52nd season in franchise history
The 2017 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise 's 52nd season in the National Football League and their third under head coach Dan Quinn . They entered the season as the defending NFC champions and tried to defend their NFC title for a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after losing the previous year against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. This was the Falcons' first year in Mercedes-Benz Stadium after spending the previous 25 seasons in the Georgia Dome , which was demolished on November 20, 2017. Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened as scheduled on August 26, 2017; however, its retractable roof system was incomplete. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium remained in the closed position for most of the 2017 season, with the roof opened only during the September 17 game against the Green Bay Packers , as contractors continued to fully mechanize the roof.[1]
On December 13, 2017, Tommy Nobis , the first player drafted by the Falcons, died at the age of 74.[2]
Despite the Falcons failing to improve on their 11–5 record from 2016 or defend their NFC South title, the team posted its first consecutive winning seasons, consecutive 10-win seasons, and consecutive playoff berths since the 2012 season . The Falcons were the only NFC team from the 2016 playoffs to qualify for the 2017 playoffs . In the playoffs, the Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round, but lost against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional round.
Offseason [ ] Signings [ ]
Position
Player
Age
2016 Team
Contract
WR
Reginald Davis III
25
Atlanta Falcons 3 years, $1.66 million
DE
Jack Crawford 28
Dallas Cowboys 3 years, $8.8 million
DT
Dontari Poe 26
Kansas City Chiefs 1 year, $8 million
S
Kemal Ishmael 25
Atlanta Falcons 1 year, $2 million
WR
Andre Roberts 29
Detroit Lions 1 year, $1.8 million
LB
LaRoy Reynolds 26
Atlanta Falcons 1 year, $1.3 million
CB
Blidi Wreh-Wilson 27
Atlanta Falcons 1 year, $775,000
OG
Hugh Thornton 25
Indianapolis Colts 1 year, $690,000
Draft [ ] Undrafted free agents [ ] Staff [ ]
2017 Atlanta Falcons staff
Front office
Owner/Chairman – Arthur Blank
President/CEO – Rich McKay
General Manager – Thomas Dimitroff
Assistant General Manager – Scott Pioli
Director of Pro Personnel – Joel Collier
Director, Football Operations – Nick Polk
Director of College Scouting – Steve Sabo
National Scout – Ruston Webster
National Scout – Phil Emery Head coaches
Head coach – Dan Quinn
Assistant head coach/passing game coordinator/wide receivers – Raheem Morris
Assistant to the head coach – Steve Scarnecchia Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong
Assistant special teams – Eric Sutulovich Strength and conditioning
Athletic Performance Manager – A.J. Neibel
Head Strength and Conditioning – Jesse Ackerman
Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Jonas Beauchemin
Final roster [ ]
2017 Atlanta Falcons final roster
Quarterbacks
2 Matt Ryan 8 Matt Schaub Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
Reserve lists
Practice squad
Rookies in italics 53 active, 6 inactive, 11 practice squad
Preseason [ ] Regular season [ ] Schedule [ ]
Week
Date
Opponent
Result
Record
Venue
Attendance
Recap
1
September 10
at Chicago Bears
W 23–17
1–0
Soldier Field
61,857
Recap
2
September 17
Green Bay Packers
W 34–23
2–0
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
70,826
Recap
3
September 24
at Detroit Lions
W 30–26
3–0
Ford Field
63,240
Recap
4
October 1
Buffalo Bills
L 17–23
3–1
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
71,273
Recap
5
Bye
6
October 15
Miami Dolphins
L 17–20
3–2
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
70,593
Recap
7
October 22
at New England Patriots
L 7–23
3–3
Gillette Stadium
65,878
Recap
8
October 29
at New York Jets
W 25–20
4–3
MetLife Stadium
77,562
Recap
9
November 5
at Carolina Panthers
L 17–20
4–4
Bank of America Stadium
74,244
Recap
10
November 12
Dallas Cowboys
W 27–7
5–4
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
73,761
Recap
11
at Seattle Seahawks
W 34–31
6–4
CenturyLink Field
69,026
Recap
12
November 26
Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 34–20
7–4
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
71,036
Recap
13
December 3
Minnesota Vikings
L 9–14
7–5
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
71,185
Recap
14
New Orleans Saints W 20–17
8–5
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
72,866
Recap
15
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
W 24–21
9–5
Raymond James Stadium
62,382
Recap
16
December 24
at New Orleans Saints
L 13–23
9–6
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
73,188
Recap
17
December 31
Carolina Panthers W 22–10
10–6
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
74,141
Recap
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries [ ] Week 1: at Chicago Bears [ ]
Week 1: Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons 3
7
3 10 23
Bears
0
10
0 7 17
at Soldier Field , Chicago, Illinois
Date : September 10Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDT /12:00 p.m. CDT Game weather : 64 °F (18 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 61,857Referee : Jeff Triplette TV announcers (Fox ) : Kevin Burkhardt , Charles Davis and Pam Oliver Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 8:01. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 7:04. Second quarter
CHI – Connor Barth 54-yard field goal, 15:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:24.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 5-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:34. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 6:59.
