History of the Atlanta Falcons
Encyclopedia
The history of the Atlanta Falcons
dates back when the Falcons joined the National Football League
(NFL) as a 1966 expansion team
.
Pete Rozelle
granted ownership to Rankin M. Smith, Sr.
, the executive vice president of Life Insurance Company of Georgia. The name Falcons was suggested by Julia Elliott (1909–1990) a high school teacher from Griffin, Georgia who won a contest in 1965. Though 40 other contestants had also suggested the name, Elliott wrote in an essay, "The falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It's deadly and has a great sporting tradition." Among the many suggested names were the Knights, Bombers, Rebels, Crackers, Thrashers, Lancers, Firebirds, Fireballs and Thunderbirds.”
Rankin M. Smith Sr. would draft Tommy Nobis
, LB, University of Texas with the first pick of the 1966 NFL Draft
held on November 27, 1965, making him the first ever Falcon. Early speculation on the team's first head coach focused on a host of tutors: former University of Oklahoma
head coach Bud Wilkinson
; University of Arkansas
head coach Frank Broyles
; former San Francisco 49ers
head coach Red Hickey
; and former Cleveland Browns
head coach Paul Brown
; and Green Bay Packers
head coach Vince Lombardi
were all considered or courted. In the end, Smith selected Lombardi's assistant Norb Hecker
on January 26, 1966.
The Atlanta Falcons began their first NFL season
in the NFL Central Division 1966
, and had their first game (preseason) on August 1, 1966 against the Philadelphia Eagles
before a crowd of 26,072 at the Atlanta Stadium
. The Falcons would lose against the Eagles and would lose their first nine games in the regular season before finally getting their first franchise win on the road against the New York Giants
, 27–16. Former Giant Ernie Wheelwright scored two TD's receiving and ran for 51 more yards as QB
Randy Johnson hit for a trio of TD's. Their first ever home victory was against the St. Louis Cardinals
, 16–10 to a crowd of 57,169. The Falcons ended their inaugural season at 3–11, yet Nobis won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award and became the first Falcon named to the Pro Bowl.
The 1967 season
was no better as the Falcons
exited their second season with only 1 win and a 1–12–1 season. After a dreadful 0–3 start in the 1968 season
, Norm Van Brocklin
, formerly head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
, was named to replace Norb Hecker
on October 1. Two weeks later, his Falcons
beat New York 24–21, in the first meeting between Van Brocklin and his former QB, Fran Tarkenton
. Despite the win, the Falcons would still finish with an abysmal 2–12 record. Although the first three seasons for the Falcons were dreadful, the Falcons
turned things around in the 1969 season
. On September 21, the Falcons won their first season opener ever, beating the San Francisco 49ers
, 24–12, before their home fans. Rookie Tight End Jim Mitchell scored two TD's and club set a team record with 229 yards rushing. On December 7, Harmon Wages threw for a TD in the first quarter (16 yards to Paul Flatley
), caught a pass for a TD in the second quarter (88 yards), and then ran for a TD in the fourth quarter (66 yards) in a 45–17 rout of the Saints. The Falcons finished the year with a vastly improved 6–8 record.
would have their first Monday Night Football
game in Atlanta during the 1970 season
on November 30, when they played the Miami Dolphins
. The Falcons would end up losing 20–7 in front of an audience of 30 million TV viewers. The Falcons would end up going 4–8–2 for the 1970 season. Atlanta would have their first winning season in 1971. On November 22, the Falcons won their first nationally televised game with a 28–21 triumph over the Green Bay Packers
in Atlanta. The Falcons would enter their final game of the season in New Orleans
on December 19 with a 6–6–1 record, needing to beat the Saints to have their first winning record. The Falcons beat New Orleans, 24–20, with 40 seconds left in the game. The victory gave the Falcons a then-franchise best 7–6–1 record.
The Falcons
opened the 1973 season
against New Orleans
, smashing 35 team records en route to a 62–7 victory on September 16. Although the Falcons opened the season with a huge win, the Falcons would only manage to score 15 total points in the next 3 games, all of which they lost. The Falcons came back and won 7 in a row, including a victory against the unbeaten Vikings
, 20–14, on November 19 before a national television audience. Dave Hampton
once again barely missed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. The Falcons finished 9–5 for their best record ever, but lose out on the playoffs by one game.
In 1975
, with the first pick in the NFL Draft
, the club selected quarterback Steve Bartkowski
of the University of California
. The Falcons finished the year with a 4–10 record, but Dave Hampton finally broke the 1,000 yard mark (1,002) in a 22–13 loss to the Green Bay Packers
. Bartkowski would continue to struggle in the 1976 season, throwing only 2 TD's while being picked off 9 times. Bartkowski was then replaced by Kim McQuilken
, who fared no better, throwing 9 interceptions in three games. Because of the abysmal season, Coach Marion Campbell resigned. Pat Peppler would replace him, and the Falcons would go on to finish at 4–10. In 1977
, former Redskins and Cowboys quarterback Eddie LeBaron
was named General Manager, and Leeman Bennett
became the fifth head coach in club history. The following season, the Falcons' "Grits Ritzs Blitz" defense (led by defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville
) set an NFL record for the fewest points allowed in a 14-game season, with 129. They also set the record for the fewest points allowed per game for the year with 9.2 (a mark that not even the 1985 Bears defense
could match). However, due to the team's lackluster offense (which averaged less than 13 points per game), the Falcons finished with a 7–7 record.
finished the 1978 season
with a 9–7 record, qualifying for the postseason for the first time in franchise history. In the playoffs, they met a team that didn't make the playoffs in a number of years, the Philadelphia Eagles
. Despite falling behind 13–0, the Bartkowski-led Falcons came back to take a 14–13 lead, which held up after a chip-shot Eagles FG attempt sailed wide right with seconds remaining. Their next encounter would be with the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys
. Despite knocking out Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach
and taking a 20–13 lead into halftime, the offense would only collect 85 net yards in the second half as the Cowboys, led by backup QB Danny White
, came back and won 27–20. White would come back to haunt the Falcons yet again two years later.
were unable to carry the previous year's momentum into 1979
, though, finishing 6–10. Records were broken for the season by William Andrews with 1,023 yards, by Wallace Francis with 74 catches for 1,013 yards and by Steve Bartkowski with 2,502 passing yards (203-379).
, 35–10 to win their first-ever NFC West division title. In the Divisional Playoffs, the Falcons lost to the Dallas Cowboys
, 30–27, as the Cowboys rallied for 20 points in Atlanta before a then-record crowd of 59,793, including a game-winning touchdown pass from Danny White to Drew Pearson with less than a minute to play. This loss is widely cited as one of most devastating losses in Atlanta sports history (even more so than the Super Bowl loss to Denver in 1998), as many fans and the team itself took almost a decade to recover.
The 1981 season was plagued with injuries as the Falcons lost 3 key starters for the season. The Falcons would lose six games by less than a touchdown and finish with a 7–9 record.
In 1984, the Falcons suffered a huge loss when RB
William Andrews suffered a career-threatening knee injury on the last day of training camp. He would be sidelined for 2 years before returning for the 1986 season, only to retire soon after. Gerald Riggs
would replace him in the lineup, as Riggs was a bright spot in amassing over 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in those two seasons. However, the Falcons would finish with back-to-back 4-12 records for the 1984 and 1985 campaigns. After an average 7-8-1 season in 1986, where David Archer succeeded Steve Bartkowski as starting QB, head coach Dan Henning was dumped and replaced by Marion Campbell.
In 1987, Campbell did nothing to reverse the Falcons losing and they would finish their season with a 3–12 record, including losing 9 out of their last 10 games upon their return from the strike of that season. The 1988 season would also be awful as the Falcons finished with a 5–11 season.
1988 would start with Atlanta drafting first overall, a pick they used to select Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce
, most notably bypassing perennial All-Pro DE Neil Smith, who went second overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Settling in with 1987's first round selection Chris Miller as their new starting QB, Atlanta proceeded to lose seven out of their first 8 games. The Falcons were able to salvage their season somewhat with a stretch where they won 4 games out of 5, including a road win over the playoff-bound Eagles, but lost their last 3 games to finish 5–11 for the season.
