2017 Atlanta Falcons season | |
---|---|
Owner | Arthur Blank |
General manager | Thomas Dimitroff |
Head coach | Dan Quinn |
Home field | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 10–6 |
Division place | 3rd NFC South |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Rams) 26–13 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Eagles) 10–15 |
Pro Bowlers | WR Julio Jones C Alex Mack LB Deion Jones S Keanu Neal |
Uniform | |
The 2017 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their first playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their third under head coach Dan Quinn. They entered the season as the defending NFC champions and tried to defend their NFC title for a second consecutive trip to the Super Bowl after losing the previous year against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI after blowing a 28-3 lead. This was the Falcons' first year in Mercedes-Benz Stadium after spending the previous 25 seasons in the Georgia Dome, which was demolished on November 20, 2017. Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened as scheduled on August 26, 2017; however, its retractable roof system was incomplete. The roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium remained in the closed position for most of the 2017 season, with the roof opened only during the September 17 game against the Green Bay Packers, as contractors continued to fully mechanize the roof. [1]
On December 13, 2017, Tommy Nobis, the first player drafted by the Falcons, died at the age of 74. [2]
Despite the Falcons failing to improve on their 11–5 record from 2016 or defend their NFC South title, the team posted its first consecutive winning seasons, consecutive 10-win seasons, and consecutive playoff berths since the 2012 season. The Falcons were the only NFC team from the 2016 playoffs to qualify for the 2017 playoffs. In the playoffs, the Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round, but lost against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round despite being the first team to be favored over a number one seed in the Divisional Round.
As of 2023, this represents the most recent winning season and playoff appearance for the Falcons.
Position | Player | Age | 2016 Team | Contract |
---|---|---|---|---|
WR | Reginald Davis III | 25 | Atlanta Falcons | 3 years, $1.66 million |
DE | Jack Crawford | 28 | Dallas Cowboys | 3 years, $8.8 million |
DT | Dontari Poe | 26 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1 year, $8 million |
S | Kemal Ishmael | 25 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year, $2 million |
WR | Andre Roberts | 29 | Detroit Lions | 1 year, $1.8 million |
LB | LaRoy Reynolds | 26 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year, $1.3 million |
CB | Blidi Wreh-Wilson | 27 | Atlanta Falcons | 1 year, $775,000 |
OG | Hugh Thornton | 25 | Indianapolis Colts | 1 year, $690,000 |
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 26 | Takkarist McKinley | DE | UCLA |
3 | 75 | Duke Riley | LB | LSU |
4 | 136 | Sean Harlow | G | Oregon State |
5 | 149 | Damontae Kazee | S | San Diego State |
5 | 156 | Brian Hill | RB | Wyoming |
5 | 174 | Eric Saubert | TE | Drake |
Position | Player | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
QB | Alek Torgersen | Pennsylvania | |
FB | Tyler Renew | The Citadel | |
WR | Josh Magee | South Alabama | |
WR | Deonte Burton | Kansas State | |
C | Cam Keizur | Portland State | |
T | Andreas Knappe | UConn | |
T | Robert Leff | Auburn | |
OL | Travis Averill | Boise State | |
OL | Will Freeman | Southern Miss | |
DE | J.T. Jones | Miami (OH) | |
DE | Chris Odom | Arkansas State | |
DE | Darius English | South Carolina | |
DE | Gary Thompson Jr. | Marshall | |
LB | Christian Tago | San Jose State | |
LB | Jermaine Grace | Miami | |
CB | Marcelis Branch | Robert Morris | |
S | Deron Washington | Pittsburg State | |
S | Quincy Mauger | Georgia | |
CB | Taylor Reynolds | James Madison |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
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1 | August 10 | at Miami Dolphins | L 20–23 | 0–1 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 20 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 13–17 | 0–2 | Heinz Field | Recap |
3 | August 26 | Arizona Cardinals | L 14–24 | 0–3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
4 | August 31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 7–13 | 0–4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 10 | at Chicago Bears | W 23–17 | 1–0 | Soldier Field | 61,857 | Recap |
2 | September 17 | Green Bay Packers | W 34–23 | 2–0 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 70,826 | Recap |
3 | September 24 | at Detroit Lions | W 30–26 | 3–0 | Ford Field | 63,240 | Recap |
4 | October 1 | Buffalo Bills | L 17–23 | 3–1 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,273 | Recap |
5 | Bye | ||||||
6 | October 15 | Miami Dolphins | L 17–20 | 3–2 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 70,593 | Recap |
7 | October 22 | at New England Patriots | L 7–23 | 3–3 | Gillette Stadium | 65,878 | Recap |
8 | October 29 | at New York Jets | W 25–20 | 4–3 | MetLife Stadium | 77,562 | Recap |
9 | November 5 | at Carolina Panthers | L 17–20 | 4–4 | Bank of America Stadium | 74,244 | Recap |
10 | November 12 | Dallas Cowboys | W 27–7 | 5–4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 73,761 | Recap |
11 | November 20 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 34–31 | 6–4 | CenturyLink Field | 69,026 | Recap |
12 | November 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 34–20 | 7–4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,036 | Recap |
13 | December 3 | Minnesota Vikings | L 9–14 | 7–5 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,185 | Recap |
14 | December 7 | New Orleans Saints | W 20–17 | 8–5 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 72,866 | Recap |
15 | December 18 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 24–21 | 9–5 | Raymond James Stadium | 62,382 | Recap |
16 | December 24 | at New Orleans Saints | L 13–23 | 9–6 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | 73,188 | Recap |
17 | December 31 | Carolina Panthers | W 22–10 | 10–6 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 74,141 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 23 |
Bears | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packers | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 23 |
Falcons | 7 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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In their home opener, the Falcons hosted the Green Bay Packers in a rematch of the 2016 NFC Championship Game. This was the first regular season game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite prior reports that the roof would be closed for the game, Falcons owner Arthur Blank elected to open the roof if weather permitted, marking the first time since the 1991 season, the team's final season at their original home of Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, that the Falcons played a home game in Atlanta under open air. [3] The Falcons controlled most of the game, went up by as much as 24, and won 34–23. They were led by Devonta Freeman (19 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD) and Julio Jones (108 yards, 5 receptions). The 2017 Falcons became only the fourth team in NFL history to start 2–0 after they lost the Super Bowl the previous year.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 7 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