CHI – Jordan Howard 4-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 0:20. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:15. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 2:15. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 6:29. Fourth quarter
ATL – Austin Hooper 88-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:10. Falcons 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 95 yards, 0:59.
CHI – Tarik Cohen 19-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Connor Barth kick), 7:33. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:29.
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 3:29. Falcons 23–17. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:02.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 21/30, 321 yards, TD
CHI – Mike Glennon – 26/40, 213 yards, TD Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 37 yards, TD
CHI – Tarik Cohen – 5 rushes, 66 yards Top receivers
Week 2: vs. Green Bay Packers [ ]
Week 2: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Packers
7
0
3 13 23
Falcons 7
17
10 0 34
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Atlanta, Georgia
Date : September 17Game time : 8:30 p.m. EDTGame weather : 78 °F (26 °C), clear — retractable roof openGame attendance : 70,826Referee : Walt Anderson TV announcers (NBC ) : Al Michaels , Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 9:55. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 5:09.
GB – Ty Montgomery 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 3:47. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:08. Second quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:14. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:12.
ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 3:27. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:53.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:24. Falcons 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 0:28. Third quarter
ATL – Desmond Trufant fumble recovery 15-yard run, 14:17. Falcons 31–7.
GB – Mason Crosby 28-yard field goal, 9:37. Falcons 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:31.
ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 4:25. Falcons 34–10. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:14. Fourth quarter
GB – Davante Adams 33-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers , 12:50. Falcons 34–16. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:37.
GB – Ty Montgomery 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:54. Falcons 34–23. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:44.
Top passers
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 33/50, 343 yards, 2 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 19/28, 252 yards, TD Top rushers
GB – Ty Montgomery – 10 rushes, 35 yards, TD
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 19 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
GB – Davante Adams – 8 receptions, 99 yards, TD
ATL – Julio Jones – 5 receptions, 108 yards
In their home opener, the Falcons hosted the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of the 2016 NFC Championship Game. This was the first regular season game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite prior reports that the roof would be closed for the game, Falcons owner Arthur Blank elected to open the roof if weather permitted, marking the first time since the 1991 season , the team's final season at their original home of Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium , that the Falcons played a home game in Atlanta under open air.[3]
Week 3: at Detroit Lions [ ]
Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons 7
13
3 7 30
Lions
0
13
10 3 26
at Ford Field , Detroit Michigan
Date : September 24Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 63,240Referee : Walt Coleman TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers , Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Mohamed Sanu pass from Matt Ryan for 4 yards. (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:43/ Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 36 yard field goal. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:36.
DET – Matt Prater 55 yard field goal. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:24.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 1 yard rush. (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:27.
DET – Matt Prater 40 yard field goal. Falcons 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:10.
DET – Glover Quin 37 yard interception return. (Matt Prater kick). Falcons 17–13. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:09.
