2014 Atlanta Falcons season

The 2014 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), and their seventh and final season under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons were defeated by the Carolina Panthers in week 17, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second straight year.^[1] As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record.^[2]

2014 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Arthur Blank
General manager	Thomas Dimitroff
Head coach	Mike Smith
Home stadium	Georgia Dome
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	3rd NFC South
Playoffs	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	WR/RS Devin Hester WR Julio Jones QB Matt Ryan
← 2013 Falcons seasons 2015 →

The 2014 Atlanta Falcons were featured on the HBO documentary series Hard Knocks.^[3]

2014 draft class

Main article: 2014 NFL draft

2014 Atlanta Falcons Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	6	Jake Matthews	Offensive tackle	Texas A&M
2	37	Ra'Shede Hageman	Defensive tackle	Minnesota
3	68	Dezmen Southward	Free safety	Wisconsin
4	103	Devonta Freeman	Running back	Florida State
	139	Prince Shembo	Linebacker	Notre Dame
5	147	Ricardo Allen	Cornerback	Purdue
	168	Marquis Spruill	Linebacker	Syracuse
6	None — see below
7	253	Yawin Smallwood	Linebacker	Connecticut
	255	Tyler Starr	Linebacker	South Dakota

Compensatory selection

• Note: The Falcons traded their sixth- (No. 182 overall) and original seventh- (No. 220 overall) round selections to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).

Staff

2014 Atlanta Falcons staff

Front office Owner/chairman – Arthur Blank President/CEO – Rich McKay General manager – Thomas Dimitroff Assistant general manager – Scott Pioli Director of player personnel – Lionel Vital Director of football administration – Nick Polk Director of pro scouting – DeJuan Polk Director of college scouting – Steve Sabo Head coaches Head coach – Mike Smith Assistant head coach/wide receivers – Terry Robiskie Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Dirk Koetter Quarterbacks – Glenn Thomas Running backs – Gerald Brown Tight ends – Chris Scelfo Offensive line – Mike Tice Assistant offensive line – Wade Harman Offensive assistant – Andrew Weidinger

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Mike Nolan Defensive line – Bryan Cox Inside linebackers – Glenn Pires Outside linebackers – Mark Collins Defensive backs – Joe Danna Secondary – Tim Lewis Defensive assistant – Andrew Thacker Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong Assistant special teams – Eric Sutulovich Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – A.J. Neibel Strength and conditioning assistant – Jonas Beauchemin

Final roster

2014 Atlanta Falcons roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 12 Sean Renfree  2 Matt Ryan 13 T. J. Yates Running backs (RB) 42 Patrick DiMarco FB 24 Devonta Freeman 39 Steven Jackson 32 Jacquizz Rodgers 34 Jerome Smith Wide receivers (WR) 19 Drew Davis 83 Harry Douglas 17 Devin Hester RS 11 Julio Jones 14 Eric Weems 84 Roddy White Tight ends (TE) 86 Bear Pascoe 80 Levine Toilolo

Offensive linemen (OL) 75 Jon Asamoah G 63 Justin Blalock G 68 Gabe Carimi T/G 69 Harland Gunn G 70 Jake Matthews T 73 Ryan Schraeder T 64 Jonathan Scott T 62 James Stone C Defensive linemen (DL) 95 Jonathan Babineaux DE 93 Malliciah Goodman DE 77 Ra'Shede Hageman DT 99 Tyson Jackson DE 90 Stansly Maponga DE 94 Jonathan Massaquoi DE 98 Cliff Matthews DE 91 Corey Peters DT 96 Paul Soliai DT 50 Osi Umenyiora DE

Linebackers (LB) 59 Joplo Bartu OLB 71 Kroy Biermann OLB 53 Prince Shembo OLB 54 Tyler Starr OLB 52 Nate Stupar MLB 55 Paul Worrilow MLB Defensive backs (DB) 37 Ricardo Allen CB 28 Javier Arenas CB 29 Sean Baker SS 30 Charles Godfrey SS 36 Kemal Ishmael SS 20 Dwight Lowery FS 27 Robert McClain CB 41 Dezmen Southward FS 21 Desmond Trufant CB 26 Josh Wilson CB Special teams (ST)  5 Matt Bosher P  3 Matt Bryant K 47 Josh Harris LS

