NFL team season
The 2015 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the first under new head coach Dan Quinn .
The Atlanta Falcons started the season 5–0, their best start since 2012 . However, the Falcons would struggle throughout the rest of the season by losing eight of their remaining eleven games finishing at .500 for the first time in 10 years . After their Week 15 win at EverBank Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars , the Falcons managed to improve their record from last season . The highlight of the season was the team's Week 16 victory over their divisional rival Carolina Panthers who were 14–0 coming into the game. The Falcons thus denied the Panthers a perfect regular season , which would have made them the second team since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule to achieve that feat.[ note 1]
Coaching staff changes [ edit ] Dan Quinn at his introductory press conference On December 29, 2014 head coach Mike Smith was fired after back-to-back losing seasons. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of Dirk Koetter as their new offensive coordinator. On January 15, 2015, the New York Jets announced the hiring of Joe Danna as their new defensive backs coach. On January 16, 2015, the Oakland Raiders announced the hiring of Mike Tice as their new offensive line coach. On January 18, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Kyle Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator. On January 23, 2015, the Chicago Bears announced the hiring of Glenn Pires as their new linebackers coach. On January 24, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Raheem Morris as their defensive backs coach and assistant head coach. On January 26, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Richard Smith as their defensive coordinator. On January 25, 2015, the Falcons promoted Wade Harman Tight Ends Coach, formally the assistant offensive line coach. On January 29, 2015, the San Diego Chargers announced the hiring of Mike Nolan as their linebackers coach. On January 31, 2015, the San Francisco 49ers announced the hiring of Tim Lewis as their defensive backs coach. On February 2, 2015, Dan Quinn was hired as the Falcons' 16th head coach. On February 2, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Chris Morgan as their offensive line coach. On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Bobby Turner as their running backs coach. On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur as their offensive assistant. On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Marquand Manuel as their defensive backs coach and senior defensive consultant. On February 4, 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of Andrew Weidinger as their offensive assistant. On February 4, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Steve Scarnecchia as their assistant to head coach coach. On February 8, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Jeff Ulbrich as their linebackers coach. On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their Quarterback coach. On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Doug Mallory as their defensive Assistant & Linebackers coach. On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Mike McDaniel as their offensive assistant. On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Chad Walker as their defensive assistant & defensive backs coach. On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Keith Carter as their assistant offensive line coach. Date Player Position Contract Source February 24, 2015 Cliff Matthews Defensive end 2 years / $1,505,000 [ 1] February 24, 2015 Patrick DiMarco Fullback 2 years / $1,495,000 [ 1] February 25, 2015 Matt Bryant Kicker 3 years / $8,500,000 [ 2] March 3, 2015 Nate Stupar Linebacker 1 years / $585,000 [ 3] March 5, 2015 Charles Godfrey Safety 1 years / $1,500,000 [ 4] March 6, 2015 Eric Weems Wide receiver 2 years / $3,000,000 [ 5] March 9, 2015 T. J. Yates Quarterback 1 years / $1,500,000 [ 6] March 10, 2015 Antone Smith Running back 1 years / $1,400,000 March 18, 2015 Kroy Biermann Linebacker 1 years / $1,925,000 [ 8]
Date Player Position Previous team Contract Source February 13, 2015 Allen Bradford Linebacker Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $660,000 [ 9] February 24, 2015 Nick Williams Wide receiver Washington Redskins 2-year / $1,100,000 [ 1] March 10, 2015 Brooks Reed Linebacker Houston Texans 5-year / $22,000,000 March 10, 2015 Justin Durant Linebacker Dallas Cowboys 3-year / $10,800,000 March 10, 2015 Mike Person Guard St. Louis Rams 3-year / $3,350,000 March 10, 2015 Leonard Hankerson Wide receiver Washington Redskins 1 year / $1,000,000 [ 10] March 12, 2015 Adrian Clayborn Defensive end Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1 year / $3,000,000 [ 11] March 12, 2015 Phillip Adams Cornerback New York Jets 1 year / $745,000 [ 11] March 12, 2015 O'Brien Schofield Defensive end Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $1,700,000 [ 12] March 18, 2015 Jared Smith Offensive guard Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $440,000 [ 13] March 19, 2015 Jacob Tamme Tight end Denver Broncos 2-year / $4,000,000 [ 14] March 19, 2015 Tony Moeaki Tight end Seattle Seahawks 1 year / $745,000 [ 15] May 4, 2015 Collin Mooney Fullback Tennessee Titans 2-year / $1,100,000 [ 16] May 14, 2015 Tyler Polumbus Offensive tackle Washington Redskins Undisclosed [ 17] May 14, 2015 Chris Chester Offensive guard Washington Redskins 1 year / $2,800,000 [ 18] July 29, 2015 DeMarcus Love Offensive tackle Denver Broncos Unknown [ 19] August 7, 2015 Michael Ford Running back Chicago Bears Unknown [ 20] August 16, 2015 Terrell Manning Linebacker New York Giants Unknown [ 21] August 16, 2015 Evan Royster Running back Washington Redskins Unknown [ 21] August 24, 2015 John Harris Wide receiver Philadelphia Eagles Unknown [ 22] August 26, 2015 Rex Grossman Quarterback Cleveland Browns Unknown [ 23]
Date Player Position Note New Team Source February 26, 2015 Steven Jackson Running back Released New England Patriots [ 24] February 27, 2015 Harry Douglas Wide receiver Released Tennessee Titans [ 25] [ 26] February 27, 2015 Justin Blalock Offensive guard Released Retired [ 27] February 27, 2015 Jonathan Massaquoi Defensive end Waived Tennessee Titans [ 28] [ 29] March 10, 2015 Sean Weatherspoon Linebacker Signed Arizona Cardinals [ 30] March 10, 2015 Corey Peters Defensive end Signed Arizona Cardinals [ 31] March 10, 2015 Drew Davis Wide receiver Declined option [ 32] March 18, 2015 Robert McClain Cornerback Signed New England Patriots [ 33] March 31, 2015 Jacquizz Rodgers Running back Signed Chicago Bears [ 34] April 2, 2015 Zeke Motta Safety Waived [ 35] April 3, 2015 Dwight Lowery Safety Signed Indianapolis Colts [ 36] April 3, 2015 Josh Wilson Cornerback Signed Detroit Lions [ 37] April 23, 2015 Bear Pascoe Tight end Signed Chicago Bears [ 38] May 1, 2015 Brandan Bishop Safety Waived [ 39] May 1, 2015 Reid Fragel Tackle Waived Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ 39] May 1, 2015 Jordan Mabin Cornerback Waived San Diego Chargers [ 39] May 1, 2015 Jacques Smith Linebacker Waived [ 39] May 1, 2015 Ronnie Wingo Running back Waived [ 39] May 3, 2015 Kyle Miller Tight end Waived San Diego Chargers [ 40] May 29, 2015 Prince Shembo Linebacker Waived [ 41] June 15, 2015 Sam Baker Offensive tackle Released [ 42] August 1, 2015 Harland Gunn Offensive guard Released New England Patriots [ 43] August 10, 2015 Freddie Martino Wide receiver Waived Philadelphia Eagles [ 44] August 11, 2015 Javier Arenas Cornerback Signed New York Jets [ 45] August 12, 2015 Ricky Havili-Heimuli Defensive tackle Waived [ 46] August 16, 2015 DeMarcus Love Offensive tackle Released [ 21] August 24, 2015 Marquis Spruill Linebacker Waived [ 22]
Vic Beasley, the Falcons' first round pick Notes
The Falcons acquired an additional seventh-round selection (No. 249 overall) as part of a trade that sent the team's 2013 first-, third- and sixth-round selections to the St. Louis Rams . The Falcons were not rewarded with any compensatory picks this year. The Falcons traded their fifth- (No. 146 overall) and sixth-round (No. 185 overall) picks to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 137 overall). 2015 Atlanta Falcons staff Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
Head strength and conditioning – A.J. Neibel Strength and conditioning assistant – Jonas Beauchemin
Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles [ edit ] Week One: Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 3 14 7 24 Falcons 3 17 0 6 26
at Georgia Dome , Atlanta, Georgia
Game information First quarter
ATL – 10:55 Matt Bryant 41-yard FG. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:04. (ATL 3–0) Second quarter
ATL – 10:44 Julio Jones 4-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 11 plays, 88, yards, 5:39. (ATL 10–0) PHI – 7:18 Cody Parkey 29-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:26. (ATL 10–3) ATL – 10:55 Matt Bryant 39-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:00. (ATL 13–3) ATL – 0:45 Julio Jones 22-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 1 play, 27, yards, 0:14. (ATL 20–3) Third quarter
PHI – 13:13 DeMarco Murray 8-yard TD run, Cody Parkey kick. Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:12. (ATL 20–10) PHI – 3:39 DeMarco Murray 5-yard TD pass from Sam Bradford , Cody Parkey kick. Drive: 13 plays, 95, yards, 6:10. (ATL 20–17) Fourth quarter
ATL – 10:49 Matt Bryant 44-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 7:50. (ATL 23–17) PHI – 8:37 Ryan Matthews 1-yard TD run, Cody Parkey kick. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:12. (PHI 24–23) ATL – 6:27 Matt Bryant 51-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:10. (ATL 26–24) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the win, the Falcons began their season 1–0.
