1978 Atlanta Falcons season

1978 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Rankin M. Smith Sr.
Head coach	Leeman Bennett
General manager	Eddie LeBaron
Home field	Fulton County Stadium
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	2nd NFC West
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Eagles) 14–13 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Cowboys) 20–27
← 1977 Falcons seasons 1979 →

The 1978 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcons' 13th season. The Falcons only went 2-4 in their first 6 games. However, after such a blue-cold start to the season, they got back on the saddle and won 7 of their last 10, and it was the first postseason appearance in franchise history with a 9–7 record. Hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in their first ever playoff game, the Falcons scored 2 touchdowns in their final fourteen minutes to pull out a 14–13 win. A week later the Falcons were 14-point underdogs facing the Cowboys. The Falcons took a 20-13 lead into halftime, but the Cowboys battled back to take a 27-20 lead. With one last shot, the Falcons fell inches short of a first down on the Cowboys' 32-yard line, as the Cowboys got the ball and ran down the clock.

NFL Draft[]

1978 Atlanta Falcons draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	13	Mike Kenn *	Offensive tackle	Michigan
2	43	Steve Stewart	Linebacker	Minnesota
3	70	Stan Waldemore	Guard	Nebraska
4	95	Brian Cabral	Linebacker	Colorado
5	125	Dennis Pearson	Wide Receiver	San Diego State
6	152	Rodney Parker	Wide Receiver	Tennessee State
7	167	Alfred Jackson	Wide Receiver	Texas
7	179	James Wright	Tight end	Texas Christian
8	209	David Adkins	Linebacker	Ohio State
8	216	David Williams	Offensive tackle	Tennessee–Martin
9	236	Tom Pridemore	Safety	West Virginia
10	257	Ricky Patton	Running back	Jackson State
10	263	Ray Strong	Running back	UNLV
11	293	Scooter Reed	Defensive back	Baylor
12	320	Daria Butler	Linebacker	Oklahoma State
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^[1]

Personnel[]

Staff[]

1978 Atlanta Falcons staff

	Front office Chairman of the Board – Rankin M. Smith Sr. President – Rankin M. Smith, Jr. General Manager – Eddie LeBaron Director of Player Personnel – Tom Braatz Head coaches Head Coach – Leeman Bennett Offensive coaches Quarterbacks – Dick Wood Offensive Backs – John North Receivers – Ted Plumb Offensive Line – Bill Walsh			Defensive coaches Defensive Line – Jim Champion Linebackers – Doug Shively Defensive Backs – Jerry Glanville

Roster[]

1978 Atlanta Falcons final roster

	Quarterbacks 10 Steve Bartkowski 14 June Jones Running backs 44 Bubba Bean 26 Mike Esposito 33 Ricky Patton 24 Haskel Stanback Wide receivers 89 Wallace Francis 85 Alfred Jackson 81 Dennis Pearson 82 Billy Ryckman Tight ends 86 Jim Mitchell 83 James Wright		Offensive linemen 66 Warren Bryant T 78 Mike Kenn T 73 Phil McKinnely T 53 Paul Ryczek C 70 Dave Scott G 68 R.C. Thielemann G 57 Jeff Van Note C Defensive linemen 72 Jim Bailey DT 74 Wilson Faumuina DT 77 Edgar Fields DT 69 Mike Lewis DT 87 Claude Humphrey DE 75 Jeff Merrow DE 79 Jeff Yeates DE		Linebackers 50 Greg Brezina 54 Fulton Kuykendall 56 Ron McCartney 52 Dewey McClain 55 Ralph Ortega 58 Steve Stewart Defensive backs 38 Rick Byas CB 32 Ray Easterling FS 36 Bob Glazebrook 30 Ernie Jackson CB 22 Rolland Lawrence CB 45 Tom Moriarty S 28 Frank Reed SS 20 Jim Stienke CB Special teams 6 John James P 4 Tim Mazzetti K		Reserve lists 84 Alfred Jenkins WR (IR) Practice squad Rookies in italics

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Game	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance
1	September 3	Houston Oilers	W 20–14	1–0	57,328
2	September 10	at Los Angeles Rams	L 0–10	1–1	46,201
3	September 17	Cleveland Browns	L 16–24	1–2	56,648
4	September 24	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 9–14	1–3	58,073
5	October 1	New York Giants	W 23–20	2–3	47,765
6	October 8	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 7–31	2–4	48,202
7	October 15	Detroit Lions	W 14–0	3–4	51,172
8	October 22	at San Francisco 49ers	W 20–17	4–4	44,235
9	October 30	Los Angeles Rams	W 15–7	5–4	57,250
10	November 5	San Francisco 49ers	W 21–10	6–4	55,468
11	November 12	at New Orleans Saints	W 20–17	7–4	70,323
12	November 19	at Chicago Bears	L 7–13	7–5	46,022
13	November 26	New Orleans Saints	W 20–17	8–5	55,121
14	December 3	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 7–37	8–6	25,336
15	December 10	Washington Redskins	W 20–17	9–6	54,176
16	December 17	at St. Louis Cardinals	L 21–42	9–7	40,022

^[2]

• Note: Division opponents in bold text.

Standings[]

NFC West
view talk	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Los Angeles Rams(1)	12	4	0	.750	4–2	10–2	316	245	W1
Atlanta Falcons(4)	9	7	0	.563	5–1	8–4	240	290	L1
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	281	298	W1
San Francisco 49ers	2	14	0	.125	0–6	1–11	219	350	L1

Game summaries[]

^[3]

Week 1[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP HOU ATL 2 Falcons Bean 38-yard touchdown reception from Jones, Steinfort kick good 7 7 2 — — — Falcons Moriarty recovered blocked punt in end zone, Steinfort kick good 7 14 3 Falcons 30-yard field goal by Steinfort 14 17 4 Falcons 48-yard field goal by Steinfort 14 20 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 14 20

Week 2[]

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP ATL LA "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 10

Week 3[]

Week 4[]

Week 5[]

Week 6[]

Week 7[]

Week 8 vs San Francisco 49ers[]

Atlanta erased a 17-7 deficit in the final 5:38 of the game, beating San Francisco on Tim Mazzetti's last-second, 29-yard field goal. Steve Bartkowski directed the comeback, hitting a 71-yard bomb to set up a 21-yard Mazzetti field goal, completing a 59-yard scoring pass to Billy Ryckman with 1:52 remaining and then finding Tim Mitchell with a 19-yard reception to set up a winning kick. This game was broadcast by CBS with announcers Vin Scully, George Allen and Jim Brown at the game.

Week 9[]

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP LA ATL 2 Falcons 21-yard field goal by Mazzetti 7 3 2 Falcons 37-yard field goal by Mazzetti 7 6 4 Falcons 30-yard field goal by Mazzetti 7 9 4 Falcons 26-yard field goal by Mazzetti 7 12 4 Falcons 37-yard field goal by Mazzetti 7 15 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 15

Week 10[]

Week 11[]

Week 12[]

Week 13[]

Week 14[]

Week 15[]

Week 16[]

Postseason[]

NFC Wild Card Game[]

The Falcons won their first playoff game in team history after they overcame a 13–0 deficit by scoring 2 touchdowns in the final 5 minutes of the game.

NFC Divisional Playoff[]

Dallas' "Doomsday Defense" limited Atlanta quarterback Steve Bartkowski to only 8 completions in 23 attempts and intercepted him 3 times en route to victory. After the Falcons led 20–13 at halftime, the Cowboys scored 14 unanswered points in the second half.

References[]

External links[]

• 1978 Atlanta Falcons at Pro-Football-Reference.com