2017_Atlanta_Falcons_season References

2017 Atlanta Falcons season
2017 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Arthur Blank
General manager	Thomas Dimitroff
Head coach	Dan Quinn
Home field	Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	3rd NFC South
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs; (at Rams) 26–13; Lost Divisional Playoffs; (at Eagles) 10–15
Pro Bowlers	WR Julio Jones; C Alex Mack; LB Deion Jones; S Keanu Neal
Uniform
	← 2016; Falcons seasons; 2018 →;

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

2017 Atlanta Falcons Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	26	Takkarist McKinley	DE	UCLA
3	75	Duke Riley	LB	LSU
4	136	Sean Harlow	G	Oregon State
5	149	Damontae Kazee	S	San Diego State
5	156	Brian Hill	RB	Wyoming
5	174	Eric Saubert	TE	Drake

Undrafted free agents

2017 Atlanta Falcons Undrafted Free Agents
Position	Player	College
QB	Alek Torgersen	Pennsylvania
FB	Tyler Renew	The Citadel
WR	Josh Magee	South Alabama
WR	Deonte Burton	Kansas State
C	Cam Keizur	Portland State
T	Andreas Knappe	UConn
T	Robert Leff	Auburn
OL	Travis Averill	Boise State
OL	Will Freeman	Southern Miss
DE	J.T. Jones	Miami (OH)
DE	Chris Odom	Arkansas State
DE	Darius English	South Carolina
DE	Gary Thompson Jr.	Marshall
LB	Christian Tago	San Jose State
LB	Jermaine Grace	Miami
CB	Marcelis Branch	Robert Morris
S	Deron Washington	Pittsburg State
S	Quincy Mauger	Georgia
CB	Taylor Reynolds	James Madison

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 Offensive coordinator – Steve Sarkisian Quarterbacks – Bush Hamdan Running backs – Keith Carter Tight ends – Wade Harman Offensive line – Chris Morgan Assistant offensive line – Kyle Flood Offensive assistant – Dave Brock Offensive assistant – Justin Outten Offensive assistant – Charlie Weis Jr.			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Marquand Manuel Defensive line – Bryant Young Linebackers – Jeff Ulbrich Defensive passing game coordinator – Jerome Henderson Defensive backs – Doug Mallory Defensive assistant – Charlie Jackson Defensive assistant – Jess Simpson 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 40 Derrick Coleman FB 26 Tevin Coleman 24 Devonta Freeman 28 Terron Ward Wide receivers 18 Taylor Gabriel 17 Marvin Hall 14 Justin Hardy 11 Julio Jones 19 Andre Roberts 12 Mohamed Sanu 15 Nick Williams Tight ends 81 Austin Hooper 85 Eric Saubert 80 Levine Toilolo		Offensive linemen 75 Jamil Douglas G 63 Ben Garland G 64 Sean Harlow C 67 Andy Levitre G 51 Alex Mack C 70 Jake Matthews T 68 Austin Pasztor T 74 Ty Sambrailo T 73 Ryan Schraeder T 71 Wes Schweitzer G Defensive linemen 99 Adrian Clayborn DE 97 Grady Jarrett DT 98 Takkarist McKinley DE 92 Dontari Poe DT 50 Brooks Reed DE 90 Derrick Shelby DE 79 Ahtyba Rubin DT 91 Courtney Upshaw DE		Linebackers 44 Vic Beasley OLB 59 De'Vondre Campbell OLB 36 Kemal Ishmael OLB 45 Deion Jones MLB 53 LaRoy Reynolds MLB 42 Duke Riley OLB 56 Sean Weatherspoon OLB Defensive backs 23 Robert Alford CB 37 Ricardo Allen FS 27 Damontae Kazee FS 35 Leon McFadden CB 22 Keanu Neal SS 20 Sharrod Neasman SS 34 Brian Poole CB 21 Desmond Trufant CB 33 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB Special teams 5 Matt Bosher P 3 Matt Bryant K 47 Josh Harris LS		Reserve lists 95 Jack Crawford DT ( IRTooltip Injured reserve) 13 Devin Fuller WR ( IRTooltip Injured reserve) 96 Martin Ifedi DE ( IRTooltip Injured reserve) 41 Quincy Mauger SS ( IRTooltip Injured reserve) 52 Jordan Tripp MLB ( IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 35 Marcelis Branch FS 76 Daniel Brunskill G 39 Deante Burton CB 16 Reggie Davis WR 89 Alex Gray TE 9 Garrett Grayson QB 77 Joey Ivie DT 55 J. T. Jones OLB -- Trevor Knight QB ( IRTooltip Injured reserve) 25 Terrence Magee RB 93 Tani Tupou DT Rookies in italics 53 active, 6 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 10	at Miami Dolphins	L 20–23	0–1	Hard Rock Stadium	Recap
2	August 20	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 13–17	0–2	Heinz Field	Recap
3	August 26	Arizona Cardinals	L 14–24	0–3	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
4	August 31	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 7–13	0–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap

