The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons were founded on June 30, 1965, and joined the NFL in 1966 as an expansion team, after the NFL offered then-owner Rankin Smith a franchise to keep him from joining the rival American Football League (AFL).
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league composed of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and the highest professional level of American football in the world. Each NFL season begins annually with a three-week preseason in August, followed by the 18-week regular season, which runs from early September to early January, with each team playing 17 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, seven teams from each conference, including four division winners and three wild card teams, advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament, which culminates in the Super Bowl, played in early February between the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games.
Matthew Stephen Leinart is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, where he won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to an undefeated season as a junior. Selected tenth overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL draft, Leinart primarily served as Kurt Warner's backup for four seasons. He spent his final three seasons in a backup role for the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders. Leinart was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is an American former professional football quarterback who played for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, and was selected by the Falcons in the third round with the 90th pick of the 2004 NFL draft.
Matthew Brennan Cassel is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. Cassel was a member of seven NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. Since retiring, Cassel has served as a television football analyst on NBC Sports Boston, as well as Big Ten and Notre Dame college football games on NBC and Peacock.
Thursday Night Football is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time.
Matthew Thomas Ryan is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Falcons. Nicknamed "Matty Ice", Ryan holds the Falcons franchise records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts, completions, passer rating, and wins. He played college football for the Boston College Eagles, winning the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards as a senior, and was selected by the Falcons third overall in the 2008 NFL draft.
Matthew Phillip Prater is an American professional football placekicker for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). Regarded as one of the best long distance kickers in NFL history, he held the NFL record for longest field goal from 2013 until 2021 and holds the NFL record for most 50+ yard field goals in a career, 81 as of 2024.
Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed "Flash", is an American professional football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). A versatile utility player, he plays running back, wide receiver, kickoff returner, and occasionally on defense. Patterson played college football for the Hutchinson Blue Dragons before transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and the Atlanta Falcons.
Matt Paradis is a former American football center. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at Boise State.
Matthew Judon is an American professional football linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Grand Valley State, where he set the Division II record for sacks, and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He also played for the New England Patriots.
Matthew J. Ioannidis is an American former professional football defensive lineman who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Temple and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. Ioannidis played six seasons with Washington before spending the seventh and final season of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers.
Casey Kreiter is an American professional football long snapper for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Matthew John Breida is an American professional football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Georgia Southern and signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Breida has also played for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Giants.
Roquan Daevon Smith is an American professional football linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Smith became the first Georgia Bulldog to win the Butkus Award.
Matthew Anthony Corral is an American professional football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Del'Shawn Phillips is an American professional football linebacker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Illinois.
The 2021 NFL season was the 102nd season of the National Football League (NFL). The season was the first to feature a 17-game regular season schedule as the league expanded the season from 16 games. The regular season started on September 9, 2021, with defending Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay defeating Dallas in the NFL Kickoff Game. The regular season ended on January 9, 2022. The playoffs started on January 15 and concluded with Super Bowl LVI, the league's championship game, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on February 13, with the Los Angeles Rams defeating Cincinnati.
Matthew Leo is an Australian former American football defensive end and coach who is a player development assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa State and spent three seasons with the Eagles as a player, joining them through the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).
Caleb Sequan Williams is an American professional football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Following one season of college football with the Oklahoma Sooners, he played for the USC Trojans and won the Heisman Trophy in 2022 after setting single-season school records in passing yards and touchdowns. Williams was selected first overall by the Bears in the 2024 NFL draft.