In 1989, Atlanta's top draft pick (fifth overall) was a flamboyant All-American defensive back from Florida State named Deion Sanders
who was as good at cultivating his "Prime Time" image as he was at intercepting passes and returning kicks. In drafting Sanders, it gave the Falcons something they had been sorely lacking since the departure of Bartkowski and the diminishing role of Gerald Riggs; an immediately identifiable franchise player. However, Sanders and the Falcons ended up in a contract dispute that lasted until the week leading up to the first game of the regular season as Sanders, among other things, used his standing as a prospect as an outfielder for the New York Yankees
as negotiating leverage. Upon finally agreeing to terms, Sanders only practiced the Friday before the game and participated in the Saturday walk-through, put on the football pads for the first time in seven months in the season opener vs. the Rams and returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown, making him the only modern-day athlete to hit a home run and score a touchdown in the same week (he had only left the Yankees a few days prior). However, the Falcons were unable to win many games, and in response Coach Marion Campbell resigned and replaced by Jim Hanifan on an interim basis. The Falcons would go on to a 3–13 record.
coach Jerry Glanville
, whose eccentric personality gave the Falcons another piece of identity. Coinciding with Glanville's hiring and his "Man in black" image, the Falcons altered their uniforms from their traditional red jersey/red helmet uniform to an all-black motif which would remain in place until 2003.
On October 28, Atlanta-based Turner Network Television, a subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System
, did its first NFL game not only involving the Falcons, but also played in Atlanta. Mentions were made of these connections during the broadcast as the Falcons beat the Cincinnati Bengals
38-17.
as their team theme song after several Falcons appeared in the accompanying music video. Hammer himself would make several appearances on the Falcons sideline during the season. Atlanta made the playoffs as the sixth seed with a 10–6 record, snapping a streak of eight consecutive losing seasons. Notable personalities on this team were CB Deion Sanders
, WR Andre Rison
, and CB Tim McKyer
, QB James Kenny
(he fathered his twins in 1991)a talented but brash player who had quickly worn out his welcome with the Miami Dolphins
the year prior but emerged as a leader for Atlanta. Also new to the team was QB Brett Favre, drafted from Southern Mississippi during the off-season. Atlanta tied the San Francisco 49ers with a 10-6 record, but made it over them due to a Billy Joe Tolliver hail mary earlier that year. The Falcons made it to the second round of the playoffs by beating the New Orleans Saints
at the Louisiana Superdome
(27–20). The next week, they lost a rain-soaked blowout to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins 24–7.
to the Georgia Dome
and finish with a 6–10 record. In the off-season, the team traded Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Atlanta would regret this decision as Favre went on to fame and glory with his new team.
.
TNT did a game from the Georgia Dome for the first time on October 17, as the Falcons beat the Rams 30-24.
, who had managed to wear out his welcome in Indianapolis after being four seasons removed from being picked #1 overall in 1990. With these changes, the Falcons mildly improved to a 7–9 record.
28–27 to secure a playoff spot. They would lose to the Green Bay Packers
at Lambeau Field 37–20.
Coach (and Georgia native) Dan Reeves
, who would lead the Falcons to a 7–9 record in 1997. Rankin Smith died at the age of 72 on the eve of a Sunday Night game against Carolina. This game aired on TNT, part of Time Warner
's Turner Broadcasting System
- which is based in Atlanta. In fact, this is the last NFL game aired on TNT to date.
by upsetting the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings
in the NFC Championship Game.
Featuring a balanced offense led by Pro Bowlers Chris Chandler
and Jamal Anderson
, as well as an aggressive and opportunistic defense, the Falcons sprinted to a promising 6-2 start. To that point, however, the team's success was generally regarded as a fluke, given the franchise's history, a weak schedule, and blowout road losses to two contending teams, the San Francisco 49ers
and the New York Jets
.
On November 8, 1998, the NFL finally began to take notice when the Falcons traveled to Foxboro Stadium and defeated the Patriots
41-10, at the same time snapping a streak of 22 consecutive losses at cold-weather sites in November and December that had dated back to 1982. It was in this game that TE O. J. Santiago introduced the famous "Dirty Bird" dance that became the team's trademark endzone celebration for that season.
The win at Foxboro significantly raised the team's profile before a week 11 confrontation with the hated San Francisco 49ers
, from whom the Falcons had received some of their most embarrassing losses to throughout their history. Atlanta earned a 31–19 win over the 49ers before a packed Georgia Dome.
The Falcons won their final six games of the season, including a 24–17 week 16 triumph over the Detroit Lions
which clinched Atlanta's first division title since 1980.
A major distraction hit Atlanta the day after a road win over the Saints, in the form of a quadruple-bypass heart surgery that their head coach Dan Reeves required. Assistant coach and former Rams head coach Rich Brooks
would temporarily handle head coaching duties in Reeves's absence, winning both of their last two games of the season.
The Falcons entered the 1998 playoffs as the #2 seed in the NFC, becoming the first 14-win team not to receive home field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, they did receive a bye into the divisional round.
Three weeks after his surgery and two weeks after being re-admitted to the hospital due to an accelerated heartbeat , Reeves returned to work full-time and would return to the sideline for their division-round showdown with the 49ers, who were coming off of a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers
. The Dome was again filled to capacity as the Falcons charged to a 10-0 first half lead and held on for 20-18 victory, advancing to their first NFC Championship game in franchise history.
history, the 1998 Vikings wielded an explosive, record-setting passing attack powered by league MVP Randall Cunningham
and Minnesota's deadly trio of wide receivers Randy Moss
, Jake Reed
, and Cris Carter
. Despite Atlanta's impressive season, they were heavy underdogs heading into Minnesota, with few pundits believing they could keep the game close, and virtually none predicting a win.
The Falcons' offense prepared all week for the deafening cacophony of the Metrodome, and promptly opened the game with a touchdown drive that quieted the crowd and propelled the team to an early 7–0 lead. However the Vikings responded with a 5 play, 80 yard touchdown drive of their own. Minnesota would proceed to tally 20 unanswered points in the first half, pressing the Falcons against the ropes with a 20–7 lead.
The pivotal moment in the contest came with 1:17 left in the first half. The Vikings had just taken over from a punt on their own 18. High on a dominating first half, they chose to throw the ball in an attempt to put the game away before halftime. Opting for three consecutive downfield passes, Minnesota was dumbfounded when DE Chuck Smith managed to beat Todd Steussie
on 3rd down to force a Randall Cunningham
fumble. The Falcons recovered on the Minnesota 14 and cashed in with a Chandler to Terance Mathis
touchdown on the next play, mending the rift to a more manageable 20–14 going into the break.
In the second half and with the momentum completely reversed the Falcons scored the only points of the 3rd quarter on a 27-yard Morten Andersen
field goal to make the score 20–17. The Vikings responded, converting three third downs in a 15-play, 82-yard drive, and posting their only points of the second half on a Cunningham to Matthew Hatchette
touchdown pass 1:19 into the fourth quarter. The Falcons countered with another field goal set up by a 70 yard strike from Chandler to Mathis. The score was 27-20 with 11:02 remaining.
From here, the teams exchanged possessions twice. The clock running dry, Minnesota managed to break through on what appeared to be a game-clinching 55 yard drive to the Atlanta 21. Stopped on 3rd down with 2:07 left, the Vikings summoned Pro Bowl kicker Gary Anderson, who had made NFL history that season by converting all 39 of his field goal attempts. However, Anderson's 38 yard boot hooked wide left which left the Falcons still alive and the Vikings and the Metrodome faithful perplexed by a foreboding change in momentum. That momentum would spark the most important drive in franchise history.
The Falcons had the ball and two minutes to span the 71 yards separating them from an improbable comeback. In perhaps the finest moment of his injury-prone and inconsistent career, QB Chris Chandler
directed a 8 play drive, concluding with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis
with 49 seconds left. Nonplussed, and squeamish from the disaster at the end of the first half, Minnesota coach Dennis Green
then chose to run out the clock and try his chances in overtime.
The crowd, which had been collectively eviscerated by the Anderson miss and Chandler's subsequent heroics, quickly took heart as the Vikings won the overtime coin flip. The celebrated Minnesota offense would decide its own fate.
The game became a struggle for field position in the early part of the period, as both teams failed to break the 50 yard line on their initial possession. The Vikings' second possession stalled at their own 39, a 52-yard Mitch Berger punt subsequently pinning Atlanta deep in its own territory.
Beached at their own 9, the Falcon offense mounted a final frantic charge. Led once again by the clutch passing of Chandler, Atlanta surged 70 yards in a breakneck 10-play drive, encountering only a single 3rd down which came on the final play of the game. After centering the ball on a 2 yard Jamal Anderson
rush to the Minnesota 21, the Falcons tapped kicker Morten Andersen
for the game-winning field goal. The Metrodome waxed breathless as Andersen split the uprights from 38 yards, vaulting the Falcons to the win sending them to the Super Bowl
for the first time in franchise history. It also set off one of the biggest celebrations in the city's history as thousands packed Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport upon their arrival in town later that night and thousands more swamped the highways during their convoy to team headquarters.