ATL – Matt Bryant 48 yard field goal. Falcons 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 1:10. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 40 yard field goal. Falcons 23–13. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:55.
DET – Golden Tate pass from Matthew Stafford for 11 yards. (Matt Prater kick). Falcons 23–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:46.
DET – Matt Prater 35 yard field goal. Tied 23–23. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:20. Fourth quarter
ATL – Taylor Gabriel pass from Matt Ryan for 40 yards. (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 30–23. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:34.
DET – Matt Prater 57 yard field goal. Falcons 30–26. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:02.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/35, 294 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/45, 264 yards, TD Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 21 rushes, 106 yards, TD
DET – Ameer Abdullah – 14 rushes, 47 yards. Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 91 yards
DET – T. J. Jones – 3 receptions, 63 yards
Week 4: vs. Buffalo Bills [ ]
Week 4: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Bills 0
7
7 9 23
Falcons
0
10
0 7 17
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : October 1Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 71,273Referee : Terry McAulay TV announcers (CBS ) : Greg Gumbel , Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Matt Bryant 28–yard field goal, 10:31. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 44 yards, 3:55. Jordan Matthews 9–yard pass from Tyrod Taylor , 6:51 (Stephen Hauschka kick). Bills 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:40. Devonta Freeman 1–yard run, 0:18 (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:02. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Stephen Hauschka 24–yard field goal, 12:00. Bills 17–10. Drive: 19 plays, 82 yards, 11:20.
Justin Hardy 3–yard pass from Matt Ryan , 7:00 (Matt Bryant kick). Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:00. Stephen Hauschka 56–yard field goal, 4:44. Bills 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:16.
Stephen Hauschka 55–yard field goal, 3:06. Bills 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 0:21.
Top passers
BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 12/20, 182 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/42, 242 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers
BUF – LeSean McCoy – 20 rushes, 76 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 9 rushes, 77 yards Top receivers
BUF – Charles Clay – 5 receptions, 112 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 4 receptions, 65 yards
Week 6: vs. Miami Dolphins [ ]
Week 6: Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Dolphins 0
0
14 6 20
Falcons
10
7
0 0 17
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : October 15Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 70,593Referee : John Hussey TV announcers (CBS) : Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie ErdahlRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 9:41. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:19.
ATL – Marvin Hall 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:51. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:49. Second quarter
ATL – Tevin Coleman 6-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 5:29. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:23 Third quarter
MIA – Kenny Stills 11-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 6:17. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:43.
MIA – Jarvis Landry 7-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 1:32. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:30. Fourth quarter
MIA – Cody Parkey 49-yard field goal, 8:43. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 21 yards, 3:08.
MIA – Cody Parkey 38-yard field goal, 2:30. Dolphins 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:30.
Top passers
MIA – Jay Cutler – 19/33, 151 yards, 2 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/35, 248 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
MIA – Jay Ajayi – 26 rushes, 130 yards
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 9 rushes, 68 yards Top receivers
MIA – Jarvis Landry – 8 receptions, 62 yards, TD
ATL – Austin Hooper – 7 receptions, 48 yards
Week 7: at New England Patriots [ ]
Week 7: Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
0
0
0 7 7
Patriots 0
17
3 3 23
at Gillette Stadium , Foxborough, Massachusetts
Date : October 22Game time : 8:30 p.m. EDTGame weather : 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy, fog started developing in 2nd quarterGame attendance : 65,878Referee : Gene Steratore TV announcers (NBC) : Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele TafoyaRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
NE – Brandin Cooks 11-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:26. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:39.
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29-yard field goal, 4:42. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yard, 6:37.
NE – James White 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:21. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:34. Third quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 4:12. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards,6:23. Fourth quarter
NE – Stephen Gostkowski 38-yard field goal, 9:15. Patriots 23–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:17.