Practice squad 40 Brandan Bishop S 74 Reid Fragel T 92 Ricky Havili-Heimuli DT 43 Jordan Mabin CB 18 Freddie Martino WR 85 Kyle Miller TE 89 Bernard Reedy WR 67 Adam Replogle G 45 Jacques Smith LB 33 Ronnie Wingo RB Reserve 23 Robert Alford CB (IR) 72 Sam Baker T (IR) 61 Joe Hawley C (IR) 76 Lamar Holmes T (IR) 79 Mike Johnson G/T (IR) 66 Peter Konz C (IR) 25 William Moore S (IR) 22 Zeke Motta S (PUP) 35 Antone Smith RB (IR) 51 Marquis Spruill LB (IR) 56 Sean Weatherspoon LB (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 11 reserve, 10 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 8	Miami Dolphins	W 16–10	1–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
2	August 16	at Houston Texans	L 7–32	1–1	NRG Stadium	Recap
3	August 23	Tennessee Titans	L 17–24	1–2	Georgia Dome	Recap
4	August 28	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 24–14	2–2	EverBank Field	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 7	New Orleans Saints	W 37–34 (OT)	1–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
2	September 14	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 10–24	1–1	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
3	September 18	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 56–14	2–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
4	September 28	at Minnesota Vikings	L 28–41	2–2	TCF Bank Stadium	Recap
5	October 5	at New York Giants	L 20–30	2–3	MetLife Stadium	Recap
6	October 12	Chicago Bears	L 13–27	2–4	Georgia Dome	Recap
7	October 19	at Baltimore Ravens	L 7–29	2–5	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
8	October 26	Detroit Lions	L 21–22	2–6	Wembley Stadium (London, England)	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 9	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 27–17	3–6	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
11	November 16	at Carolina Panthers	W 19–17	4–6	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
12	November 23	Cleveland Browns	L 24–26	4–7	Georgia Dome	Recap
13	November 30	Arizona Cardinals	W 29–18	5–7	Georgia Dome	Recap
14	December 8	at Green Bay Packers	L 37–43	5–8	Lambeau Field	Recap
15	December 14	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 20–27	5–9	Georgia Dome	Recap
16	December 21	at New Orleans Saints	W 30–14	6–9	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
17	December 28	Carolina Panthers	L 3–34	6–10	Georgia Dome	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week One: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Saints	6	14	0	14	0	34
Falcons	0	10	14	10	3	37

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,706
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Shayne Graham 31-yard field goal, 10:33. Saints 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:27. NO – Shayne Graham 50-yard field goal, 4:39. Saints 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 3:59. Second quarter NO – Khiry Robinson 2-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 11:46. Saints 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:10. ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:06. Saints 13–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:40. NO – Brandin Cooks 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 0:20. Saints 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:46. ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:20. Third quarter ATL – Levine Toilolo 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:22. Saints 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:38. ATL – Antone Smith 54-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:21. Falcons 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:31. Fourth quarter NO – Mark Ingram 3-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 8:46. Saints 27–24. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:35. ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers 17-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:50. Falcons 31–27. Drive: 8 plays, 94 yards, 3:26. NO – Mark Ingram 3-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 1:20. Saints 34–31. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 1:30. ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 34–34. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:20. Overtime ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 13:17. Falcons 37–34. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:32. Top passers NO – Drew Brees – 29/42, 333 yards, TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/43, 448 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NO – Mark Ingram - 13 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD ATL – Steven Jackson – 12 rushes, 52 yards Top receivers NO – Marques Colston - 5 receptions, 110 yards ATL – Julio Jones - 7 receptions, 116 yards

Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Two: Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	0	0	7	10
Bengals	3	7	14	0	24

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 58,574
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CIN – Mike Nugent 31-yard field goal, 5:19. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 5:57. ATL – Matt Bryant 46-yard field goal, 1:08. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:11. Second quarter CIN – Giovani Bernard 4-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 2:11. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 5:21. Third quarter CIN – Mohamed Sanu 76-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 10:58. Bengals 17–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:12. CIN – Jeremy Hill 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 6:28. Bengals 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:14. Fourth quarter ATL – Julio Jones 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:35. Bengals 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:59. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/44, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT CIN – Andy Dalton – 15/23, 252 yards, TD Top rushers ATL – Steven Jackson – 11 rushes, 46 yards CIN – Giovani Bernard – 27 rushes, 90 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 88 yards, TD CIN – Mohamed Sanu – 3 receptions, 84 yards, TD

Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	0	14	14
Falcons	21	14	21	0	56

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: September 18
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,318
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Harry Douglas 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:03. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:57. ATL – Julio Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:03. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:14. ATL – Kemal Ishmael 23-yard interception return (Matt Bryant kick), 2:33. Falcons 21–0. Second quarter ATL – Devin Hester 20-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 14:53.Falcons 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:55. ATL – Devin Hester 62-yard punt return (Matt Bryant kick), 7:06. Falcons 35–0. Third quarter ATL – Julio Jones 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:23. Falcons 42–0. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:39. ATL – Steven Jackson 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:11. Falcons 49–0. Drive: 1 play, 2 yards, 0:07. ATL – Antone Smith 38-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:47. Falcons 56–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:12. Fourth quarter TB – Vincent Jackson 3-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Patrick Murray kick), 8:46. Falcons 56–7. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:01. TB – Danny Lansanah 27-yard interception return (Patrick Murray kick), 7:07. Falcons 56–14. Top passers TB – Mike Glennon – 17/24, 121 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 21/24, 286 yards, 3 TD Top rushers TB – Bobby Rainey – 11 rushes, 41 yards ATL – Steven Jackson – 14 rushes, 54 yards, TD Top receivers TB – Bobby Rainey – 7 receptions, 64 yards ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD

In this game, Devin Hester would break Deion Sanders's all-time record for punt/kick returns for touchdowns, with 20.^[4]

Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Four: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	7	14	0	28
Vikings	14	10	3	14	41

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 52,173
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter MIN – Matt Asiata 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 9:27. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:31. ATL – Roddy White 24-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:31. MIN – Matt Asiata 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:31. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:25. Second quarter ATL – Patrick DiMarco 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:56. Tied 14–14. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 5:26. MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 13-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:59. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:57. MIN – Blair Walsh 18-yard field goal, 0:02. Vikings 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 1:23. Third quarter MIN – Blair Walsh 41-yard field goal, 10:40. Vikings 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:20. ATL – Devin Hester 36-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:19. Vikings 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:21. ATL – Antone Smith 48-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:31. Falcons 28–27. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:16. Fourth quarter MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Teddy Bridewater-Rhett Ellison pass), 10:50. Vikings 35–28. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:51. MIN – Blair Walsh 55-yard field goal, 3:38. Vikings 38–28. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:51. MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 1:14. Vikings 41–28. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 2:11. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/41, 298 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 19/30, 317 yards Top rushers ATL – Antone Smith – 4 rushes, 62 yards, TD MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 18 rushes, 135 yards Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 82 yards MIN – Jarius Wright – 8 receptions, 132 yards

Week 5: at New York Giants

Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	6	7	0	20
Giants	7	3	7	13	30

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 80,307
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NYG – Rueben Randle 3-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 6:40. Giants 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 5:06. ATL – Steven Jackson 10-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:57. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:43. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 14:15. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:33. NYG – Josh Brown 49-yard field goal, 3:40. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:13. ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 3:37. Third quarter ATL – Antone Smith 74-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:37. Falcons 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:20. NYG – Andre Williams 3-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 2:05. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 3:32. Fourth quarter NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 3-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 10:02. Giants 24–20. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:22. NYG – Josh Brown 50-yard field goal, 5:01. Giants 27–20. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:22. NYG – Josh Brown 26-yard field goal, 2:08. Giants 30–20. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 2:26. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/45, 316 yards, TD, INT NYG – Eli Manning – 19/30, 200 yards, 2 TD Top rushers ATL – Devonta Freeman – 4 rushes, 38 yards NYG – Andre Williams – 20 rushes, 65 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 105 yards NYG – Preston Parker – 3 receptions, 61 yards

Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Six: Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	13	6	8	27
Falcons	3	0	10	0	13

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: October 12
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,712
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 9:41. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:21. Second quarter CHI – Robbie Gould 25-yard field goal, 14:47. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 3:38. CHI – Josh Morgan 3-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 5:59. Bears 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:37. CHI – Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Bears 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 4:04. Third quarter ATL – Antone Smith 41-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:19. Bears 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:41. ATL – Matt Bryant 54-yard field goal, 6:19. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 3:19. CHI – Matt Forte 6-yard run (kick failed), 5:06. Bears 19–13. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:13. Fourth quarter CHI – Matt Forte 9-yard run (Jay Cutler-Martellus Bennett pass), 10:07. Bears 27–13. Drive: 15 plays, 87 yards, 8:28. Top passers CHI – Jay Cutler – 26/38, 381 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 19/37, 271 yards, TD, INT Top rushers CHI – Matt Forte – 17 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD ATL – Steven Jackson – 6 rushes, 25 yards Top receivers CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 5 receptions, 136 yards ATL – Julio Jones – 4 receptions, 68 yards

Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens

Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	0	7	7
Ravens	7	10	3	9	29

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 71,184
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BAL – Owen Daniels 5-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 11:47. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:49. Second quarter BAL – Bernard Pierce 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 2:38. Ravens 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:18. BAL – Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:37. Third quarter BAL – Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 11:28. Ravens 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:32. Fourth quarter ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:12. Ravens 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 2:45. BAL – Matt Ryan sacked in endzone by Terrell Suggs for a safety, 3:44. Ravens 22–7. BAL – Torrey Smith 39-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 1:46. Ravens 29–7. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:58. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/48, 228 yards, TD BAL – Joe Flacco – 16/25, 258 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Steven Jackson – 8 rushes, 22 yards BAL – Justin Forsett – 23 rushes, 95 yards Top receivers ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 100 yards, TD BAL – Torrey Smith – 3 receptions, 81 yards, TD

Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions

NFL International Series

Week Eight: Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	0	10	12	22
Falcons	14	7	0	0	21

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. EDT
• Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), overcast
• Game attendance: 83,532
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Charissa Thompson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:25. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:35. ATL – Bear Pascoe 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:53. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:26. Second quarter ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Falcons 21–0. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:17. Third quarter DET – Matt Prater 22-yard field goal, 7:54. Falcons 21–3. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:06. DET – Golden Tate 59-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 4:38. Falcons 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:44. Fourth quarter DET – Matt Prater 20-yard field goal, 14:10. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:00. DET – Theo Riddick 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (pass failed), 3:56. Falcons 21–19. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 7:29. DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 22–21. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 1:38. Top passers DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/47, 325 yards, 2 TD, INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/27, 228 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers DET – Joique Bell – 14 rushes, 39 yards ATL – Steven Jackson – 18 rushes, 60 yards, TD Top receivers DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 151 yards, TD ATL – Roddy White – 5 receptions, 66 yards

Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	6	3	11	27
Buccaneers	3	7	0	7	17

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 57,751
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter TB – Patrick Murray 51-yard field goal, 6:24. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 47 yards, 8:36. ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:51. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:33. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 7:09. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 6:53. TB – Mike Evans 22-yard pass from Josh McCown (Matt Bryant kick), 0:46. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 1:45. ATL – Matt Bryant 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 0:46. Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 10:23. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:37. Fourth quarter TB – Austin Seferian-Jenkins 1-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 14:18. Buccaneers 17–16. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:04. ATL – Roddy White 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Ryan-Harry Douglas pass), 9:18. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:00. ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 4:10. Falcons 27–17. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:53. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/31, 219 yards, TD TB – Josh McCown – 27/43, 301 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Steven Jackson – 16 rushes, 81 yards, TD TB – Josh McCown – 5 rushes, 39 yards Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 8 receptions, 119 yards TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 125 yards, TD

Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

Week Eleven: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	6	10	3	19
Panthers	0	3	0	14	17

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 73,314
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 14:57. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 83 yards, 9:05. ATL – Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal, 9:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:31. ATL – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 1:33. Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 26-yard field goal, 12:07. Falcons 9–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:28. ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:34. Falcons 16–3. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:49. Fourth quarter CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:12. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:50. CAR – Corey Brown 47-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:20. Panthers 17–16. Drive: 2 plays, 69 yards, 0:41. ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 2:08. Falcons 19–17. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 4:12. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/45, 268 yards, TD CAR – Cam Newton – 23/37, 292 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Steven Jackson – 17 rushes, 41 yards CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 10 rushes, 41 yards Top receivers ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 75 yards, TD CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 9 receptions, 109 yards, TD

Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Twelve: Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	7	6	10	3	26
Falcons	7	7	0	10	24