, media attention was focused mostly upon the Falcons' opponent, the Denver Broncos
, their retiring quarterback John Elway
, and former Denver coach Dan Reeves
's relationship with Elway, which was at times contentious during his tenure as Broncos coach. Falcons Pro Bowl CB Ray Buchanan
also jokingly guaranteed a win
to a reporter, with this statement being blown out of proportion by the overzealous media. Days later, Buchanan attracted further attention when he greeted the media wearing a dog collar to represent the Falcons' status as 8½ point underdogs.
The biggest story for either team broke on the night before the game. Falcons Pro Bowl free safety Eugene Robinson
, who had just that morning received the Bart Starr Award
for his "high moral character," was arrested for soliciting an undercover police officer $40 http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs98/news/1999/990130/01077118.html for oral sex on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami. Robinson would play in the game, but he would turn out to be a liability, blowing a coverage on a key play in the first half, and missing a tackle that resulted in a fourth quarter touchdown.
Super Bowl XXXIII
was an exciting and novel event for Falcons fans and players, but was a disappointing end to what had theretofore been a dream season. The Falcons offense moved the ball consistently on the Broncos throughout the game, but had several mishaps within Denver territory, allowing the Broncos offense to deliberately pick apart the Atlanta defense and pull away to a 17–3 lead in the first half. A Morten Andersen
field goal brought the Falcons within 17–6 going into halftime, but the second half was punctuated by two key interceptions thrown by the normally surehanded Chris Chandler
, which allowed the Broncos to pull away to a 31–6 lead. By the end of the game, the Falcons had driven within the Broncos 30 yard line seven times, yet had only managed to score 13 points with 5 turnovers. The Falcons scored two late touchdowns, one on a 94 yard kickoff return by Tim Dwight
, to make the score a more respectable final of 34–19.
Despite the embarrassing finish, the 1998 Falcons are the most celebrated team in franchise history. That year, the Falcons set franchise records for wins (14) and points scored (442), with RB Jamal Anderson
breaking the NFL record for carries in a season(410) and the team record for rushing yards (1,846). The team also sent six players to the Pro Bowl, the second highest total in team history. Atlanta was also the first dome team in league history to make the Super Bowl
.
After the adrenaline rush of the 1998 season, Atlanta football would cool down when RB Jamal Anderson endured an early season-ending torn ACL injury. The team tumbled to a 5-11 record in 1999, and an even worse 4-12 record in 2000.
, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers
to attain the #1 overall draft pick with which they chose the electrifying sophomore QB Michael Vick
out of Virginia Tech
. The Chargers used the #5 pick to acquire RB LaDainian Tomlinson
. The Falcons chose to keep veteran QB Chris Chandler as the starter to allow Vick some time to learn the system. The team finished the year with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.
Vick became the full-time starting quarterback in 2002. That year, the Falcons recorded an NFL-best eight-game unbeaten streak (7–0–1). During the streak, they recorded huge victories over division rivals New Orleans, who started the year 6–1, and the Carolina Panthers (two shutout victories, 30–0 and 41–0). They also overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force a 34–34 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers
en route to a 9–6–1 record and a trip to the playoffs. Also during the season, Vick set records for both the most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback and longest run by a quarterback, showing that the skills he had shown in his college career at Virginia Tech were not a fake. They immediately scored a major upset on January 4, 2003 by becoming the first road team in NFL history to defeat the Green Bay Packers
in a playoff game at Lambeau Field
, winning 27–7. Their season would end the next week in Philadelphia as the Eagles
won, 20–6.
was named his replacement on an interim basis. The Falcons drafted Virginia Tech
cornerback DeAngelo Hall
with the eighth pick in the 2004 NFL Draft
.
In 2003, The Falcons unveiled a new logo and uniforms.
and energized by their new head coach Jim L. Mora
, they would go 11–5 and easily win the NFC South
. Having a first round bye, the Falcons would face the St. Louis Rams
in the Divisional Round, who had shut them out 36–0 the previous year on national television. Buoyed by a team record-324 yards rushing and over 150 punt return yardage by Allen Rossum they advanced to the NFC Championship game by embarrassing the Rams 47–17. However, in their second NFC title game appearance, they were denied another trip to the Super Bowl, as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles
, 27–10. After the season, Vick signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with a $37 million signing bonus—the richest contract in NFL history at the time.
for the first time in franchise history, beating the Detroit Lions
27–7. On the next-to-last game of the regular season, the Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention with a 27–24 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. The Falcons finished 8–8 and once again failed to attain back-to-back winning seasons.
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, but lost to the New Orleans Saints
on Monday Night Football
, giving them a record of 2–1. The next week, the team came back and won their game against the Arizona Cardinals
32–10, with Jerious Norwood
, a rookie RB from Mississippi State University, running for over 100 yards and Morten Andersen
hitting all 5 of his field goals. Andersen, one of the most prolific kickers in NFL history and a member of the 1998 Super Bowl team, had been re-signed by the club September 19, ending punter Michael Koenen's audition as the sole kicker on the team (Koenen continued to placekick in long-yardage situations).
The next week, the team had a bye and prepared to face the New York Giants
. The Falcons would lose to the Giants 27–14. The only bright spot of the game was a 90-yard 3rd quarter touchdown run by Warrick Dunn
, the longest touchdown run in Atlanta Falcons history.
The Atlanta Falcons hoped to bounce back the next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers
, and they did so with a huge game. In a shootout rivaling the following week's Indianapolis-Denver game, the Falcons beat the Steelers 41-38 in overtime as Morten Andersen
kicked a game-winning 32-yard field goal. Falcons QB Michael Vick
had a career-high 4 touchdown passes, including 3 to star TE Alge Crumpler
. Both teams combined for 9 touchdown passes and 872 yards of total offense. With the win, the Falcons improved to 4-2.
In week 8, the Falcons defeated the Cincinnati Bengals
29-27. Vick showed that the previous game was no fluke, going 19 of 27 for 291 yards and three touchdowns, as well as scrambling for 55 yards. A third-quarter touchdown pass to third-checkdown receiver, fullback Justin Griffith
, chilled defensive coordinators league-wide and thrilled Falcons fans, as Vick demonstrated field awareness, patience, elusiveness, and precision passing under pressure.
The 5–2 Falcons next traveled to Ford Field in Detroit to face the Lions, where they fell to 5-3. The Falcons suffered a similar fate to both the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens bringing their record to an even 5-5 on the season. The Falcons suffered another loss to the New Orleans Saints on November 26 (31–13) to cause their record for the season drop to 5-6, but more importantly to let their losing streak continue on to 4 games. The next week they defeated the Washington Redskins
in an away game with a score of 24–14. In that game the Falcons were down 14–0 but came back and scored 24 unanswered points to win the game. A 69-yard run for a touchdown by rookie Jerious Norwood helped seal the victory. The next week, the Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, keeping hopes alive for a playoff berth. However, they then lost their next two games, against the Dallas Cowboys
and the Carolina Panthers.
Even with a 7–8 record, the Falcons were not completely eliminated from the playoffs until, in week 17, the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins. The Falcons' last game was a meaningless loss to a second-string Philadelphia Eagles
team, sealing their record for the season at a losing 7–9. The next day (January 1, 2007), the Falcons fired their head coach, Jim L. Mora
; he was replaced by Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino
on January 7.
. Under considerable pressure, the NFL barred Vick from attending training camp pending its own investigation into the matter. For all intents and purposes, the Falcons' season effectively ended when Vick was arraigned on federal dog fighting charges on July 26. The terms of his bail barred him from leaving Virginia for any reason before the November 26 trial. With Vick's absence, journeyman quarterbacks Joey Harrington
and Byron Leftwich
were used to plug the hole at quarterback. Vick pleaded guilty on August 20; on the same day the NFL suspended him indefinitely. The Falcons are trying to recover part of his signing bonus, based on evidence he used it to fund the gambling side of the dog fighting operation. Blank later stated that while he felt Vick should be allowed back into the NFL, he will likely not play another down for the Falcons again.
Petrino had revamped the offense in hopes of making Vick a more complete quarterback. However, with Vick on the sidelines, Petrino's game plan didn't seem to fit on the field or in the locker room, with veteran players Alge Crumpler
and DeAngelo Hall
voicing their displeasure. Petrino later resigned just 13 games into the season to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks
. Petrino resigned the day after Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison and also a day after Petrino coached the Falcons in a 34–14 loss to the New Orleans Saints
on Monday Night Football
.