Week 2: at New York Giants [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
NYG – 10:06 Josh Brown 38-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:28. (ATL 7–3) ATL – 4:46 Matt Bryant 42-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:20. (ATL 10–3) NYG – 3:19 Odell Beckham Jr. 67-yard TD pass from Eli Manning , Josh Brown kick. Drive: 4 plays, 80, yards, 1:27. (TIE 10–10) NYG – 0:02 Josh Brown 44-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 0:56. (NYG 13–10) Third quarter
NYG – 10:53 Larry Donnell 10-yard TD pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown kick. Drive: 9 plays, 69, yards, 4:07. (NYG 20–10) Fourth quarter
ATL – 12:39 Leonard Hankerson 10-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 12 plays, 91, yards, 6:36. (NYG 20–17) ATL – 1:14 Devonta Freeman 2-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:58. (ATL 24–20) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Giants would lead 20–17 with below 2 minutes left, but Atlanta was able to pull off the comeback, scoring with 1:14 remaining after Devonta Freeman took it in from a yard out. New York tried to come back, but the Falcons would force a turnover on downs to end the game.
With the win, Atlanta improved to 2–0.
Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys [ edit ] Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 7 10 8 14 39 Cowboys 14 14 0 0 28
at AT&T Stadium , Arlington, Texas
Game information First quarter
DAL – Joseph Randle 37-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:03. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 1:08. DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:12. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:37. ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:05. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:07. Second quarter
DAL – Darren McFadden 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:31. Cowboys 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 5:09. ATL – Devonta Freeman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:23. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:32. DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:38. ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:05. Cowboys 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 0:40. Third quarter
Fourth quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:30. Falcons 32–28. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 6:44. ATL – Julio Jones 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:09. Falcons 39–28. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 6:14. Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons would trail 14–28 at one point, but they would pull off their second comeback in as many weeks, as they scored 25 unanswered points afterwards to ultimately win 39–28.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 3–0 for the first time since 2012 .
Week 4: vs. Houston Texans [ edit ] Week Four: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Texans 0 0 0 21 21 Falcons 7 21 14 6 48
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
ATL – 14:39 Devonta Freeman 23-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:19. (ATL 14–0) ATL – 12:24 Desmond Trufant 24-yard TD fumble recovery, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 2 plays, -7 yards, 0:16. (ATL 21–0) ATL – 3:11 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 6:20. (ATL 28–0) Third quarter
ATL – 10:50 Devonta Freeman 6-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:56. (ATL 35–0) ATL – 2:56 Terron Ward 8-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 6:17. (ATL 42–0) Fourth quarter
HOU – 14:22 C. J. Fiedorowicz 5-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer , Nick Novak kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:34. (ATL 42–7) HOU – 9:09 Chris Polk 1-yard TD run, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:47. (ATL 42–14) HOU – 3:01 Cecil Shorts III 8-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer, Nick Novak kick. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 1:31. (ATL 42–21) ATL – 0:00 Nate Stupar 84-yard TD fumble recovery. Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 1:50. (ATL 48–21) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons routed the Texans 48–21 at home. Atlanta would build a 42–0 lead, but Houston put up a fight, as they would outscore Atlanta 21–6 for the remainder of the game. However, the Falcons still won in a blowout.
With the win, the Falcons improved to 4–0.
Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins [ edit ] Week Five: Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 OT Total Redskins 0 7 0 12 0 19 Falcons 0 3 3 13 6 25
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information First quarter No Scoring Second quarter
Third quarter
ATL – 1:54 Matt Bryant 28-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:47. (WAS 7–6) Fourth quarter
ATL – 9:14 Julio Jones 0-yard TD fumble recovery. Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 6:32. (ATL 12–7) WAS – 7:59 Matt Jones 2-yard TD run. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:15. (WAS 13–12) WAS – 2:38 Dustin Hopkins 28-yard FG. Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 3:06. (WAS 16–12) ATL – 0:24 Devonta Freeman 6-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:14. (ATL 19–16) WAS – 0:00 Dustin Hopkins 52-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:24. (TIE 19–19) Overtime
ATL – 12:15 Robert Alford 59-yard TD interception. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:45. (ATL 25–16) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
the Falcons would win this game in overtime against the Redskins. In overtime, the game was sealed away after Robert Alford returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown to end the game.