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 70,046
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Julio Jones 24-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:53. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:26. CLE – Isaiah Crowell 11-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:20. Second quarter CLE – Billy Cundiff 33-yard field goal, 13:17. Browns 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:37. CLE – Billy Cundiff 37-yard field goal, 9:20. Browns 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:55. ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:55. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:57. Third quarter CLE – Billy Cundiff 32-yard field goal, 9:46. Browns 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:14. CLE – Isaiah Crowell 26-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 0:46. Browns 23–14. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:58. Fourth quarter ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 9:31. Browns 23–21. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:15. ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 0:44. Falcons 24–23. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 1:58. CLE – Billy Cundiff 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 26–24. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 0:44. Top passers CLE – Brian Hoyer – 23/40, 322 yards, 3 INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 27/43, 273 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 12 rushes, 88 yards, 2 TD ATL – Steven Jackson – 13 rushes, 34 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Josh Gordon – 8 receptions, 120 yards ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 96 yards

Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Thirteen: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	10	0	8	18
Falcons	17	3	3	6	29

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 69,557
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ATL – Levine Toilolo 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:39. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:21. ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 8:13. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:20. ATL – Julio Jones 32-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:48. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:39. Second quarter ARI – Rashad Johnson 88-yard interception return (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 14:07. Falcons 17–7. ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 44-yard field goal, 2:42. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:56. ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 2:42. Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 6:13. Falcons 23–10. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:47. Fourth quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 12:55. Falcons 26–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 5:11. ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 2:30. Falcons 29–10. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:47. ARI – Stepfan Taylor 3-yard pass from Drew Stanton (Stepfan Taylor run), 1:05. Falcons 29–18. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:25. Top passers ARI – Drew Stanton – 24/39, 294 yards, TD, 2 INT ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/41, 361 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers ARI – Marion Grice – 5 rushes, 16 yards ATL – Steven Jackson – 18 rushes, 101 yards Top receivers ARI – Jaron Brown – 7 receptions, 75 yards ATL – Julio Jones – 10 receptions, 189 yards, TD

This was the Falcons' only win outside the NFC South division.

Week 14: at Green Bay Packers

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

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	0	10	20	37
Packers	7	24	3	9	43

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: December 8
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), flurries
• Game attendance: 77,512
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter GB – James Starks 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 11:13. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:47. ATL – Steven Jackson 4-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:00. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:13. Second quarter GB – Eddie Lacy 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 14:55. Packers 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:05. GB – Mason Crosby 38-yard field goal, 7:17. Packers 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:56. GB – Eddie Lacy 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:20. Packers 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 2:07. GB – Jordy Nelson 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:24. Packers 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 2:11. Third quarter ATL – Eric Weems 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:35. Packers 31–14. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:25. ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 8:20. Packers 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:31. GB – Mason Crosby 33-yard field goal, 3:57. Packers 34–17. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:23. Fourth quarter ATL – Julio Jones 22-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:33. Packers 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:24. GB – Jordy Nelson 60-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (kick failed), 10:38. Packers 40–24. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:55. ATL – Roddy White 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 6:15. Packers 40–30. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 4:23. GB – Mason Crosby 53-yard field goal, 4:33. Packers 43–30. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:42. ATL – Harry Douglas 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:11. Packers 43–37. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 2:22. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/39, 375 yards, 4 TD, INT GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/36, 327 yards, 3 TD Top rushers ATL – Steven Jackson – 16 rushes, 50 yards, TD GB – James Starks – 10 rushes, 75 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 259 yards, TD GB – Jordy Nelson – 8 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD

Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Fifteen: Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Steelers	6	14	0	7	27
Falcons	0	7	6	7	20

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 71,161
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter PIT – Shaun Suisham 38-yard field goal, 9:08. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:51. PIT – Shaun Suisham 38-yard field goal, 0:02. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:01. Second quarter PIT – William Gay 52-yard interception return (Shaun Suisham kick), 14:46. Steelers 13–0. ATL – Devin Hester 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:19. Steelers 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 5:29. PIT – Le'Veon Bell 1-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 0:27. Steelers 20–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:52. Third quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 11:00. Steelers 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 4:00. ATL – Matt Bryant 22-yard field goal, 2:40. Steelers 20–13. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:04. Fourth quarter PIT – Le'Veon Bell 13-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 14:11. Steelers 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:29. ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 10:21. Steelers 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 3:50. Top passers PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 27/35, 360 yards ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/37, 310 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 20 rushes, 47 yards, 2 TD ATL – Steven Jackson – 11 rushes, 46 yards Top receivers PIT – Antonio Brown – 10 receptions, 123 yards ATL – Harry Douglas – 10 receptions, 131 yards

The Falcons were the only NFC South team to lose to all of their AFC North opponents.