Without Vick, the Falcons appeared to be a rudderless team. They finished their troubled 2007 season with a 44–41 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, ending the year at 4–12. The offseason brought change to the team's front office, as Thomas Dimitroff
was hired to replace Rich McKay
at the general manager position.
defensive coach Mike Smith was named the Falcons' new head coach. Matt Ryan was drafted third overall to be the new face of the franchise. Free agent Michael Turner was also acquired to help in the run game. Defying expectations, the Falcons managed an 11-5 season in 2008 and earned a wild card playoff berth. They did not get beyond that however, as they lost a 24-30 match against the Arizona Cardinals. In 2009, the Falcons suffered numerous devastating injuries to defensive players and to stars Michael Turner (ankle) and Matt Ryan (toe). The Week 13 game against Philadelphia saw Michael Vick return to play his former team, in which he scored two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. Atlanta was very nearly shut out, but in the closing seconds of the game scored a touchdown and brought the final score to 34-7. The following week, the team lost a close match against New Orleans, which mathematically excluded them from the playoffs. Nonetheless, Atlanta managed to win their final three games and end the year with a 9-7 record, the first time in its history the team achieved back-to-back winning seasons.
The Falcons lost their 2010 opener in Pittsburgh before crushing the Cardinals at home in Week 2. Atlanta then played its first divisional match of the season against the defending champion Saints. In a closely fought game, the Falcons beat New Orleans 27-24 with two minutes left in overtime. Then followed a 16-14 win over the struggling 49ers. After games with Cleveland (a 20-10 win) and Philadelphia (a 31-17 loss), they won a key division match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 to claim a lead in the NFC South, putting them at 6–2 at the halfway point of their season. In the 2010 Thursday Night Football opener, the Falcons donned throwback uniforms and defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26–21 in a highly anticipated match-up of 6-2 teams, and the first meeting of the top two quarterback picks of the 2008 draft, in Ryan and Joe Flacco. Ryan set career highs for attempts and completions, going 32 for 50, and clinching the Falcons' first 7–2 record since the 1998 Super Bowl season. However, the officiating was widely criticized. The Falcons secured their third straight winning season, a franchise first, with a win over St. Louis (34–17), and a victory in a highly anticipated game with the Green Bay Packers (20–17), which was a close game all the way up to the end, when kicker Matt Bryant sealed the game with a 47-yard field goal with 13 seconds on the clock, bringing the Falcons to an NFC-best 9–2 record. The next week the Falcons defeated their divisional rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28–24, improving their record to an NFC best 10-2. Week 14 saw the first of two late-season matchups with the struggling Carolina Panthers. The Falcons got up 14-0 early in the game and went on to cruise to a 31-10 victory, raising their record to an NFC-best 11–2. Week 15 took the Falcons to the Northwest against the Seattle Seahawks. After a quick start by the Seahawks, the Falcons took control with a key touchdown pass late in the first half and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the Seahawks' first possession of the second half to go up 24–10, eventually winning 34-18. The win (followed by a Giants loss) secured a playoff berth for the Falcons with two games left. With only one win needed in the final two games to clinch everything, Week 16 set up a Monday Night showdown with the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. A low-scoring affair ended with the Saints pulling out a 17–14 win. Week 17 brought in the struggling Carolina Panthers and an easy win for the Falcons, 31–10. The victory clinched the NFC South Division title (only their fourth division title in the team's history) and clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs by claiming the number one seed in the NFC. However, their season had a disappointing end, with the Falcons suffering a loss at home in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers by a margin of 48–21.
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
dates back when the Falcons joined the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) as a 1966 expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
.
1965–1969
On June 30, 1965, the Atlanta Falcons were born. The NFL CommissionerNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Pete Rozelle
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle was the commissioner of the National Football League from January 1960 to November 1989, when he retired from office. Rozelle is credited with making the NFL into one of the most successful sports leagues in the world....
granted ownership to Rankin M. Smith, Sr.
Rankin M. Smith, Sr.
Rankin M. Smith, Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist. A long time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, Smith was very active in the Atlanta community. Smith served as president of the Life Insurance Company of Georgia from 1970 to 1976...
, the executive vice president of Life Insurance Company of Georgia. The name Falcons was suggested by Julia Elliott (1909–1990) a high school teacher from Griffin, Georgia who won a contest in 1965. Though 40 other contestants had also suggested the name, Elliott wrote in an essay, "The falcon is proud and dignified, with great courage and fight. It never drops its prey. It's deadly and has a great sporting tradition." Among the many suggested names were the Knights, Bombers, Rebels, Crackers, Thrashers, Lancers, Firebirds, Fireballs and Thunderbirds.”
Rankin M. Smith Sr. would draft Tommy Nobis
Tommy Nobis
Thomas Henry Nobis, Jr. is a former American football player. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School where he was an all-state offensive end and middle linebacker...
, LB, University of Texas with the first pick of the 1966 NFL Draft
1966 NFL Draft
The 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the NFL and the AFL drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to play for the more established NFL, or in a rarer...
held on November 27, 1965, making him the first ever Falcon. Early speculation on the team's first head coach focused on a host of tutors: former University of Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
head coach Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
; University of Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
head coach Frank Broyles
Frank Broyles
John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach the University of Missouri in 1957 and at the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976...
; former San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
head coach Red Hickey
Red Hickey
Howard Wayne "Red" Hickey was an American football player and coach who played for two teams and served as head coach for the San Francisco 49ers, where he was most famous for creating the shotgun formation in 1960....
; and former Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
; and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
head coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
were all considered or courted. In the end, Smith selected Lombardi's assistant Norb Hecker
Norb Hecker
Norbert Earl Hecker was an American football player and coach who was part of eight National Football League championship teams, but may be best remembered as the first head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons....
on January 26, 1966.
The Atlanta Falcons began their first NFL season
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
in the NFL Central Division 1966
1966 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1966 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcon's inaugural season.- Offseason :The Falcons attempted to acquire Green Bay Packers running back Jim Taylor. There were tensions in Green Bay because the Packers first round pick, Jim Grabowski would be groomed to take over for Taylor...
, and had their first game (preseason) on August 1, 1966 against the Philadelphia Eagles
1966 Philadelphia Eagles season
-NFL Draft:The 1966 NFL Draft and the 1966 AFL DraftThe 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the NFL and the AFL drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to...
before a crowd of 26,072 at the Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
. The Falcons would lose against the Eagles and would lose their first nine games in the regular season before finally getting their first franchise win on the road against the New York Giants
1966 New York Giants season
The 1966 New York Giants season was the 42nd season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 1–12–1 record, the worst in franchise history....
, 27–16. Former Giant Ernie Wheelwright scored two TD's receiving and ran for 51 more yards as QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Randy Johnson hit for a trio of TD's. Their first ever home victory was against the St. Louis Cardinals
1966 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1966 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 47th season the team was in the league, and the seventh in St. Louis. The team moved its home games from the old Busch Stadium to the new Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, and bettered their 1965 record of 5-9, winning eight games...
, 16–10 to a crowd of 57,169. The Falcons ended their inaugural season at 3–11, yet Nobis won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award and became the first Falcon named to the Pro Bowl.
The 1967 season
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
was no better as the Falcons
1967 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1967 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcons' second season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: - References :* *...
exited their second season with only 1 win and a 1–12–1 season. After a dreadful 0–3 start in the 1968 season
1968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
, Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
, formerly head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, was named to replace Norb Hecker
Norb Hecker
Norbert Earl Hecker was an American football player and coach who was part of eight National Football League championship teams, but may be best remembered as the first head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons....
on October 1. Two weeks later, his Falcons
1968 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1968 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcon's third season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: - References :* *...
beat New York 24–21, in the first meeting between Van Brocklin and his former QB, Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
. Despite the win, the Falcons would still finish with an abysmal 2–12 record. Although the first three seasons for the Falcons were dreadful, the Falcons
1969 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1969 Atlanta Falcons season was their 4th in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 2-12, winning six games. They failed to reach the playoffs for the fourth straight season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
turned things around in the 1969 season
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
. On September 21, the Falcons won their first season opener ever, beating the San Francisco 49ers
1969 San Francisco 49ers season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *...
, 24–12, before their home fans. Rookie Tight End Jim Mitchell scored two TD's and club set a team record with 229 yards rushing. On December 7, Harmon Wages threw for a TD in the first quarter (16 yards to Paul Flatley
Paul Flatley
Paul Richard Flatley is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Northwestern Wildcats from 1960 to 1962 and later in the National Football League from 1963 to 1970....
), caught a pass for a TD in the second quarter (88 yards), and then ran for a TD in the fourth quarter (66 yards) in a 45–17 rout of the Saints. The Falcons finished the year with a vastly improved 6–8 record.
1970s
The Falcons1970 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1970 Atlanta Falcons season was their 5th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 6-8, winning only four games. They failed to reach the playoffs for the fifth straight season.-NFL Draft:...
would have their first Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game in Atlanta during the 1970 season
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
on November 30, when they played the Miami Dolphins
1970 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:- Standings :-Roster:- Playoffs :-Notes and references:**...