With the win, Atlanta started 5–0 for the first time since 2012 .
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Game information First quarter
NO – 9:44 Mark Ingram II 2-yard TD run, Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:16. (NO 7–0) NO – 2:06 Michael Mauti blocked punt returned 4-yards for TD, Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 3 plays, -4 yards, 2:15. (NO 14–0) Second quarter
Third quarter
NO – 7:19 Zach Hocker 31-yard FG. Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:55. (NO 17–7) NO – 2:23 Benjamin Watson 2-yard TD pass from Drew Brees , Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:19. (NO 24–7) Fourth quarter
ATL – 13:07 Devonta Freeman 25-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:16. (NO 24–14) NO – 8:02 Mark Ingram II 1-yard TD run, Zach Hocker kick. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:05. (NO 31–14) ATL – 1:29 Devonta Freeman 13-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:05. (NO 31–21) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
The Falcons suffered their first loss of the season in New Orleans on Thursday Night Football . The Saints would lead the entire game. The Falcons would tie it, but that was the closest they would come to striking distance, as the Saints won 31–21.
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 5–1.
Week 7: at Tennessee Titans [ edit ] Game information First quarter No Scoring Second quarter
Third quarter
ATL – 5:56 Julio Jones 8-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:30. (ATL 10–7) Fourth quarter No Scoring
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–1.
Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Week Eight: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 OT Total Buccaneers 3 10 7 0 3 23 Falcons 3 0 7 10 0 20
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 1Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,524Referee : Ron Torbert TV announcers (Fox) : Justin Kutcher , Charles Davis and Tony SiragusaRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
ATL – 7:54 Matt Bryant 21-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:06. (ATL 3–0) TB – 2:03 Connor Barth 38-yard FG. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:58. (TIE 3–3) Second quarter
TB – 3:32 Connor Barth 23-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:32. (TB 6–3) TB – 0:30 Cameron Brate 20-yard TD pass from Jameis Winston , Connor Barth kick. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:53. (TB 13–3) Third quarter
TB – 6:06 Jameis Winston 4-yard TD run, Connor Barth kick. Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:56. (TB 20–3) ATL – 0:15 Jacob Tamme 7-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:35. (TB 20–10) Fourth quarter
ATL – 4:56 Matt Bryant 24-yard FG. Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:11. (TB 20–13) ATL – 0:17 Julio Jones 8-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:35. (TIE 20–20) Overtime
TB – 7:52 Connor Barth 31-yard FG. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 7:08. (TB 23–20) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–2.
Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers [ edit ] Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 3 10 0 3 16 49ers 0 17 0 0 17
at Levi's Stadium , Santa Clara, California
Date : November 8Game time : 4:05 pm. EST/1:05 p.m. PST Game weather : 58 °F (14 °C), cloudyGame attendance : 70,799Referee : Tony Corrente TV announcers (Fox) : Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer HaleRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
ATL – 9:24 Matt Bryant 44-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 3:38. (ATL 3–0) Second quarter
SF – 13:41 Garrett Celek 1-yard TD pass from Blaine Gabbert , Phil Dawson kick. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:26. (SF 7–3) ATL – 6:05 Matt Bryant 36-yard FG. Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:28. (SF 7–6) SF – 3:20 Phil Dawson 44-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 2:45. (SF 10–6) SF – 1:16 Garrett Celek 11-yard TD pass from Blaine Gabbert, Phil Dawson kick. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:09. (SF 17–6) ATL – 0:13 Devonta Freeman 17-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan , Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:03. (SF 17–13) Third quarter No Scoring Fourth quarter
ATL – 2:56 Matt Bryant 19-yard FG. Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:18. (SF 17–16) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the bitter loss, the Falcons fell to 6–3.
Week 11: vs. Indianapolis Colts [ edit ] Week Eleven: Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Colts 0 7 7 10 24 Falcons 7 7 7 0 21
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
ATL – 8:54 Patrick DiMarco 15-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:18. (ATL 14–0) IND – 1:55 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck , Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:59. (ATL 14–7) Third quarter
ATL – 9:38 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:22. (ATL 21–7) IND – 0:10 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 4:58. (ATL 21–14) Fourth quarter
IND – 10:07 D'Qwell Jackson 6-yard TD interception, Adam Vinatieri kick. Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, 0:07. (TIE 21–21) IND – 0:52 Adam Vinatieri 43-yard FG. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:02. (IND 24–21) Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
IND – Frank Gore - 5 REC, 46 YDS ATL – Julio Jones - 9 REC, 160 YDS Top tacklers
The Falcons would lead 21–7 at one point, but Indianapolis would rally to erase it after D'Qwell Jackson returned an interception 6 yards to tie it at 21. The Colts would eventually go down the field to win it with an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 43 yards with 52 seconds left.