Lions | 0 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
at Ford Field, Detroit Michigan
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
Falcons | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphins | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 20 |
Falcons | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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|
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Patriots | 0 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Game information | ||
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In a rematch of Super Bowl LI eight months later, the Falcons were trying to avenge their historic defeat, where they blew a 28-3 lead and lost in overtime, however Atlanta lost the rematch 23-7, in a game dominated by fog in the Foxboro area in the second half.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 25 |
Jets | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Panthers | 0 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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In the Falcons' victory, Adrian Clayborn set a new franchise record of six sacks in one game, breaking the previous record of five sacks.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 14 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 34 |
Seahawks | 7 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 31 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
Game information | ||
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|
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
Falcons | 3 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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|
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Falcons | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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|
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Buccaneers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
Game information | ||
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The win eliminated Green Bay from postseason contention.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
Saints | 3 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Game information | ||
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|
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
Falcons | 7 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 22 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
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NFC South | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(4) New Orleans Saints | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 448 | 326 | L1 |
(5) Carolina Panthers | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 363 | 327 | L1 |
(6) Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | 353 | 315 | W1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 335 | 382 | W1 |
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 [a] | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .461 | .433 | L1 |
2 [a] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .492 | .447 | W3 |
3 [b] | Los Angeles Rams | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .504 | .460 | L1 |
4 [b] [c] | New Orleans Saints | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .535 | .483 | L1 |
Wild Cards | |||||||||||
5 [c] | Carolina Panthers | South | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .539 | .500 | L1 |
6 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .543 | .475 | W1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
7 [d] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .496 | .368 | W1 |
8 [d] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .492 | .444 | L1 |
9 [d] | Dallas Cowboys | East | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .496 | .438 | W1 |
10 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .406 | W2 |
11 [e] | Green Bay Packers | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .539 | .357 | L3 |
12 [e] | Washington Redskins | East | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 5–7 | .539 | .429 | L1 |
13 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .512 | .438 | W5 |
14 [f] | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .555 | .375 | W1 |
15 [f] | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .559 | .500 | L1 |
16 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 1–5 | 1–11 | .531 | .458 | W1 |
Tiebreakers [g] | |||||||||||
|
Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wild Card | January 6, 2018 | at Los Angeles Rams (3) | W 26–13 | 1–0 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Recap |
Divisional | January 13, 2018 | at Philadelphia Eagles (1) | L 10–15 | 1–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 26 |
Rams | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
Game information | ||
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Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Eagles | 0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Game information | ||
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The 2011 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fourth under head coach Mike Smith.
The 2014 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 19th in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens improved upon their 8–8 record from 2013, when they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Additionally, the Ravens scored a franchise record 409 points and quarterback Joe Flacco passed for a career-high 27 touchdowns and 3,986 yards.
The 2014 Cincinnati Bengals season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 47th overall and the twelfth under head coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals qualified for the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season, but lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the first round, extending their playoff losing streak to 7 games, the 3rd longest losing streak in NFL history at the time, behind the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs who both had 8.
The 2014 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the seventh and final 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. As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record.
The 2014 season was the New Orleans Saints' 48th in the National Football League (NFL), their 39th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their eighth under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2015 season was the New Orleans Saints' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 40th playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their ninth under head coach Sean Payton. On November 16, 2015, the Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. However, the Saints still missed the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Saints set a new league record for the most passing touchdowns allowed with 45.
