Remove ads
The 2016 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 51st season in the National Football League (NFL) and the second under head coach Dan Quinn. It also marked the team's 25th and final season playing their home games at the Georgia Dome, as the Falcons moved into the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons won the NFC South for the first time since 2012 and improved on their 8–8 record from 2015, going 11–5 and earning the second seed in the NFC playoffs. Quarterback Matt Ryan was named the 2016 NFL MVP. The Falcons scored 540 points, the most in the NFL for 2016 and 8th all-time. The team scored fewer than 23 points only once all season: a 24–15 loss to the Eagles.
| 2016 Atlanta Falcons season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Owner | Arthur Blank |
| General manager | Thomas Dimitroff |
| Head coach | Dan Quinn |
| Home field | Georgia Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Seahawks) 36–20 Won NFC Championship (vs. Packers) 44–21 Lost Super Bowl LI (vs. Patriots) 28–34 (OT) |
| Pro Bowlers | 6
|
| AP All-Pros | 4
|
| Uniform | |
 | |
The Falcons defeated the Seattle Seahawks 36–20 in the Divisional Round to advance to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2012. In the NFC Championship game, they defeated the Green Bay Packers, 44–21, to advance to their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history; they had competed in Super Bowl XXXIII 18 years earlier. In Super Bowl LI, the Falcons faced the New England Patriots, and built up a 28–3 lead midway through the third quarter. However, the Patriots subsequently scored 25 unanswered points, forcing overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history, where they went on to win 34–28.
Remove ads
| Position | Player | Tag | 2016 Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Ricardo Allen | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| DE | Kroy Biermann | UFA | Buffalo Bills | |
| G | Chris Chester | UFA | Atlanta Falcons | |
| DE | Adrian Clayborn | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| S | Charles Godfrey | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| PK | Shayne Graham | UFA | None | Retired |
| C | Gino Gradkowski | Carolina Panthers | ||
| T | Bryce Harris | UFA | Atlanta Falcons | |
| T | Jake Long | Minnesota Vikings | ||
| TE | Tony Moeaki | UFA | Chicago Bears | |
| T | Ryan Schraeder | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| LB | Nathan Stupar | New Orleans Saints | ||
| TE | D.J. Tialavea | Atlanta Falcons | ||
| LB | Philip Wheeler | UFA | Atlanta Falcons | |
| LB | Paul Worrilow | Atlanta Falcons |
Draft
| 2016 Atlanta Falcons draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Keanu Neal * | SS | Florida | |
| 2 | 50 | Deion Jones * | OLB | LSU | |
| 3 | 81 | Austin Hooper * | TE | Stanford | |
| 4 | 115 | De'Vondre Campbell | OLB | Minnesota | |
| 6 | 195 | Wes Schweitzer | G | San Jose State | |
| 7 | 238 | Devin Fuller | WR | UCLA | |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Notes
- The Falcons did not select a player in the fifth round:
- The team forfeited their fifth-round selection as the punishment for piping artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. If the Falcons receive multiple fifth-round selections, the team will forfeit its first fifth-round selection;
- The Falcons traded their sixth-round selection (No. 193) to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for guard Andy Levitre and a future undisclosed selection. They subsequently acquired Pick No. 195 from the New York Jets.
Remove ads
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Remove ads
Schedule
The Falcons preseason opponents and schedule were announced on April 7, 2016.
| background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Week | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Date | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Opponent | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Result | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Record | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Venue | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 11 | Washington Redskins | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 2 | August 18 | at Cleveland Browns | W 24–13 | 2–0 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | at Miami Dolphins | L 6–17 | 2–1 | Camping World Stadium (Orlando) | Recap |
| 4 | September 1 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 17–15 | 3–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
Remove ads
Schedule
| background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Week | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Date | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Opponent | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Result | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Record | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Venue | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 24–31 | 0–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at Oakland Raiders | W 35–28 | 1–1 | Oakland Alameda Coliseum | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | at New Orleans Saints | W 45–32 | 2–1 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 4 | October 2 | Carolina Panthers | W 48–33 | 3–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 5 | October 9 | at Denver Broncos | W 23–16 | 4–1 | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 6 | October 16 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 24–26 | 4–2 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
| 7 | October 23 | San Diego Chargers | L 30–33 (OT) | 4–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 8 | October 30 | Green Bay Packers | W 33–32 | 5–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 43–28 | 6–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 13 | at Philadelphia Eagles | L 15–24 | 6–4 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 11 | Bye | |||||
| 12 | November 27 | Arizona Cardinals | W 38–19 | 7–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 13 | December 4 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 28–29 | 7–5 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | at Los Angeles Rams | W 42–14 | 8–5 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
| 15 | December 18 | San Francisco 49ers | W 41–13 | 9–5 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Carolina Panthers | W 33–16 | 10–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | January 1 | New Orleans Saints | W 38–32 | 11–5 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 31 |
| Falcons | 10 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week One: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,382
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, David Diehl and Holly Sonders
- Recap, Gamebook
With the loss, the Falcons started their season 0–1 for the first time since 2013.