. The Falcons would end up losing 20–7 in front of an audience of 30 million TV viewers. The Falcons would end up going 4–8–2 for the 1970 season. Atlanta would have their first winning season in 1971. On November 22, the Falcons won their first nationally televised game with a 28–21 triumph over the Green Bay Packers
1970 Green Bay Packers season
The 1970 Green Bay Packers season was their 50th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 6-8 record under coach Phil Bengtson, his last at the helm, earning them a third-place finish in the NFC Central division.- Offseason :...
in Atlanta. The Falcons would enter their final game of the season in New Orleans
1970 New Orleans Saints season
The 1970 New Orleans Saints season was the team's fourth as a member of the National Football League. They failed to improve on their previous season's output of 5-9, winning only two games...
on December 19 with a 6–6–1 record, needing to beat the Saints to have their first winning record. The Falcons beat New Orleans, 24–20, with 40 seconds left in the game. The victory gave the Falcons a then-franchise best 7–6–1 record.
The Falcons
1973 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1973 Atlanta Falcons season was their 8th in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 7-7, but failed to reach the playoffs.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
opened the 1973 season
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
against New Orleans
1973 New Orleans Saints season
The 1973 New Orleans Saints season was the team's seventh as a member of the National Football League. They improved on their previous season's output of 2-11-1, winning five games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season....
, smashing 35 team records en route to a 62–7 victory on September 16. Although the Falcons opened the season with a huge win, the Falcons would only manage to score 15 total points in the next 3 games, all of which they lost. The Falcons came back and won 7 in a row, including a victory against the unbeaten Vikings
1973 Minnesota Vikings season
The 1973 Minnesota Vikings season was their 13th year of play in the National Football League. The Vikings regained the NFC Central title after a disappointing 7-7 record the previous season, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses...
, 20–14, on November 19 before a national television audience. Dave Hampton
Dave Hampton
David Hampton is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles.-College career:...
once again barely missed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. The Falcons finished 9–5 for their best record ever, but lose out on the playoffs by one game.
In 1975
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, with the first pick in the NFL Draft
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, the club selected quarterback Steve Bartkowski
Steve Bartkowski
Steven Joseph "Steve" Bartkowski is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League who played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams...
of the University of California
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
. The Falcons finished the year with a 4–10 record, but Dave Hampton finally broke the 1,000 yard mark (1,002) in a 22–13 loss to the Green Bay Packers
1975 Green Bay Packers season
The 1975 Green Bay Packers season was their 55th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 4-10 record under new coach Bart Starr, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central division.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:...
. Bartkowski would continue to struggle in the 1976 season, throwing only 2 TD's while being picked off 9 times. Bartkowski was then replaced by Kim McQuilken
Kim McQuilken
Kim Evan McQuilken is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Lehigh University and was drafted in the third round of the 1974 NFL Draft. In five NFL seasons Kim threw for four...
, who fared no better, throwing 9 interceptions in three games. Because of the abysmal season, Coach Marion Campbell resigned. Pat Peppler would replace him, and the Falcons would go on to finish at 4–10. In 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, former Redskins and Cowboys quarterback Eddie LeBaron
Eddie LeBaron
Edward Wayne LeBaron, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the 1950s and early 1960s in the National Football League.-Early years:LeBaron graduated from Oakdale High School in Oakdale, California....
was named General Manager, and Leeman Bennett
Leeman Bennett
Leeman Bennett is a former football coach who served at both the collegiate and professional levels, but is most prominently remembered as head coach of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers....
became the fifth head coach in club history. The following season, the Falcons' "Grits Ritzs Blitz" defense (led by defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
) set an NFL record for the fewest points allowed in a 14-game season, with 129. They also set the record for the fewest points allowed per game for the year with 9.2 (a mark that not even the 1985 Bears defense
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
could match). However, due to the team's lackluster offense (which averaged less than 13 points per game), the Falcons finished with a 7–7 record.
1978
Led by their astounding defense, the team1978 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1978 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcon's 13th season. It was the first postseason appearance in franchise history.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:...
finished the 1978 season
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
with a 9–7 record, qualifying for the postseason for the first time in franchise history. In the playoffs, they met a team that didn't make the playoffs in a number of years, the Philadelphia Eagles
1978 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1978 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the first time in eighteen years, which ended the longest postseason drought in the franchise’s history and one of the longest in the history of the National Football League....
. Despite falling behind 13–0, the Bartkowski-led Falcons came back to take a 14–13 lead, which held up after a chip-shot Eagles FG attempt sailed wide right with seconds remaining. Their next encounter would be with the heavily favored Dallas Cowboys
1978 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1978 Dallas Cowboys season was their 19th in the NFL. For the third consecutive season, the Cowboys finished in first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys scored 384 points, which ranked first in the NFC, while the defense only gave up 208 points. Twice, the Cowboys appeared on Monday Night...
. Despite knocking out Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
and taking a 20–13 lead into halftime, the offense would only collect 85 net yards in the second half as the Cowboys, led by backup QB Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
, came back and won 27–20. White would come back to haunt the Falcons yet again two years later.
1979
The Falcons1979 Atlanta Falcons season
The 1979 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcon's 14th season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: - References :* *...
were unable to carry the previous year's momentum into 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
, though, finishing 6–10. Records were broken for the season by William Andrews with 1,023 yards, by Wallace Francis with 74 catches for 1,013 yards and by Steve Bartkowski with 2,502 passing yards (203-379).
1980s
1980 was a highly successful season for the Falcons, as they finished 12–4. While the season started at 3–3, Atlanta went on to record an amazing 9-game winning streak. Bartkowski threw for three touchdowns on December 14 as the Falcons defeated the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, 35–10 to win their first-ever NFC West division title. In the Divisional Playoffs, the Falcons lost to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, 30–27, as the Cowboys rallied for 20 points in Atlanta before a then-record crowd of 59,793, including a game-winning touchdown pass from Danny White to Drew Pearson with less than a minute to play. This loss is widely cited as one of most devastating losses in Atlanta sports history (even more so than the Super Bowl loss to Denver in 1998), as many fans and the team itself took almost a decade to recover.
The 1981 season was plagued with injuries as the Falcons lost 3 key starters for the season. The Falcons would lose six games by less than a touchdown and finish with a 7–9 record.
In 1984, the Falcons suffered a huge loss when RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
William Andrews suffered a career-threatening knee injury on the last day of training camp. He would be sidelined for 2 years before returning for the 1986 season, only to retire soon after. Gerald Riggs
Gerald Riggs
Gerald Antonio Riggs is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons from 1982-1988 and the Washington Redskins from 1989-1991....
would replace him in the lineup, as Riggs was a bright spot in amassing over 3,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in those two seasons. However, the Falcons would finish with back-to-back 4-12 records for the 1984 and 1985 campaigns. After an average 7-8-1 season in 1986, where David Archer succeeded Steve Bartkowski as starting QB, head coach Dan Henning was dumped and replaced by Marion Campbell.
In 1987, Campbell did nothing to reverse the Falcons losing and they would finish their season with a 3–12 record, including losing 9 out of their last 10 games upon their return from the strike of that season. The 1988 season would also be awful as the Falcons finished with a 5–11 season.
1988 would start with Atlanta drafting first overall, a pick they used to select Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce
Aundray Bruce is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Auburn University and professionally for the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders of the NFL.-College career:...
, most notably bypassing perennial All-Pro DE Neil Smith, who went second overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. Settling in with 1987's first round selection Chris Miller as their new starting QB, Atlanta proceeded to lose seven out of their first 8 games. The Falcons were able to salvage their season somewhat with a stretch where they won 4 games out of 5, including a road win over the playoff-bound Eagles, but lost their last 3 games to finish 5–11 for the season.
In 1989, Atlanta's top draft pick (fifth overall) was a flamboyant All-American defensive back from Florida State named Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
who was as good at cultivating his "Prime Time" image as he was at intercepting passes and returning kicks. In drafting Sanders, it gave the Falcons something they had been sorely lacking since the departure of Bartkowski and the diminishing role of Gerald Riggs; an immediately identifiable franchise player. However, Sanders and the Falcons ended up in a contract dispute that lasted until the week leading up to the first game of the regular season as Sanders, among other things, used his standing as a prospect as an outfielder for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
as negotiating leverage. Upon finally agreeing to terms, Sanders only practiced the Friday before the game and participated in the Saturday walk-through, put on the football pads for the first time in seven months in the season opener vs. the Rams and returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown, making him the only modern-day athlete to hit a home run and score a touchdown in the same week (he had only left the Yankees a few days prior). However, the Falcons were unable to win many games, and in response Coach Marion Campbell resigned and replaced by Jim Hanifan on an interim basis. The Falcons would go on to a 3–13 record.
1990s
Their next head coach would be recently fired former OilersTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
coach Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
, whose eccentric personality gave the Falcons another piece of identity. Coinciding with Glanville's hiring and his "Man in black" image, the Falcons altered their uniforms from their traditional red jersey/red helmet uniform to an all-black motif which would remain in place until 2003.