ATL – Julio Jones 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:09. Patriots 23–7. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:06.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 23/33, 233 yards, TD
NE – Tom Brady – 21/29, 249 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 72 yards
NE – Dion Lewis – 13 rushes, 76 yards Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 99 yards, TD
NE – Chris Hogan – 4 receptions, 71 yards
Week 8: at New York Jets [ ]
Week 8: Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons 7
6
3 9 25
Jets
7
10
0 3 20
at MetLife Stadium , East Rutherford, New Jersey
Date : October 29Game time : 1:00 p.m. EDTGame weather : 63 °F (17 °C), rainGame attendance : 77,562Referee : Craig Wrolstad TV announcers (Fox) : Sam Rosen , Ronde Barber and Kristina PinkRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 43-yard field goal, 14:03. Jets 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 1:10.
ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, 8:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:57.
NYJ – Robby Anderson 24-yard pass from Josh McCown (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 2:26. Jets 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:37.
ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Jets 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 2:26. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 5:12. Jets 17–16. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:04. Fourth quarter
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (run failed), 12:22. Falcons 22–17. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:55.
NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 46-yard field goal, 8:42. Falcons 22–20. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:40.
ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 5:19. Falcons 25–20. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:23.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 18/29, 254 yards, 2 TD
NYJ – Josh McCown – 26/33, 257 yards, 2 TD Top rushers
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 14 rushes, 82 yards
NYJ – Bilal Powell – 14 rushes, 33 yards Top receivers
ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD
NYJ – Robby Anderson – 6 receptions, 104 yards, TD
Week 9: at Carolina Panthers [ ]
Week 9: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
10
0
0 7 17
Panthers 0
14
6 0 20
at Bank of America Stadium , Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : November 5Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : 61 °F (16 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 74,244Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers (Fox) : Joe Buck , Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 12:16. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:44.
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:30. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:38. Second quarter
CAR – Christian McCaffrey 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:55. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:35.
CAR – Cam Newton 9-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 0:23. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 0:52. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 9:03. Panthers 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:57.
CAR – Graham Gano 45-yard field goal, 1:38. Panthers 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:48. Fourth quarter
ATL – Tevin Coleman 19-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:25. Panthers 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 2:01.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/38, 313 yards, 2 TD, INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 13/24, 137 yards Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 rushes, 46 yards
CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 86 yards, TD Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 118 yards
CAR – Devin Funchess – 5 receptions, 86 yards
Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys [ ]
Week 10: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Cowboys
7
0
0 0 7
Falcons 3
7
7 10 27
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 12Game time : 4:25 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 73,761Referee : Ed Hochuli TV announcers (Fox) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin AndrewsRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
DAL – Dak Prescott 11-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 6:19. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:30.
ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 6:19. Second quarter
ATL – Tevin Coleman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:31. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:25. Third quarter
ATL – Justin Hardy 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:26. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:34. Fourth quarter
ATL – Austin Hooper 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 13:48. Falcons 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:41.
ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 8:28. Falcons 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:55.
Top passers
DAL – Dak Prescott – 20/30, 176 yards
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/29, 215 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers
DAL – Alfred Morris – 11 rushes, 53 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 20 rushes, 83 yards, TD Top receivers
DAL – Jason Witten – 7 receptions, 59 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 57 yards
In the Falcons' victory, Adrian Clayborn set a new franchise record of six sacks in one game, breaking the previous record of five sacks.
Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks [ ]
Week 11: Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons 14
10
7 3 34
Seahawks
7
10
6 8 31
at CenturyLink Field , Seattle, Washington
Date : Game time : 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST Game weather : 45 °F (7 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 69,026Referee : Carl Cheffers TV announcers (ESPN ) : Sean McDonough , Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Tevin Coleman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:59. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:01.
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:52. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:11.
SEA – Jimmy Graham 4-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Blair Walsh kick), 2:55. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:57. Second quarter
ATL – Adrian Clayborn 10-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), . Falcons 21–7.
SEA – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 8:11. Falcons 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:53.
SEA – Russell Wilson 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 5:21. Falcons 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 2:50.
ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 1:06. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:15. Third quarter
SEA – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 11:21. Falcons 24–20. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:39.