Week 2: at Oakland Raiders
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 35 |
| Raiders | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Two: Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
at Oakland Alameda Coliseum, Oakland, California
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 54,081
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Falcons improved to 1–1.
Week 3: at New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 45 |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 32 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 26
- Game time: 8:30 pm. EDT/7:30 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 73,003
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Falcons improved to 2–1.
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 23 | 33 |
| Falcons | 14 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 48 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Four: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 2
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,508
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Chris Spielman and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Gamebook
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones made Falcons team history as Ryan exploded to 503 passing yards and Jones caught twelve passes for 300 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first quarterback-receiver duo to break 500 passing yards and 300 receiving yards in club history and the first such tandem in the NFL's Super Bowl era.[1] Cam Newton was knocked out of the game with a concussion incurred on a two-point conversion run. With the win, the Falcons improved to 3–1.
Week 5: at Denver Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 10 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Broncos | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 16 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos – Game summary
at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 4:05 pm. EDT/2:05 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), mostly cloudy
- Game attendance: 76,802
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Falcons improved to 4–1 for the first time since 2010.
Week 6: at Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 24 |
| Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 26 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Six: Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EDT/1:25 pm. PDT
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), rain
- Game attendance: 69,071
- Referee: Tony Corrente
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
- Recap, Gamebook
With the loss, the Falcons dropped to 4–2.
Week 7: vs. San Diego Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 33 |
| Falcons | 6 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Seven: San Diego Chargers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 23
- Game time: 4:05 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,832
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
The Falcons blew a 17-point lead and lost to the Chargers, 33-30. They wore their black throwback uniforms for this game. With the game tied at 30–30, a missed 58-yarder by Matt Bryant forced the game into overtime. The Falcons received the ball first in overtime but turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth down. Josh Lambo kicked a 42-yard field goal in overtime to seal a 33–30 victory for the Chargers. With the brutal loss, the Falcons dropped to 4–3 for the first time since 2009. This is the final game the Falcons played against the San Diego-based Chargers. It also foreshadowed a more calamitous loss in which the Falcons blew a larger lead.
Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 7 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 32 |
| Falcons | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 33 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Eight: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 30
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,165
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Falcons improved to 5–3.
Week 9: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 10 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 43 |
| Buccaneers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: November 3
- Game time: 8:25 pm. EDT
- Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C), clear
- Game attendance: 57,797
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (NFLN): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Heather Cox
- Recap, Gamebook
Despite Mike Evans finishing the game with 11 receptions for 150 yards and two scores, the Falcons still managed to beat Tampa Bay on the road, 43–28. With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–3.
Week 10: at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 15 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 13
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 69,596
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
With the loss, the Falcons dropped to 6–4.
Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| Falcons | 7 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Twelve: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,233
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Gamebook
With the impressive win, the Falcons improved to 7–4.
Week 13: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 6 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 29 |
| Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Thirteen: Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 4
- Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,879
- Referee: Walt Coleman
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
- Recap, Gamebook
The Falcons trailed 27–16 going into the fourth quarter, and took the lead through a 1-yard touchdown run by Devonta Freeman, followed by a 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan to Aldrick Robinson. Having failed on the two-point conversion following Freeman's touchdown, they tried for two points again after Robinson's catch with the aim of securing a three-point lead going into the last four minutes of the game; however, Chiefs safety Eric Berry intercepted Ryan's attempted pass and returned it all the way to the Atlanta end zone for a defensive two-point conversion that gave Kansas City a 29–28 lead that they were able to defend for the remainder of the game. With the loss, the Falcons dropped to 7–5 for the first time since 2011.
Week 14: at Los Angeles Rams
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 7 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 42 |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
With the win, the Falcons improved to 8–5.
Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49ers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Falcons | 21 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 41 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Fifteen: San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 18
- Game time: 4:05 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,164
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
With the win, the Falcons improved to 9–5.
Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 13 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 33 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
With the win, the Falcons improved to 10–5.
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 32 |
| Falcons | 14 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 38 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 1, 2017
- Game time: 4:25 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,835
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Gamebook
This was the Falcons' final regular season game at the Georgia Dome. With the win, the Falcons finished their season at 11–5.