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.
The 2016 season was the New Orleans Saints' 50th in the National Football League (NFL), their 41st playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and their 10th under head coach Sean Payton. The Saints matched their 7–9 record from 2014 and 2015, and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. One highlight from the season includes quarterback Drew Brees' first return to San Diego for the first time since the Chargers released him at the end of the 2005 season, also where Brees played his first five seasons in. This came 10 years after the Chargers released Brees after the Saints' previous regular season meetings with the Chargers were home games for the Saints, and including a 2008 meeting at Wembley Stadium in London, a game which New Orleans was designated as the home team.
The 2017 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 98th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th in Arizona and their 12th at University of Phoenix Stadium. It was also the fifth and final season under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals played one road game in London at Twickenham Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams as one of the NFL London Games. They improved on a 7–8–1 season they had in 2016, finishing 8–8 as they spent most of the season alternating between wins and losses. However, they missed the playoffs for the second straight season.
The 2017 season was the Carolina Panthers' 23rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh under head coach Ron Rivera. During the offseason, the team's notable free agent signings included Matt Kalil, Captain Munnerlyn and veteran Julius Peppers. Peppers previously spent his first eight seasons with the Panthers, appearing in Super Bowl XXXVIII with them. On July 17, 2017, the team announced Dave Gettleman had been relieved as general manager. His predecessor, Marty Hurney, was hired as interim general manager a day later. For the first time since 2011, the Panthers did not play the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season. The Panthers rebounded after a disappointing 2016 campaign, where they were the defending NFC champions but finished 6–10 and last in the NFC South. 2017 saw the Panthers qualify for the playoffs with an 11–5 record. However, they lost to the Saints 31–26 in the Wild Card round.
The 2017 season was the New Orleans Saints' 51st in the National Football League (NFL), their 42nd playing home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 11th under head coach Sean Payton. The team improved on their 7–9 output from the previous season, while achieving an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two contests, their longest streak since 2009, when they won Super Bowl XLIV. In Week 13 the Saints clinched their first winning season since 2013 and swept the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2011. In Week 16, the Saints clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 by defeating the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 17, the Saints clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2011 with the Panthers loss to the Falcons. This was the first of four consecutive NFC South titles for the Saints. On January 7, 2018 the Saints played their divisional rival Carolina Panthers in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They beat Carolina 31–26 in the Wild Card, but lost 29–24 to the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round in a shocking ending.
The 2018 season was the Dallas Cowboys' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their 30th under the ownership of Jerry Jones, their 10th playing their home games at AT&T Stadium, and their eighth full season under head coach Jason Garrett. AT&T Stadium also became the first stadium venue to host the annual draft. For the first time since 2009, wide receiver Dez Bryant was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on April 13, 2018 and later signed with the New Orleans Saints on November 7, 2018. For the first time since 2002, tight end Jason Witten was not on the opening day roster, having announced his retirement on May 3, 2018. For the first time since 2010, kicker Dan Bailey was not on the opening day roster, as he was released on September 1, 2018.
The 2018 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their second playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their fourth under head coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons attempted to be the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium as an expected Super Bowl contender. However, the Falcons were riddled with injuries, losing 7 starters to IR with the Falcons stumbling to a 1–4 start.
The 2018 season was the New Orleans Saints' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 43rd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and their 12th under head coach Sean Payton.
The 2019 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 54th in the National Football League (NFL), their third playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their fifth under and final full season under head coach Dan Quinn, as he would be fired during their next season. They tried to improve on their 7–9 season from 2018, and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. However, the Falcons stumbled out of the gate and had their worst start for the first time in 16 years with a 1–7 record to begin the campaign.
The 2020 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 55th season in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and their sixth and final season under head coach Dan Quinn.
The 2021 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 56th season in the National Football League (NFL), their fifth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their first under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith.
The 2022 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), their sixth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their second under head coach Arthur Smith.
The 2023 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 58th in the National Football League (NFL), their seventh playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their third under general manager Terry Fontenot and third and final season under head coach Arthur Smith. The Falcons attempted to improve upon their 7–10 record from the previous two years and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Despite starting 2–0, the first time since 2017 they won a season opener and had a winning record at some point, their struggles caught up to them, as after being 1st place in the NFC South, the team finished 1–4 in their final five games. Atlanta matched their previous two outputs of seven wins with a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention when the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers in Week 18. On January 8, 2024, the Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith, who finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 21–30 (.412) record. The Atlanta Falcons drew an average home attendance of 69,603 in 8 home games in the 2023 NFL season.
The 2024 season is the Atlanta Falcons' 59th in the National Football League (NFL), their eighth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their fourth under the general manager Terry Fontenot and their first under head coach Raheem Morris. They will attempt to improve on their 7–10 record from the previous three years, make the playoffs after a 6-year absence, and end their 7-year NFC South title drought.