PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles defense needed one more stop. They invited the burden all week, yearning to carry the underdog label. So with the Falcons two yards from the end zone on a fourth down in a five-point game, it was the do-or-die moment they desired.
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan rolled to his right side. Nigel Bradham closed in, forcing Ryan to lob a pass to top receiver Julio Jones. Jones had the size on Jalen Mills, but the pass sailed high with Mills impeding Jones' effort.
The sideline erupted in pandemonium. The crowd followed. They celebrated a 15-10 postseason win over the Atlanta Falcons on a windy evening at Lincoln Financial Field, and scheduled one more home game in Philadelphia.
The Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since January 2009. They are hosting it for the first time since January 2005. They will play the winner of Sunday's Minnesota Vikings-New Orleans Saints game next week.
The Eagles were the first No. 1 seed to be underdogs in the divisional round, and what they perceived as a lack of respect became a rallying cry within the NovaCare Complex during the week. They fostered an us-against-the-world mentality. But they were confident in their game plan even without star quarterback Carson Wentz. The defense carried the Eagles, holding them to only one touchdown.
The offense did just enough, with Nick Foles actually outplaying Ryan. Foles finished 23 of 30 for 246 yards. Ryan went 22 of 36 for 210 yards and one touchdown, and what mattered most was that he didn't finish with 212 yards and two touchdowns. Jay Ajayi rushed for 54 yards and had one fumble, with LeGarrette Blount rushing for a touchdown. Alshon Jeffery led receivers with four catches for 61 yards.
The Falcons needed a touchdown because of the Eagles' fourth-quarter field goal. Facing a fourth-and-1 at the 3-yard line with just more than six minutes remaining in the game, coach Doug Pederson considering going for the touchdown to make it a two-score game. He called a timeout to further consider his decision before sending his field goal unit onto the field. Jake Elliott nailed a 21-yard field goal to extend the lead to 15-10, trusting a defense that carried the Eagles all season.
Atlanta drove all the way to the two-yard line, but it wasn't enough. Pederson used a challenge to overturn a first-down on a pass from Ryan to Jones on the Falcons' final drive, and Falcons coach Dan Quinn kept his offense on the field for a fourth-and-6 from their 42-yard line. Ryan found Jones for 20 yards, and this time, there was no dispute. That gave Atlanta momentum, but it wasn't enough. Jones had nine catches for 101 yards, but Ryan couldn't connect with him when it mattered most. And the Eagles defense was the reason, even overcoming early blunders from the offense and special teams.
The Eagles' first blunder came on their opening drive. After a pass interference on the first offensive play netted the Eagles 42 yards, Ajayi fumbled at the end of a six-yard carry to give Atlanta possession. The defense held the Falcons to a field goal.
Ajayi started to redeem himself on the next drive, rushing for 18 yards to help bring the ball into Falcons territory before Foles took a costly sack to force the Eagles punt. The defense again held Atlanta, and the offense wasn't going to squander their next chance.
Pederson knew it made sense to call on Ajayi. The Eagles handed the ball to Ajayi on three consecutive plays and passed to him once to go 34 yards on the first four plays of the drive. On a third-and-3, Pederson uncovered a new play from the playbook _ a jet sweep to Nelson Agholor, who took it 21 yards to Atlanta's three-yard line. The Eagles almost scored when Foles picked up a third-down fumble on a botched play, but he was stopped at the 1-yard line. Pederson elected to keep his offense on the field, and LeGarrette Blount ran wide for a one-yard touchdown to give the Eagles the lead. Elliott missed the extra point, though, so it was only a three-point margin.
The Eagles had a chance to add to their lead in the second quarter when the defense forced the Falcons to punt. Then came the Eagles' second costly blunder. The Falcons' punt into the wind went short and bounced off Bryan Braman to make it a live ball. The Falcons picked up the fumble at the 18-yard line, and the Eagles offense never could take the field.
For the second time in the first half, Atlanta turned the turnover into points. On a third down at the six-yard line, Fletcher Cox was about to sack Ryan before Ryan flicked the ball to Devonta Freeman at the last second. Malcolm Jenkins left Freeman to try to close in on Ryan, allowing Freeman to slip free to take a 10-6 lead.
The Eagles kicked a field goal during the final second of the half after an improbable sequence. Pushed back at his own 30-yard line with 22 seconds remaining, Foles lobbed a pass that seemed intended for Falcons safety Keanu Neal. The ball bounced off Neal and into Torrey Smith's hands, who did his best Franco Harris impression to bring the ball to midfield. Foles found Alshon Jeffery along the sideline with one second remaining to set up Elliott's 53-yard field goal, which was the longest in Eagles postseason history.
Ajayi was noticeably absent for much of the second quarter, creating intrigue about why the Eagles rotated running backs when he averaged 6.3 yards on eight carries.
Ajayi returned at the start of the second half. Foles caught fire in the third quarter, completing 6 of 8 passes for 78 yards. Jeffery found open pockets to help move the chains. Foles drove the Eagles into a field-goal range, where Elliott's 37-yard field goal gave the Eagles a 12-10 lead.
The Falcons never led again, and the Eagles live for at least one more game.