ATL – Levine Toilolo 25-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:24. Falcons 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:57.
SEA – Blair Walsh 46-yard field goal, 1:40. Falcons 31–23. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:44. Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 34–23. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:08.
SEA – Doug Baldwin 29-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Russell Wilson–Jimmy Graham pass), 3:00. Falcons 34–31. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:49.
Top passers
ARI – Matt Ryan – 19/27, 195 yards, 2 TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 26/42, 258 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers
ARI – Tevin Coleman – 20 rushes, 43 yards, TD
SEA – Russell Wilson – 7 rushes, 86 yards, TD Top receivers
ARI – Julio Jones – 5 receptions, 71 yards
SEA – Jimmy Graham – 7 receptions, 58 yards, TD
Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ ]
Week 12: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Buccaneers
3
3
7 7 20
Falcons 3
17
7 7 34
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 26Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 71,036Referee : Jeff TripletteTV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton , Mark Schlereth and Shannon Spake Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
TB – Patrick Murray 36-yard field goal, 9:45. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:15.
ATL – Matt Bryant 49-yard field goal, 3:50. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 5:55. Second quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 51-yard pass from Mohamed Sanu (Matt Bryant kick), 12:36. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:23.
ATL – Julio Jones 25-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:26. Falcons 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:12.
TB – Patrick Murray 27-yard field goal, 1:36. Falcons 17–6. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 5:50.
ATL – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 20–6. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 1:36. Third quarter
ATL – Tevin Coleman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 10:04. Falcons 27–6. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:56.
TB – Peyton Barber 2-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 6:07. Falcons 27–13. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:57. Fourth quarter
TB – Peyton Barber 1-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 13:47. Falcons 27–20. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:39.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 14-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:53. Falcons 34–20. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 5:12.
Top passers
TB – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 27/44, 283 yards
ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/35, 317 yards, TD Top rushers
TB – Doug Martin – 7 rushes, 33 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 19 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TD Top receivers
TB – DeSean Jackson – 8 receptions, 60 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 12 receptions, 253 yards, 2 TD
Week 13: vs. Minnesota Vikings [ ]
Week 13: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Vikings 0
7
0 7 14
Falcons
3
3
3 0 9
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : December 3Game time : 1:00 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 71,185Referee : Brad Allen TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt , Charles Davis and Pam Oliver Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 38-yard field goal, 5:24. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 7:24. Second quarter
MIN – Jerick McKinnon 2-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kai Forbath kick), 10:01. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:04.
ATL – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 5:47. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:14. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 47-yard field goal, 11:57. Falcons 9–7. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:03. Fourth quarter
MIN – Kyle Rudolph 6-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kai Forbath kick), 14:56. Vikings 14–9. Drive: 15 plays, 89 yards, 8:15.
Top passers
MIN – Case Keenum – 25/30, 227 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 16/29, 173 yards Top rushers
MIN – Latavius Murray – 16 rushes, 76 yards
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers
MIN – Adam Thielen – 4 receptions, 51 yards
ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 3 receptions, 43 yards
Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints [ ]
Week 14: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Saints
3
7
7 0 17
Falcons 3
7
0 10 20
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : Game time : 8:25 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoor (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 72,866Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers (NBC/NFLN /Amazon Video ) : Mike Tirico , Cris Collinsworth and Heather Cox Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 34-yard field goal, 9:50. Saints 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:10.
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 5:33. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:17. Second quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:29. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 8:27.
NO – Tommylee Lewis 26-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:36. Third quarter
NO – Michael Thomas 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:10. Saints 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:36. Fourth quarter
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:55. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 7:06.
ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:57.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 26/35, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 15/27, 221 yards, TD, 3 INT Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 12 rushes, 49 yards
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 24 rushes, 91 yards, TD Top receivers
NO – Michael Thomas – 10 receptions, 117 yards, TD
ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD
Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ ]
Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons 7
10
0 7 24
Buccaneers
7
0
7 7 21
at Raymond James Stadium , Tampa, Florida
Date : Game time : 8:30 p.m. ESTGame weather : 71 °F (22 °C), clearGame attendance : 62,382Referee : John HusseyTV announcers (ESPN) : Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa SaltersRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
ATL – Levine Toilolo fumble recovery in the end zone (Matt Bryant kick), 12:56. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 3:56.