1990
The Falcons would start the 1990 season with an impressive win against Glanville's former team, the Houston Oilers, 47–27. The Falcons began the season 2–2, but their season took a turn for the worse after losing a 45–35 shootout to the defending champion 49ers (who they had played tough on the road a few weeks prior). Joe Montana torched the blitz-happy Falcons for 6 touchdown passes, and after that game Atlanta would lose 8 out of their next 9, pausing only to beat Glanville's former division rival Cincinnati before winning their last two games to finish at 5–11.On October 28, Atlanta-based Turner Network Television, a subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
, did its first NFL game not only involving the Falcons, but also played in Atlanta. Mentions were made of these connections during the broadcast as the Falcons beat the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
38-17.
1991
The 1991 team, also known as the "2 Legit 2 Quit" Falcons, as they appropriated the song by MC HammerMC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
as their team theme song after several Falcons appeared in the accompanying music video. Hammer himself would make several appearances on the Falcons sideline during the season. Atlanta made the playoffs as the sixth seed with a 10–6 record, snapping a streak of eight consecutive losing seasons. Notable personalities on this team were CB Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
, WR Andre Rison
Andre Rison
Andre Previn Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football League's...
, and CB Tim McKyer
Tim McKyer
Timothy Bernard McKyer is a former professional American football player who was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 6'0", 174-lb. cornerback from the University of Texas at Arlington, McKyer played in 12 NFL seasons for 7 different teams from 1986 to 1997...
, QB James Kenny
James Kenny
James Kenny VC was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
(he fathered his twins in 1991)a talented but brash player who had quickly worn out his welcome with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
the year prior but emerged as a leader for Atlanta. Also new to the team was QB Brett Favre, drafted from Southern Mississippi during the off-season. Atlanta tied the San Francisco 49ers with a 10-6 record, but made it over them due to a Billy Joe Tolliver hail mary earlier that year. The Falcons made it to the second round of the playoffs by beating the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
(27–20). The next week, they lost a rain-soaked blowout to the eventual Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins 24–7.
1992
In 1992, the Falcons would move from the Atlanta-Fulton County StadiumAtlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, often shortened to "Fulton County Stadium," was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.-History:...
to the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
and finish with a 6–10 record. In the off-season, the team traded Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Atlanta would regret this decision as Favre went on to fame and glory with his new team.
1993
For the 1993 season, Deion Sanders continued to be the star player of the Atlanta Falcons, picking off 7 passes while shutting down some of the league's top receivers. Despite Sanders's amazing performance, the Falcons finished once again with a 6–10 record. After the season coach Jerry Glanville was fired and replaced by June JonesJune Jones
June Sheldon Jones, III is the American football head coach for Southern Methodist University.-Playing career:Jones played the quarterback position on three college teams: Oregon , Hawaii , and Portland State . It is during his time at Portland State that he was introduced to the Run and Shoot...
.
TNT did a game from the Georgia Dome for the first time on October 17, as the Falcons beat the Rams 30-24.
1994
The Falcons would lose Sanders to free agency in 1994, and they would also acquire QB Jeff GeorgeJeff George
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft...
, who had managed to wear out his welcome in Indianapolis after being four seasons removed from being picked #1 overall in 1990. With these changes, the Falcons mildly improved to a 7–9 record.
1995
The next year, with Jones's run and shoot offense firmly in place, George had a then-career season. In the final game of the 1995 season, the Falcons come from behind to beat the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
28–27 to secure a playoff spot. They would lose to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
at Lambeau Field 37–20.
1996
The Falcons would follow up their playoff appearance with a 3–13 record in 1996, in a season best-remembered for an argument caught on camera during a Sunday Night game between George and June Jones. George was benched after the incident, and both were gone by the end of the season.1997
Jones would be replaced by former BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Coach (and Georgia native) Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
, who would lead the Falcons to a 7–9 record in 1997. Rankin Smith died at the age of 72 on the eve of a Sunday Night game against Carolina. This game aired on TNT, part of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
's Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
- which is based in Atlanta. In fact, this is the last NFL game aired on TNT to date.
1998
In the greatest season in franchise history to date, the 1998 Falcons shocked the league by posting a 14–2 record and qualifying for Super Bowl XXXIIISuper Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
by upsetting the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
in the NFC Championship Game.
Featuring a balanced offense led by Pro Bowlers Chris Chandler
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
and Jamal Anderson
Jamal Anderson
Jamal Sharif Anderson is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played high school football at El Camino Real High School, where he was named to the CIF Los Angeles City Section...
, as well as an aggressive and opportunistic defense, the Falcons sprinted to a promising 6-2 start. To that point, however, the team's success was generally regarded as a fluke, given the franchise's history, a weak schedule, and blowout road losses to two contending teams, the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
and the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
On November 8, 1998, the NFL finally began to take notice when the Falcons traveled to Foxboro Stadium and defeated the Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
41-10, at the same time snapping a streak of 22 consecutive losses at cold-weather sites in November and December that had dated back to 1982. It was in this game that TE O. J. Santiago introduced the famous "Dirty Bird" dance that became the team's trademark endzone celebration for that season.
The win at Foxboro significantly raised the team's profile before a week 11 confrontation with the hated San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, from whom the Falcons had received some of their most embarrassing losses to throughout their history. Atlanta earned a 31–19 win over the 49ers before a packed Georgia Dome.
The Falcons won their final six games of the season, including a 24–17 week 16 triumph over the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
which clinched Atlanta's first division title since 1980.
A major distraction hit Atlanta the day after a road win over the Saints, in the form of a quadruple-bypass heart surgery that their head coach Dan Reeves required. Assistant coach and former Rams head coach Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...
would temporarily handle head coaching duties in Reeves's absence, winning both of their last two games of the season.
The Falcons entered the 1998 playoffs as the #2 seed in the NFC, becoming the first 14-win team not to receive home field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, they did receive a bye into the divisional round.
Three weeks after his surgery and two weeks after being re-admitted to the hospital due to an accelerated heartbeat , Reeves returned to work full-time and would return to the sideline for their division-round showdown with the 49ers, who were coming off of a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. The Dome was again filled to capacity as the Falcons charged to a 10-0 first half lead and held on for 20-18 victory, advancing to their first NFC Championship game in franchise history.
1998 NFC Championship game
Next was a journey to the Metrodome and a January 17 date with the league's most feared offense, the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings. The then highest scoring team in NFLNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history, the 1998 Vikings wielded an explosive, record-setting passing attack powered by league MVP Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
and Minnesota's deadly trio of wide receivers Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, Jake Reed
Jake Reed
Willis "Jake" Reed is a former professional American football player who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver from 1991 to 2002 for the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints.Reed played football collegiately at Grambling State University and was selected...
, and Cris Carter
Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
. Despite Atlanta's impressive season, they were heavy underdogs heading into Minnesota, with few pundits believing they could keep the game close, and virtually none predicting a win.
The Falcons' offense prepared all week for the deafening cacophony of the Metrodome, and promptly opened the game with a touchdown drive that quieted the crowd and propelled the team to an early 7–0 lead. However the Vikings responded with a 5 play, 80 yard touchdown drive of their own. Minnesota would proceed to tally 20 unanswered points in the first half, pressing the Falcons against the ropes with a 20–7 lead.
The pivotal moment in the contest came with 1:17 left in the first half. The Vikings had just taken over from a punt on their own 18. High on a dominating first half, they chose to throw the ball in an attempt to put the game away before halftime. Opting for three consecutive downfield passes, Minnesota was dumbfounded when DE Chuck Smith managed to beat Todd Steussie
Todd Steussie
Todd Edward Steussie was an American football guard and tackle for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 19th overall in the 1994 NFL Draft...
on 3rd down to force a Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
fumble. The Falcons recovered on the Minnesota 14 and cashed in with a Chandler to Terance Mathis
Terance Mathis
Terance Mathis is an American former Pro Bowl wide receiver in the NFL. Drafted in 1990 by the New York Jets, he played the majority of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He last played in the NFL in 2002 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, then retired in 2004...
touchdown on the next play, mending the rift to a more manageable 20–14 going into the break.
In the second half and with the momentum completely reversed the Falcons scored the only points of the 3rd quarter on a 27-yard Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
field goal to make the score 20–17. The Vikings responded, converting three third downs in a 15-play, 82-yard drive, and posting their only points of the second half on a Cunningham to Matthew Hatchette
Matthew Hatchette
Matthew Hatchette is a professional American football player who played wide receiver for six regular seasons for the Minnesota Vikings, the New York Jets, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. During his career, he caught 60 passes for 887 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 14.8 yards per catch...
touchdown pass 1:19 into the fourth quarter. The Falcons countered with another field goal set up by a 70 yard strike from Chandler to Mathis. The score was 27-20 with 11:02 remaining.