Week 16: at New Orleans Saints

Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	10	7	10	30
Saints	7	0	0	7	14

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 73,164
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 14:40. Saints 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:20. ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 11:15. Saints 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:25. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 11:48. Saints 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 4:03. ATL – Eric Weems 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:03. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 15 plays, 89 yards, 5:33. Third quarter ATL – Devonta Freeman 31-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 5:42. Falcons 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:40. Fourth quarter NO – Jimmy Graham 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 5:48. Falcons 20–14. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 3:40. ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 1:56. Falcons 23–14. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:32. ATL – Osi Umenyiora 86-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), 0:00. Falcons 30–14. Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/40, 322 yards, TD NO – Drew Brees – 30/47, 313 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers ATL – Devonta Freeman – 5 rushes, 36 yards, TD NO – Mark Ingram – 13 rushes, 38 yards, TD Top receivers ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 107 yards NO – Marques Colston – 6 receptions, 80 yards

With the win, the Falcons swept the Saints for the 1st time since 2005 and eliminated them from postseason contention.

Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Seventeen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	10	14	10	0	34
Falcons	0	3	0	0	3

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 28
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 71,015
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – Graham Gano 21-yard field goal, 7:50. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:10. CAR – Ed Dickson 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:04. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:45. Second quarter ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 10:36. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:28. CAR – Roman Harper 31-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 4:18. Panthers 17–3. CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:47. Panthers 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:07. Third quarter CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 8:43. Panthers 27–3. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 4:35. CAR – Tre Boston 84-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 0:07. Panthers 34–3. Fourth quarter No scoring plays. Top passers CAR – Cam Newton – 10/16, 114 yards, TD ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/47, 260 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CAR – Cam Newton – 6 rushes, 51 yards, TD ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 9 rushes, 44 yards Top receivers CAR – Corey Brown – 1 reception, 28 yards ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 104 yards

Standings

Division

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Carolina Panthers	7	8	1	.469	4–2	6–6	339	374	W4
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	401	424	W1
Atlanta Falcons	6	10	0	.375	5–1	6–6	381	417	L1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2	14	0	.125	0–6	1–11	277	410	L6

Conference

NFC[5] view talk edit
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1[a]	Seattle Seahawks	West	12	4	0	.750	5–1	10–2	.525	.513	W6
2[a]	Green Bay Packers	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.482	.440	W2
3[a]	Dallas Cowboys	East	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	.445	.422	W4
4	Carolina Panthers	South	7	8	1	.469	4–2	6–6	.490	.357	W4
Wild Cards
5[b]	Arizona Cardinals	West	11	5	0	.688	3–3	8–4	.523	.477	L2
6[b]	Detroit Lions	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	9–3	.471	.392	L1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	Philadelphia Eagles	East	10	6	0	.625	4–2	6–6	.490	.416	W1
8	San Francisco 49ers	West	8	8	0	.500	2–4	7–5	.527	.508	W1
9[c]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.486	.415	W1
10[c]	Minnesota Vikings	North	7	9	0	.438	1–5	6–6	.475	.308	W1
11[d]	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.512	.323	L1
12[d]	Atlanta Falcons	South	6	10	0	.375	5–1	6–6	.482	.380	L1
13[d]	St. Louis Rams	West	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.531	.427	L3
14	Chicago Bears	North	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.529	.338	L5
15	Washington Redskins	East	4	12	0	.250	2–4	2–10	.496	.422	L1
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	2	14	0	.125	0–6	1–11	.486	.469	L6
Tiebreakers[e]
Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas were ranked in seeds 1–3 based on conference record. Arizona defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 11, 14–6). New Orleans defeated Minnesota head-to-head (Week 3, 20–9). The NY Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta: Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis: Week 16, 37–27), while Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis based on conference record. 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.

Use of artificial crowd noise

Shortly after the end of the post-season the Falcons were investigated by the League for piping artificial crowd noise during opponent's offensive snaps at home games during the 2013 season and the 2014 season.^[6] Team owner Arthur Blank stated that he was "angry and embarrassed" about the allegations, and has allegedly acknowledged the validity of the accusations, stating "I think what we've done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong", and promising to cooperate fully with the investigation.^[7] The NFL fined the Falcons $350,000 and took away a fifth round draft pick in the 2016 draft as punishment.^[8]