ATL – Matt Bryant 57-yard field goal, 3:12. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:18. Third quarter
TB – Mike Evans 42-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 8:31. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:28. Fourth quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 32-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:58. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 5:23.
TB – Adam Humphries 16-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 4:07. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:51.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 17/31, 212 yards, TD
TB – Jameis Winston – 27/35, 299 yards, 3 TD Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 22 rushes, 126 yards, TD
TB – Peyton Barber – 13 rushes, 53 yards Top receivers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 5 receptions, 68 yards
TB – Mike Evans – 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD
The win eliminated Green Bay from postseason contention.
Week 16: at New Orleans Saints [ ]
Week 16: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
0
0
3 10 13
Saints 3
10
7 3 23
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome , New Orleans, Louisiana
Date : December 24Game time : 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CSTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 73,188Referee : Pete Morelli TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 40-yard field goal, 7:31. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:04. Second quarter
NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 1:19. Saints 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 8:21.
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 54-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:14. Saints 13–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:36. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:34. Saints 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:23.
NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 26-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:52. Saints 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 2:01. Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 10:18. Saints 20–6. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:06.
NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 3:38. Saints 23–6. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:22.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:40. Saints 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 0:58.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 288 yards, TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 21/28, 239 yards, TD, INT Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 rushes, 36 yards
NO – Mark Ingram Jr. – 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 149 yards
NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD
Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers [ ]
Week 17: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Panthers
0
7
0 3 10
Falcons 7
0
6 9 22
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : December 31Game time : 4:25 p.m. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (retractable roof closed)Game attendance : 74,141Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers (Fox) : Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin AndrewsRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 19-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 10:39. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:28. Second quarter
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 6:35. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 6:55.
ATL – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:00. Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 14:15. Falcons 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:26.
CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 10:38. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:37.
ATL – Matt Bryant 56-yard field goal, 6:43. Falcons 19–10. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:57.
ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 2:31. Falcons 22–10. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:41.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 14/34, 180 yards, TD, 3 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 28/45, 317 yards, TD Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 11 rushes, 59 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 11 rushes, 23 yards
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 rushes, 23 yards Top receivers
CAR – Devin Funchess – 2 receptions, 48 yards, TD
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 9 receptions, 85 yards, TD
Standings [ ] Division [ ]
NFC South
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
PF
PA
STK
(4) New Orleans Saints
11
5
0
.688
4–2
8–4
448
326
L1
(5) Carolina Panthers
11
5
0
.688
3–3
7–5
363
327
L1
(6) Atlanta Falcons
10
6
0
.625
4–2
9–3
353
315
W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5
11
0
.313
1–5
3–9
335
382
W1
Conference [ ]
#
Team
Division
W
L
T
PCT
DIV
CONF
SOS
SOV
STK
Division leaders
1[a]
Philadelphia Eagles
East
13
3
0
.813
5–1
10–2
.461
.433
L1
2[a]
Minnesota Vikings
North
13
3
0
.813
5–1
10–2
.492
.447
W3
3[b]
Los Angeles Rams
West
11
5
0
.688
4–2
7–5
.504
.460
L1
4[b] [c]
New Orleans Saints
South
11
5
0
.688
4–2
8–4
.535
.483
L1
Wild Cards
5[c]
Carolina Panthers
South
11
5
0
.688
3–3
7–5
.539
.500
L1
6
Atlanta Falcons
South
10
6
0
.625
4–2
9–3
.543
.475
W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[d]
Detroit Lions
North
9
7
0
.563
5–1
8–4
.496
.368
W1
8[d]
Seattle Seahawks
West
9
7
0
.563
4–2
7–5
.492
.444
L1
9[d]
Dallas Cowboys
East
9
7
0
.563
5–1
7–5
.496
.438
W1
10
Arizona Cardinals
West
8
8
0
.500
3–3
5–7
.488
.406
W2
11[e]
Green Bay Packers
North
7
9
0
.438
2–4
5–7
.539
.357
L3
12[e]
Washington Redskins
East
7
9
0
.438
1–5
5–7
.539
.429
L1
13
San Francisco 49ers
West
6
10
0
.375
1–5
3–9
.512
.438
W5
14[f]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
South
5
11
0
.313
1–5
3–9
.555
.375
W1
15[f]
Chicago Bears
North
5
11
0
.313
0–6
1–11
.559
.500
L1
16
New York Giants
East
3
13
0
.188
1–5
1–11
.531
.458
W1
Tiebreakers [g]
^ a b Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington was 5–0, compared to Minnesota's 4–1 cumulative record against the same four teams.