From here, the teams exchanged possessions twice. The clock running dry, Minnesota managed to break through on what appeared to be a game-clinching 55 yard drive to the Atlanta 21. Stopped on 3rd down with 2:07 left, the Vikings summoned Pro Bowl kicker Gary Anderson, who had made NFL history that season by converting all 39 of his field goal attempts. However, Anderson's 38 yard boot hooked wide left which left the Falcons still alive and the Vikings and the Metrodome faithful perplexed by a foreboding change in momentum. That momentum would spark the most important drive in franchise history.
The Falcons had the ball and two minutes to span the 71 yards separating them from an improbable comeback. In perhaps the finest moment of his injury-prone and inconsistent career, QB Chris Chandler
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
directed a 8 play drive, concluding with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis
Terance Mathis
Terance Mathis is an American former Pro Bowl wide receiver in the NFL. Drafted in 1990 by the New York Jets, he played the majority of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He last played in the NFL in 2002 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, then retired in 2004...
with 49 seconds left. Nonplussed, and squeamish from the disaster at the end of the first half, Minnesota coach Dennis Green
Dennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
then chose to run out the clock and try his chances in overtime.
The crowd, which had been collectively eviscerated by the Anderson miss and Chandler's subsequent heroics, quickly took heart as the Vikings won the overtime coin flip. The celebrated Minnesota offense would decide its own fate.
The game became a struggle for field position in the early part of the period, as both teams failed to break the 50 yard line on their initial possession. The Vikings' second possession stalled at their own 39, a 52-yard Mitch Berger punt subsequently pinning Atlanta deep in its own territory.
Beached at their own 9, the Falcon offense mounted a final frantic charge. Led once again by the clutch passing of Chandler, Atlanta surged 70 yards in a breakneck 10-play drive, encountering only a single 3rd down which came on the final play of the game. After centering the ball on a 2 yard Jamal Anderson
Jamal Anderson
Jamal Sharif Anderson is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played high school football at El Camino Real High School, where he was named to the CIF Los Angeles City Section...
rush to the Minnesota 21, the Falcons tapped kicker Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
for the game-winning field goal. The Metrodome waxed breathless as Andersen split the uprights from 38 yards, vaulting the Falcons to the win sending them to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
for the first time in franchise history. It also set off one of the biggest celebrations in the city's history as thousands packed Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport upon their arrival in town later that night and thousands more swamped the highways during their convoy to team headquarters.
Super Bowl XXXIII
In the two week interval between the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl XXXIIISuper Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
, media attention was focused mostly upon the Falcons' opponent, the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, their retiring quarterback John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
, and former Denver coach Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves is a former American football player and head coach. He has participated in more Super Bowls as player/assistant coach/Head Coach than anyone else...
's relationship with Elway, which was at times contentious during his tenure as Broncos coach. Falcons Pro Bowl CB Ray Buchanan
Ray Buchanan
Raymond Louis Buchanan is a former American football player in the NFL. He was drafted out of Louisville in 1993 by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round , and subsequently played for the Atlanta Falcons and the Oakland Raiders.-High school career:At Proviso East High School in Maywood,...
also jokingly guaranteed a win
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
to a reporter, with this statement being blown out of proportion by the overzealous media. Days later, Buchanan attracted further attention when he greeted the media wearing a dog collar to represent the Falcons' status as 8½ point underdogs.
The biggest story for either team broke on the night before the game. Falcons Pro Bowl free safety Eugene Robinson
Eugene Robinson
Eugene Keefe Robinson is a former professional American football player who played free safety. He played collegiately at Colgate University...
, who had just that morning received the Bart Starr Award
Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award
The Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award is given annually to an NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community. Nominees are gathered from the Public Relations Directors of each NFL team, the past winners of the Bart Starr Award,...
for his "high moral character," was arrested for soliciting an undercover police officer $40 http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs98/news/1999/990130/01077118.html for oral sex on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami. Robinson would play in the game, but he would turn out to be a liability, blowing a coverage on a key play in the first half, and missing a tackle that resulted in a fourth quarter touchdown.
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
was an exciting and novel event for Falcons fans and players, but was a disappointing end to what had theretofore been a dream season. The Falcons offense moved the ball consistently on the Broncos throughout the game, but had several mishaps within Denver territory, allowing the Broncos offense to deliberately pick apart the Atlanta defense and pull away to a 17–3 lead in the first half. A Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
field goal brought the Falcons within 17–6 going into halftime, but the second half was punctuated by two key interceptions thrown by the normally surehanded Chris Chandler
Chris Chandler
Christopher Mark Chandler is a retired American football player, who played as a quarterback in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known for leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 14-2 season in 1998, followed up with an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIII.-Early years:Chris Chandler was...
, which allowed the Broncos to pull away to a 31–6 lead. By the end of the game, the Falcons had driven within the Broncos 30 yard line seven times, yet had only managed to score 13 points with 5 turnovers. The Falcons scored two late touchdowns, one on a 94 yard kickoff return by Tim Dwight
Tim Dwight
Timothy Deutch Dwight, Jr. is an American football wide receiver and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, to make the score a more respectable final of 34–19.
Despite the embarrassing finish, the 1998 Falcons are the most celebrated team in franchise history. That year, the Falcons set franchise records for wins (14) and points scored (442), with RB Jamal Anderson
Jamal Anderson
Jamal Sharif Anderson is a former American football running back of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He played high school football at El Camino Real High School, where he was named to the CIF Los Angeles City Section...
breaking the NFL record for carries in a season(410) and the team record for rushing yards (1,846). The team also sent six players to the Pro Bowl, the second highest total in team history. Atlanta was also the first dome team in league history to make the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
.
After the adrenaline rush of the 1998 season, Atlanta football would cool down when RB Jamal Anderson endured an early season-ending torn ACL injury. The team tumbled to a 5-11 record in 1999, and an even worse 4-12 record in 2000.
2001
In the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to attain the #1 overall draft pick with which they chose the electrifying sophomore QB Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
out of Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
. The Chargers used the #5 pick to acquire RB LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
. The Falcons chose to keep veteran QB Chris Chandler as the starter to allow Vick some time to learn the system. The team finished the year with a 7–9 record and missed the playoffs.
2002
Starting this season, the Falcons became part of the NFC South division, after 30+ seasons in the geographically inaccurate NFC West.Vick became the full-time starting quarterback in 2002. That year, the Falcons recorded an NFL-best eight-game unbeaten streak (7–0–1). During the streak, they recorded huge victories over division rivals New Orleans, who started the year 6–1, and the Carolina Panthers (two shutout victories, 30–0 and 41–0). They also overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force a 34–34 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
en route to a 9–6–1 record and a trip to the playoffs. Also during the season, Vick set records for both the most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback and longest run by a quarterback, showing that the skills he had shown in his college career at Virginia Tech were not a fake. They immediately scored a major upset on January 4, 2003 by becoming the first road team in NFL history to defeat the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in a playoff game at Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
, winning 27–7. Their season would end the next week in Philadelphia as the Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
won, 20–6.
2003
As things were looking up, disaster struck swiftly in the next season. During the 2003 preseason against Baltimore, Vick broke his leg and was forced to miss the first twelve games of the season. Without him, the Falcons were crippled and they suffered through a 5–11 season, despite Vick going 3–1 as starter at the end of the season. With three games left in the season, coach Dan Reeves was fired and defensive coordinator Wade PhillipsWade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
was named his replacement on an interim basis. The Falcons drafted Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
cornerback DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Eugene Hall is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
with the eighth pick in the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
.
In 2003, The Falcons unveiled a new logo and uniforms.
2004
In 2004, with the Falcons being buoyed by the return of Michael VickMichael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
and energized by their new head coach Jim L. Mora
Jim L. Mora
James Lawrence "Jim" Mora is an American former NCAA defensive back and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for the NFL Network....
, they would go 11–5 and easily win the NFC South
NFC South
The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
. Having a first round bye, the Falcons would face the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the Divisional Round, who had shut them out 36–0 the previous year on national television. Buoyed by a team record-324 yards rushing and over 150 punt return yardage by Allen Rossum they advanced to the NFC Championship game by embarrassing the Rams 47–17. However, in their second NFC title game appearance, they were denied another trip to the Super Bowl, as they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 27–10. After the season, Vick signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with a $37 million signing bonus—the richest contract in NFL history at the time.
2005
During the 2005 season the Falcons started 6–2, but injuries on defense caused them to finish the second half 2–6. Bright spots included the Falcons ending their Monday Night Football jinx by going 3–0, and on Thursday, November 24, the Falcons played on Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
for the first time in franchise history, beating the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
27–7. On the next-to-last game of the regular season, the Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention with a 27–24 overtime loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. The Falcons finished 8–8 and once again failed to attain back-to-back winning seasons.
2006
The Falcons starting this season successfully with two wins against the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, but lost to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, giving them a record of 2–1. The next week, the team came back and won their game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
32–10, with Jerious Norwood
Jerious Norwood
-2006:In 2006, Norwood played in 14 games and ranked third on the team with 633 rushing yards on 99 carries with two touchdowns to go along with 12 receptions for 102 yards. He also returned 13 kickoffs for 320 yards and tallied three special teams tackles.Norwood was the first player in NFL...
, a rookie RB from Mississippi State University, running for over 100 yards and Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
hitting all 5 of his field goals. Andersen, one of the most prolific kickers in NFL history and a member of the 1998 Super Bowl team, had been re-signed by the club September 19, ending punter Michael Koenen's audition as the sole kicker on the team (Koenen continued to placekick in long-yardage situations).
The next week, the team had a bye and prepared to face the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Falcons would lose to the Giants 27–14. The only bright spot of the game was a 90-yard 3rd quarter touchdown run by Warrick Dunn
Warrick Dunn
Warrick De'Mon Dunn is a former American football running back, and current minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 12th overall in the 1997 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Florida State...
, the longest touchdown run in Atlanta Falcons history.
The Atlanta Falcons hoped to bounce back the next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, and they did so with a huge game. In a shootout rivaling the following week's Indianapolis-Denver game, the Falcons beat the Steelers 41-38 in overtime as Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen
Morten Andersen , nicknamed "The Great Dane", is a former National Football League kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history, as well as being the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and...
kicked a game-winning 32-yard field goal. Falcons QB Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
had a career-high 4 touchdown passes, including 3 to star TE Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
. Both teams combined for 9 touchdown passes and 872 yards of total offense. With the win, the Falcons improved to 4-2.
In week 8, the Falcons defeated the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
29-27. Vick showed that the previous game was no fluke, going 19 of 27 for 291 yards and three touchdowns, as well as scrambling for 55 yards. A third-quarter touchdown pass to third-checkdown receiver, fullback Justin Griffith
Justin Griffith
Justin Montrel Griffith is an American football fullback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, chilled defensive coordinators league-wide and thrilled Falcons fans, as Vick demonstrated field awareness, patience, elusiveness, and precision passing under pressure.
The 5–2 Falcons next traveled to Ford Field in Detroit to face the Lions, where they fell to 5-3. The Falcons suffered a similar fate to both the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens bringing their record to an even 5-5 on the season. The Falcons suffered another loss to the New Orleans Saints on November 26 (31–13) to cause their record for the season drop to 5-6, but more importantly to let their losing streak continue on to 4 games. The next week they defeated the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in an away game with a score of 24–14. In that game the Falcons were down 14–0 but came back and scored 24 unanswered points to win the game. A 69-yard run for a touchdown by rookie Jerious Norwood helped seal the victory. The next week, the Falcons beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, keeping hopes alive for a playoff berth. However, they then lost their next two games, against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and the Carolina Panthers.
Even with a 7–8 record, the Falcons were not completely eliminated from the playoffs until, in week 17, the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins. The Falcons' last game was a meaningless loss to a second-string Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
team, sealing their record for the season at a losing 7–9. The next day (January 1, 2007), the Falcons fired their head coach, Jim L. Mora
Jim L. Mora
James Lawrence "Jim" Mora is an American former NCAA defensive back and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for the NFL Network....
; he was replaced by Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino
Bobby Petrino is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, a position he has held since the 2008 season...
on January 7.
2007
The Falcons spent most of the 2007 season trying to overcome the controversy surrounding Vick and his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ringBad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation
The Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation began in April 2007 with a search of property in Surry County, Virginia, owned by Michael Vick, who was at the time quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons football team, and the subsequent discovery of evidence of a dog fighting ring...
. Under considerable pressure, the NFL barred Vick from attending training camp pending its own investigation into the matter. For all intents and purposes, the Falcons' season effectively ended when Vick was arraigned on federal dog fighting charges on July 26. The terms of his bail barred him from leaving Virginia for any reason before the November 26 trial. With Vick's absence, journeyman quarterbacks Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
and Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
were used to plug the hole at quarterback. Vick pleaded guilty on August 20; on the same day the NFL suspended him indefinitely. The Falcons are trying to recover part of his signing bonus, based on evidence he used it to fund the gambling side of the dog fighting operation. Blank later stated that while he felt Vick should be allowed back into the NFL, he will likely not play another down for the Falcons again.
Petrino had revamped the offense in hopes of making Vick a more complete quarterback. However, with Vick on the sidelines, Petrino's game plan didn't seem to fit on the field or in the locker room, with veteran players Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
and DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Hall
DeAngelo Eugene Hall is an American football cornerback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
voicing their displeasure. Petrino later resigned just 13 games into the season to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. Petrino resigned the day after Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison and also a day after Petrino coached the Falcons in a 34–14 loss to the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
.
Without Vick, the Falcons appeared to be a rudderless team. They finished their troubled 2007 season with a 44–41 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, ending the year at 4–12. The offseason brought change to the team's front office, as Thomas Dimitroff
Thomas Dimitroff
Thomas George Dimitroff, Jr. is the current general manager for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. Before joining the Falcons in 2008, Dimitroff was with the New England Patriots for six years...
was hired to replace Rich McKay
Rich McKay
Rich McKay is the president, CEO, and former general manager of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they won Super Bowl XXXVII.-Early years:...
at the general manager position.
2008–present
On January 23, 2008, Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive coach Mike Smith was named the Falcons' new head coach. Matt Ryan was drafted third overall to be the new face of the franchise. Free agent Michael Turner was also acquired to help in the run game. Defying expectations, the Falcons managed an 11-5 season in 2008 and earned a wild card playoff berth. They did not get beyond that however, as they lost a 24-30 match against the Arizona Cardinals. In 2009, the Falcons suffered numerous devastating injuries to defensive players and to stars Michael Turner (ankle) and Matt Ryan (toe). The Week 13 game against Philadelphia saw Michael Vick return to play his former team, in which he scored two touchdowns, one passing and one rushing. Atlanta was very nearly shut out, but in the closing seconds of the game scored a touchdown and brought the final score to 34-7. The following week, the team lost a close match against New Orleans, which mathematically excluded them from the playoffs. Nonetheless, Atlanta managed to win their final three games and end the year with a 9-7 record, the first time in its history the team achieved back-to-back winning seasons.
The Falcons lost their 2010 opener in Pittsburgh before crushing the Cardinals at home in Week 2. Atlanta then played its first divisional match of the season against the defending champion Saints. In a closely fought game, the Falcons beat New Orleans 27-24 with two minutes left in overtime. Then followed a 16-14 win over the struggling 49ers. After games with Cleveland (a 20-10 win) and Philadelphia (a 31-17 loss), they won a key division match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 to claim a lead in the NFC South, putting them at 6–2 at the halfway point of their season. In the 2010 Thursday Night Football opener, the Falcons donned throwback uniforms and defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26–21 in a highly anticipated match-up of 6-2 teams, and the first meeting of the top two quarterback picks of the 2008 draft, in Ryan and Joe Flacco. Ryan set career highs for attempts and completions, going 32 for 50, and clinching the Falcons' first 7–2 record since the 1998 Super Bowl season. However, the officiating was widely criticized. The Falcons secured their third straight winning season, a franchise first, with a win over St. Louis (34–17), and a victory in a highly anticipated game with the Green Bay Packers (20–17), which was a close game all the way up to the end, when kicker Matt Bryant sealed the game with a 47-yard field goal with 13 seconds on the clock, bringing the Falcons to an NFC-best 9–2 record. The next week the Falcons defeated their divisional rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28–24, improving their record to an NFC best 10-2. Week 14 saw the first of two late-season matchups with the struggling Carolina Panthers. The Falcons got up 14-0 early in the game and went on to cruise to a 31-10 victory, raising their record to an NFC-best 11–2. Week 15 took the Falcons to the Northwest against the Seattle Seahawks. After a quick start by the Seahawks, the Falcons took control with a key touchdown pass late in the first half and a fumble recovery for a touchdown on the Seahawks' first possession of the second half to go up 24–10, eventually winning 34-18. The win (followed by a Giants loss) secured a playoff berth for the Falcons with two games left. With only one win needed in the final two games to clinch everything, Week 16 set up a Monday Night showdown with the defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. A low-scoring affair ended with the Saints pulling out a 17–14 win. Week 17 brought in the struggling Carolina Panthers and an easy win for the Falcons, 31–10. The victory clinched the NFC South Division title (only their fourth division title in the team's history) and clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs by claiming the number one seed in the NFC. However, their season had a disappointing end, with the Falcons suffering a loss at home in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers by a margin of 48–21.