With the loss, Atlanta fell to 6–4.
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings [ edit ] Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Vikings 7 0 3 10 20 Falcons 0 3 0 7 10
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : November 29Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,610Referee : Clete Blakeman TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–5.
Week 13: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers [ edit ] Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–6.
Week 14: at Carolina Panthers [ edit ] Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 0 0 0 0 0 Panthers 21 7 10 0 38
at Bank of America Stadium , Charlotte, North Carolina
Date : December 13Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : 63 °F (17 °C), sunnyGame attendance : 74,420Referee : Tony CorrenteTV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:28. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:32. CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 74-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:48. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 93 yards, 1:18. CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 46-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:12. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:23. Second quarter
CAR – Ed Dickson 4-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:17. Panthers 28–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:27. Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 5:46. Panthers 31–0. Drive: 9 plays, 23 yards, 4:45. CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 16-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:18. Panthers 38–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:57. Fourth quarter
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/34, 224 yards, INT CAR – Cam Newton – 15/21, 265 yards, 3 TD Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 40 yards CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 10 rushes, 75 yards, TD Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 88 yards CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. – 2 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
The Falcons would suffer a blowout and shutout loss to undefeated Carolina. The Falcons would struggle all day, as the Panthers romped them 38–0, their worst shutout loss since 2004 .
With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–7. This is the first and only time they had been under .500 all season.
Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars [ edit ] Week Fifteen: Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Falcons 7 10 0 6 23 Jaguars 0 3 14 0 17
at EverBank Field , Jacksonville, Florida
Date : December 20Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : 65 °F (18 °C), clearGame attendance : 64,016Referee : Bill VinovichTV announcers (Fox) : Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina PinkRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–7. They finished 3-1 vs AFC South.
Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers [ edit ] Week Sixteen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Panthers 7 0 3 3 13 Falcons 0 7 7 6 20
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Date : December 27Game time : 1:00 pm. ESTGame weather : Played indoors (dome stadium)Game attendance : 70,981Referee : John Parry TV announcers (Fox) : Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam OliverRecap , Gamebook
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
In a major upset win, the Atlanta Falcons defeated Carolina 20–13, spoiling the Panthers' run at a perfect season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were eliminated from playoff contention due to the Minnesota Vikings' 49–17 win against the New York Giants later in the day.
Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints [ edit ] Week Seventeen: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total Saints 7 7 3 3 20 Falcons 3 14 0 0 17
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Top tacklers
With the loss, the Falcons ended their season 8–8, and finished 1–5 against their division. For the first time since the 2013 season, they were swept by the New Orleans Saints who also finished their season with a 7-9 Record.
Stats as of week 16.[ 47]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK Division Leaders 1 Carolina Panthers South 15 1 0 .938 5–1 11–1 .441 .438 W1 2 Arizona Cardinals West 13 3 0 .813 4–2 10–2 .477 .457 L1 3 Minnesota Vikings North 11 5 0 .688 5–1 8–4 .504 .449 W3 4 Washington Redskins East 9 7 0 .563 4–2 8–4 .465 .403 W4 Wild Cards 5[ a] Green Bay Packers North 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .531 .450 L2 6[ a] Seattle Seahawks West 10 6 0 .625 3–3 7–5 .520 .431 W1 Did not qualify for the postseason 7 Atlanta Falcons South 8 8 0 .500 1–5 5–7 .480 .453 L1 8[ b] St. Louis Rams West 7 9 0 .438 4–2 6–6 .527 .482 L1 9[ b] Detroit Lions North 7 9 0 .438 3–3 6–6 .535 .429 W3 10[ b] Philadelphia Eagles East 7 9 0 .438 3–3 4–8 .508 .473 W1 11[ b] New Orleans Saints South 7 9 0 .438 3–3 5–7 .504 .402 W2 12[ c] New York Giants East 6 10 0 .375 2–4 4–8 .500 .396 L3 13[ c] Chicago Bears North 6 10 0 .375 1–5 3–9 .547 .469 L1 14[ c] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 .484 .406 L4 15 San Francisco 49ers West 5 11 0 .313 1–5 4–8 .539 .463 W1 16 Dallas Cowboys East 4 12 0 .250 3–3 3–9 .531 .438 L4 Tiebreakers [ d] ^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b c d St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b c The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago 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.
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