^ a b LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep.
^ a b c Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2–3, compared to Washington's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams.
^ a b Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory.
^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.
Postseason [ ]
Playoff round
Date
Opponent (seed)
Result
Record
Game site
NFL.com
Wild Card
at Los Angeles Rams (3)
W 26–13
1–0
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Recap
Divisional
at Philadelphia Eagles (1)
L 10–15
1–1
Lincoln Financial Field
Recap
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Los Angeles Rams [ ]
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (3) Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons 6
7
6 7 26
Rams
0
10
0 3 13
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , Los Angeles, California
Date : Game time : 8:15 p.m. EST /5:15 p.m. PST Game weather : 62 °F (17 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 74,300Referee : Ed Hochuli TV announcers (NBC ) : Al Michaels , Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya Recap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 7:13. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:27.
ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 1:23. Falcons 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:12. Second quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:34. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:41.
LAR – Cooper Kupp 14-yard pass from Jared Goff (Sam Ficken kick), 2:34. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:05.
LAR – Sam Ficken 35-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 1:12. Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal, 6:45. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 16 plays, 76 yards, 8:15.
ATL – Matt Bryant 54-yard field goal, 0:19. Falcons 19–10. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:52. Fourth quarter
LAR – Sam Ficken 32-yard field goal, 10:49. Falcons 19–13. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:30.
ATL – Julio Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:48. Falcons 26–13. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 5:01.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan — 21/30, 218 yards, TD
LAR – Jared Goff — 24/45, 259 yards, TD Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman — 18 rushes, 66 yards, TD
LAR – Todd Gurley — 14 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones — 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD
LAR – Robert Woods — 9 receptions, 142 yards
NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Philadelphia Eagles [ ]
NFC Divisional Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (1) Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
3
7
0 0 10
Eagles 0
9
3 3 15
at Lincoln Financial Field , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date : Game time : 4:35 p.m. ESTGame weather : 32 °F (0 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 69,596Referee : Bill Vinovich TV announcers (NBC) : Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele TafoyaRecap , Gamebook
Game information
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 9:05. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:32. Second quarter
PHI – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (kick failed), 10:28. Eagles 6–3. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 6:44.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:41. Falcons 10–6. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:50.
PHI – Jake Elliott 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 10–9. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:46. Third quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 37-yard field goal, 0:11. Eagles 12–10. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:42. Fourth quarter
PHI – Jake Elliott 21-yard field goal, 6:02. Eagles 15–10. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:57.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 210 yards, TD
PHI – Nick Foles – 23/30, 246 yards Top rushers
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 101 yards
PHI – Alshon Jeffery – 4 receptions, 61 yards
References [ ] External links [ ]
Atlanta Falcons
Founded in 1966
Based in Atlanta, Georgia
Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia Franchise Stadiums Culture Lore
Grits Blitz Gary Anderson's missed field goal Michael Vick dog fighting investigation 28–3 Rivalries Wild card / First round berths (8) Division championships (6) Conference championships (2) Ring of Honor Current league affiliations
Category
Atlanta Falcons seasons
Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance
