming. You can’t throw it here,” Peyton said.
The Eagles did throw it there. Incomplete, to stop the clock after the Falcons had used their final timeout.
“That’s why you don’t throw,” Peyton said. “Kirk Cousins is over there celebrating. As soon as he saw him drop back, he said, ‘Yes!'”
The Eagles’ pass attempt was one of the most shocking decisions of this young NFL season, and a decision that three quarterbacks who have been in that situation before were begging them not to make.