Remove ads
Schedule
| background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Round | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Date | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Opponent (seed) | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Result | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Record | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Venue | background-color: #A71930 !important; color: #FFFFFF !important; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;"}]]}" class="notheme">Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||
| Divisional | January 14, 2017 | Seattle Seahawks (3) | W 36–20 | 1–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| NFC Championship | January 22, 2017 | Green Bay Packers (4) | W 44–21 | 2–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| Super Bowl LI | February 5, 2017 | vs. New England Patriots (A1) | L 28–34 (OT) | 2–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
Game summaries
NFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
| Falcons | 0 | 19 | 7 | 10 | 36 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
NFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Seattle Seahawks at (2) Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 14, 2017
- Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 71,155
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver and Peter Schrager
- Recap, Gamebook
After coming off a first round bye, the Falcons hosted the Seahawks in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Falcons trailed midway through the first quarter when the Seahawks went up 7–0 from a 7-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Jimmy Graham. In the second quarter, Atlanta tied the game 7–7 on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Julio Jones. On the next Seattle drive, the Seahawks took a 10–7 lead with a 33-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka.[2][3]
The next Falcons drive ended in a three and out. On the ensuing punt, Seattle's Devin Hester returned the punt 80-yards to Atlanta's 7-yard line. However, that punt return was called back on a penalty, forcing Seattle to start at its own 7-yard line. After Thomas Rawls was tackled for a 3-yard loss, Wilson attempted to drop back to pass. However, while doing so, Wilson tripped over Rees Odhiambo's foot and was tackled in the end zone, leading to a safety for Atlanta. Receiving the ball following the safety, Atlanta took its first lead of the game on a 35-yard field goal from Matt Bryant. After forcing Seattle to Punt, the Falcons took a 19–10 lead going into halftime on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tevin Coleman.[2][3]
Atlanta remained ahead for the rest of the game, eventually beating Seattle 36–20. With the win, the Falcons improved their record to 12–5. Matt Ryan threw for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns and improved his playoff record to 2–4, with both of his playoff wins (up to that point) coming against the Seahawks.[3] This was speculated to be the last NFL game ever in the Georgia Dome, but when the fourth-seeded Green Bay Packers upset the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the other Divisional Playoff the next day, Atlanta was named the host of the NFC Championship Game, the last ever game in the Dome.
NFC Championship: vs. (4) Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 21 |
| Falcons | 10 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 44 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
NFC Championship Game: (4) Green Bay Packers at (2) Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 22, 2017
- Game time: 3:05 pm. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 71,127
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
- Recap, Gamebook
This was the Falcons' final game ever in the Georgia Dome after 25 seasons, as the team moved into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons never trailed in the game, scoring 31 unanswered points until Rodgers threw a touchdown pass halfway through the third quarter to give Green Bay its first points. The Falcons won 44–21 to advance to the Super Bowl for the first time since their 1998 season, as well as the second time in franchise history. Matt Ryan had a big game, throwing 4 touchdown passes and running for another score. His 392 yards were the second-most ever thrown in a Championship Game, only behind his 396 yards in the 2012 NFC Championship Games versus the San Francisco 49ers. Julio Jones was another huge part of the Falcons win, with 9 catches, 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. One of the scores came on a 73-yard tackle-breaking catch. The Falcons' defense held fellow MVP-candidate Rodgers and his offense in check most of the game, forcing several hurries and drops. They also forced 2 turnovers, one was a fumble that was forced and then recovered by Jalen Collins on Packers Aaron Ripkowski, and the other one of them coming on a 3rd and 21 pass by Rodgers, that Ricardo Allen intercepted.
Super Bowl LI: vs. New England Patriots
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 6 | 34 |
| Falcons | 0 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Super Bowl LI: New England Patriots vs. Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: February 5, 2017
- Game time: 6:30 pm. EST/5:30 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,807
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Chris Myers
- Recap, Gamebook
The Falcons led the game 28-3 into the third quarter before the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie at 28 all, and create the first Super Bowl game to go into overtime. The Patriots won the coin-toss and won the game via a James White touchdown. This ended the Falcons' season record at 13–6.[4]
Remove ads
Division
| NFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Atlanta Falcons | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 540 | 406 | W4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 354 | 369 | W1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 469 | 454 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | 369 | 402 | L2 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 3–3 | 9–3 | .471 | .440 | L1 |
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .480 | .452 | W4 |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 10 | 5 | 1 | .656 | 3–2–1 | 6–5–1 | .441 | .425 | W1 |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers | North | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .508 | .453 | W6 |
| Wild Cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | New York Giants | East | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .486 | .455 | W1 |
| 6[a] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .475 | .392 | L3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 7[a] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .434 | W1 |
| 8 | Washington Redskins | East | 8 | 7 | 1 | .531 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .516 | .430 | L1 |
| 9 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .492 | .457 | W1 |
| 10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–1–1 | 6–5–1 | .463 | .366 | W2 |
| 11[b] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .523 | .393 | L1 |
| 12[b] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .559 | .518 | W2 |
| 13 | Carolina Panthers | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .518 | .354 | L2 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .504 | .500 | L7 |
| 15 | Chicago Bears | North | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .521 | .396 | L4 |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .504 | .250 | L1 |
| Tiebreakers[c] | |||||||||||
Remove ads
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads