Eagles safety Brian Dawkins delivers a blistering hit to Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler during last year's NFC Championship Game. Brian Bahr/Getty Images
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We interrupt the Terrell Owens-Donovan McNabb soap opera for an actual football game. Philadelphia and Atlanta kick off the Monday night schedule with a rematch of the last season's NFC Championship Game. Only this time the Falcons are playing on their turf and at their preferred temperature, instead of the frozen Lincoln Financial Field where the Eagles won 27-10 last January.

Despite all the turmoil around Owens and McNabb, along with other high-profile contract disputes involving Corey Simon and Brian Westbrook, the Eagles bring back almost all of the key players from last year's Super Bowl team (though Simon was released). So do the Falcons, who enter their second season under coach Jim Mora. Expectations are huge for both teams and they'll both face one of their toughest tests of the season on Monday night.

The Eagles Win If ...

... their defense continues to dominate the Falcons. While the media focuses on Philly's offensive stars, the D has been the key to the Eagles' success under coach Andy Reid. Philly's two postseason wins over Atlanta in recent years are good examples of how their defense can take over a game. A pair of vicious  Brian Dawkins' hits -- one on Michael Vick in 2003 and another on Alge Crumpler last season -- swung the momentum in Philly's favor en route to easy wins.

The Eagles' offense looked sharp in the preseason, with and without Owens. When T.O. finally appeared for their third game, he caught a 64-yard touchdown pass on his first play. As usual, Reid will emphasize the passing game and spread the ball all over the field. And if the Falcons' defense becomes too focused on stopping the pass, Philly will unleash Westbrook, who burned Atlanta for 96 rushing yards on 16 carries in the NFC Championship Game.

The Falcons Win If ...

... they get pressure on Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. The Falcons led the NFL with 48 sacks last season, but they only got to McNabb twice in last year's matchup. Mora will have his defense concentrate on containing McNabb, but they'll also need to use blitzes to try and rattle the Eagles QB.

This is the year Atlanta expects Vick to master the West Coast offense. The Falcons' coaching staff say they were pleased that Vick completed a career-high 56 percent of his passes last season, but he has to do better in a ball-controlled system. Atlanta tried to bolster its receiving corps in the offseason by drafting Roddy White in the first round, but Vick still doesn't have any consistent downfield weapons. The Falcons will rely on the two-headed rushing tandem of Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett -- along with Vick's scrambles -- against a Philly defense that is vulnerable against the run.

Key Stat

The Falcons have one of the most imbalanced offensive attacks in the NFL. Vick averaged more  yards per run (7.5) than per pass completion (7.2) in 2004. In the preseason, Vick averaged 10.2 yards per attempt, compared 6.6 yards per completed pass. Duckett ran for 6.3 yards and Dunn averaged 6.0 yards per rushing attempt this preseason.

The Outcome

Remember when the Eagles came out flat against Tampa Bay in the '03 opener, falling 17-0 to the then-Super Bowl champ Bucs. Reid is 2-4 in season-openers and there's a chance the Falcons will catch the Eagles a little bit out of sync on offense. Like the Patriots, Philly has been more vulnerable in the beginning of the season. Don't forget the Super Bowl jinx, which means Philly could be doomed to miss the postseason entirely. The Falcons will use the running game to control the clock and eke out an ugly win.

Atlanta 23, Philadelphia 20