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

Week 1: Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	7	3	10	23
Bears	0	10	0	7	17

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Date: September 10
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 61,857
Referee: 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

ATL – Austin Hooper – 2 receptions, 128 yards, TD
CHI – Tarik Cohen – 8 receptions, 47 yards, TD

Week 2: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week 2: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	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 17
Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), clear — retractable roof open
Game attendance: 70,826
Referee: 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] 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

Date: September 24
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 63,240
Referee: 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

Period	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 1
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 71,273
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers ( CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

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

Tre'Davious White 52 yard fumble return, 10:55 (Stephen Hauschka kick). Bills 14–10.

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

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

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

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

No scoring plays.

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

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

NYJ – Eric Tomlinson 20-yard pass from Josh McCown ( Chandler Catanzaro kick), 10:33. Jets 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:27.
ATL – Austin Hooper 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick), 5:03. Tied 7–7. Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:13.

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

Period	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 5
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 74,244
Referee: 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

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

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	14	10	7	3	34
Seahawks	7	10	6	8	31

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Date: November 20
Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 69,026
Referee: 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

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

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

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

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	7	7	0	17
Falcons	3	7	0	10	20

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: December 7
Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST
Game weather: Played indoor (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 72,866
Referee: 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 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

ATL – Justin Hardy 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan ( Matt Bryant kick), 6:54. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 62 yards, 4:59.
TB – O. J. Howard 30-yard pass from Jameis Winston ( Patrick Murray kick), 1:52. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:02.

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

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

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

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

CAR – Devin Funchess 4-yard pass from Cam Newton ( Graham Gano kick), 0:55. Tied 7–7. Drive: 16 plays, 78 yards, 8:25.

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
view talk	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

NFC v t e
#	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

Schedule

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
Wild Card	January 6, 2018	at Los Angeles Rams (3)	W 26–13	1–0	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	Recap
Divisional	January 13, 2018	at Philadelphia Eagles (1)	L 10–15	1–1	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap

Game summaries

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Los Angeles Rams

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (3) Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Period	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: January 6, 2018
Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST
Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 74,300
Referee: 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

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

ATL – Tevin Coleman – 10 rushes, 79 yards
PHI – Jay Ajayi – 15 rushes, 54 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 101 yards
PHI – Alshon Jeffery – 4 receptions, 61 yards

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

Official website

[1seed-4] 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.

[3–4-5] LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.

[NFCS-6] New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep.

[7–9-7] Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.

[11–12-8] 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.

[14–15-9] Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory.

[10] 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.

[1] 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.

[2] "Tommy Nobis, 'Mr. Falcon,' is dead at 74". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.

[3] Tucker, Tim. "Falcons plan to open roof for home opener if weather cooperates". AJC. Retrieved September 10, 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[a]

[b]

[c]

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v t e Atlanta Falcons
Founded in 1966 Based in Atlanta, Georgia Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia
Franchise	Franchise Team history Seasons Players Quarterbacks Head coaches Expansion draft Draft history First-round draft picks
Stadiums	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Georgia Dome Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Culture	Rankin M. Smith Sr. Arthur Blank Freddie Falcon The "Dirty Bird" (dance) " 2 Legit 2 Quit" Brian Banks Quarterback
Lore	Grits Blitz Gary Anderson's missed field goal Michael Vick dog fighting investigation Timeline 28–3
Rivalries	Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles
Wild card / First round berths (8)	1978 1982 1991 1995 2002 2008 2011 2017
Division championships (6)	1980 1998 2004 2010 2012 2016
Conference championships (2)	1998 2016
Ring of Honor	10 21 28 31 42 57 58 60 78 84 87
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: South Division
Category

v t e Atlanta Falcons seasons
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Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance