52nd season in franchise history
The 2017 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL) 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 NFC Wild Card Round, but lost against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round despite being the first team to be favored over a number one seed in the Divisional Round.
As of 2023, this represents the most recent winning season and playoff appearance for the Falcons.
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 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 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, 10 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 | November 20 | 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 | December 7 | New Orleans Saints | W 20–17 | 8–5 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 72,866 | Recap |
15 | December 18 | 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
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 Top receivers | |
Week 2: vs. Green Bay Packers
Game information |
First quarter 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 Top receivers | |
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] The Falcons controlled most of the game, went up by as much as 24, and won 34–23. They were led by Devonta Freeman (19 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD) and Julio Jones (108 yards, 5 receptions). The 2017 Falcons became only the fourth team in NFL history to start 2–0 after they lost the Super Bowl the previous year.
Week 3: at Detroit Lions
Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons | 7 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
Lions | 0 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
at Ford Field, Detroit Michigan
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
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
Falcons | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information |
First quarter Second quarter 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 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
Period | 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 15
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,593
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
- Recap, 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 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
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Patriots | 0 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: October 22
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy, fog started developing in 2nd quarter
- Game attendance: 65,878
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Recap, 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 Top receivers - ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 99 yards, TD
- NE – Chris Hogan – 4 receptions, 71 yards
| |
In a rematch of Super Bowl LI eight months later, the Falcons were trying to avenge their historic defeat, where they blew a 28-3 lead and lost in overtime, however Atlanta lost the rematch 23-7, in a game dominated by fog in the Foxboro area in the second half.
Week 8: at New York Jets
Week 8: Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets – Game summary
Period | 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 29
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), rain
- Game attendance: 77,562
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
- Recap, 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 Top receivers - ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD
- NYJ – Robby Anderson – 6 receptions, 104 yards, TD
| |
Week 9: at Carolina Panthers
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 | |
Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 10: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Period | 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 12
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 73,761
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, 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 | |
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
Game information |
First quarter 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
Period | 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 26
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,036
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV 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 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
Period | 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 3
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,185
- Referee: 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 Top receivers | |
Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 14: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Saints | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
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 II – 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
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: December 18
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 62,382
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
- Recap, 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
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The win eliminated Green Bay from postseason contention.
Week 16: at New Orleans Saints
Week 16: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period | 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 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,188
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
- Recap, 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 II 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 II – 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD
Top receivers - ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 149 yards
- NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD
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Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 17: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Period | 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 31
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 74,141
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
Game information |
First quarter 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
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Standings
Division
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.
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Postseason
Schedule
Game summaries
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Los Angeles Rams
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 Top receivers - ATL – Julio Jones — 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD
- LAR – Robert Woods — 9 receptions, 142 yards
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NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Philadelphia Eagles
NFC Divisional Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (1) Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Eagles | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: January 13, 2018
- Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 69,596
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
- Recap, 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 | |
References
- ^ Tucker, Tim (October 6, 2017). "Plan: Stadium roof will be closed for rest of Falcons season, open for one soccer game". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
- ^ "Tommy Nobis, 'Mr. Falcon,' is dead at 74". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Tucker, Tim. "Falcons plan to open roof for home opener if weather cooperates". AJC. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
External links
Atlanta Falcons |
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- Founded in 1966
- Based in Atlanta, Georgia
- Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia
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