2018 Atlanta Falcons season

2018 Atlanta Falcons season
2018 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Arthur Blank
General manager	Thomas Dimitroff
Head coach	Dan Quinn
Home field	Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	2nd NFC South
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	WR Julio Jones ; C Alex Mack ; TE Austin Hooper ; T Jake Matthews
Uniform
	← 2017 ; Falcons seasons ; 2019 →;

Last updated May 23, 2024

The 2018 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 53rd in the National Football League, their second playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (the venue for Super Bowl LIII) 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.

Following a 31–17 loss to the Saints in Week 12, the Falcons fell to 4–7 and failed to match their 10–6 campaign from 2017. With a 34–20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons fell to 4–9 and suffered their first losing season since the 2014 season. Despite beating the Arizona Cardinals 40–14 in Week 15, the Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2015 with a win by the Minnesota Vikings. However, they were able to end their season with a 3 game win streak to finish 7–9.

Roster changes

Free agents

Unrestricted

Position	Player	2018 Team	Date signed	Contract
CB	Blidi Wreh-Wilson	Atlanta Falcons	March 5, 2018	1 year, $880,000
K	Matt Bryant	Atlanta Falcons	March 10, 2018	3 years, $10.1 million
WR	Taylor Gabriel	Chicago Bears	March 13, 2018	4 years, $26 million
DT	Dontari Poe	Carolina Panthers	March 15, 2018	3 years, $28 million

Draft

2018 Atlanta Falcons Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	26	Calvin Ridley	WR	Alabama
2	58	Isaiah Oliver	CB	Colorado
3	90	Deadrin Senat	DT	South Florida
4	126	Ito Smith	RB	Southern Miss
6	194	Russell Gage	WR	LSU	from Los Angeles Rams
6	200	Foyesade Oluokun	LB	Yale

Draft trades

The Falcons traded their fifth-round selection (163rd overall) to Denver in exchange for offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo.^[1]
The Falcons were awarded a seventh-round compensatory pick (256th overall).
The Falcons traded both of their seventh-round selections (244th and 256th overall) to Los Angeles in exchange for the Rams' sixth-round selection (194th overall).^[2]

Staff

**2018 Atlanta Falcons staff**
	Front office Owner/chairman – Arthur Blank President/CEO – Rich McKay General manager – Thomas Dimitroff Assistant general manager – Scott Pioli Director of pro personnel – Joel Collier Director, football operations – Nick Polk Director of college scouting – Steve Sabo National scout – Ruston Webster National scout – Phil Emery Head coaches Head coach – Dan Quinn Assistant head coach/pass game coordinator – Raheem Morris Assistant to the head coach – Steve Scarnecchia Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Steve Sarkisian Quarterbacks – Greg Knapp Running backs – Bernie Parmalee Wide receivers – Dave Brock Tight ends – Wade Harman Run game coordinator/offensive line – Chris Morgan Assistant offensive line – Kyle Flood Offensive assistant – Justin Outten Offensive assistant – Chad Walker			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Marquand Manuel Defensive line – Bryant Young Assistant defensive line – Travis Jones Linebackers – Jeff Ulbrich Defensive passing game coordinator – Jerome Henderson Defensive backs – Doug Mallory Defensive assistant – Charlie Jackson Defensive quality control – Aden Durde Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong Assistant special teams – Mayur Chaudhari Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Jesse Ackerman Assistant strength and conditioning – Jonas Beauchemin Assistant strength – Brandon Ireland

Final roster

**2018 Atlanta Falcons final roster**

	Quarterbacks 2 Matt Ryan 8 Matt Schaub Running backs 26 Tevin Coleman 32 Brian Hill 43 Jeremy Langford 30 Ricky Ortiz FB Wide receivers 83 Russell Gage 17 Marvin Hall 14 Justin Hardy 11 Julio Jones 18 Calvin Ridley 12 Mohamed Sanu Tight ends 81 Austin Hooper 82 Logan Paulsen 85 Eric Saubert		Offensive linemen 69 Zane Beadles G 63 Ben Garland G 77 Matt Gono T 51 Alex Mack C 70 Jake Matthews T 74 Ty Sambrailo T/G 73 Ryan Schraeder T 71 Wes Schweitzer G Defensive linemen 44 Vic Beasley DE 95 Jack Crawford DT 97 Grady Jarrett DT 99 Terrell McClain DT 98 Takkarist McKinley DE 56 Steven Means DE 50 Brooks Reed DE 94 Deadrin Senat DT 92 Justin Zimmer DT		Linebackers 59 De'Vondre Campbell OLB 55 Bruce Carter OLB 52 Bruce Irvin OLB 36 Kemal Ishmael OLB 45 Deion Jones MLB 54 Foyesade Oluokun MLB 42 Duke Riley OLB Defensive backs 23 Robert Alford CB 28 Justin Bethel CB 27 Damontae Kazee SS 40 Ryan Neal FS 41 Sharrod Neasman SS 20 Isaiah Oliver CB/FS 34 Brian Poole CB 29 Jordan Richards FS 21 Desmond Trufant CB 33 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB Special teams 5 Matt Bosher P 3 Matt Bryant K 46 Jon Condo LS 4 Giorgio Tavecchio K		Reserve lists 37 Ricardo Allen FS (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 24 Devonta Freeman RB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 65 Brandon Fusco G (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 47 Josh Harris LS (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 67 Andy Levitre G (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 22 Keanu Neal SS (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 90 Derrick Shelby DE (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) 25 Ito Smith RB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 6 Kurt Benkert QB 16 Christian Blake WR 76 Daniel Brunskill T 38 Taveze Calhoun CB 61 Chris Durant T 53 Jermaine Grace OLB 87 Jaeden Graham TE 89 Alex Gray TE ^Int'l 15 Devin Gray WR 65 Sean Harlow C 79 Jacob Tuioti-Mariner DE Rookies in italics 53 active, 8 inactive, 11 practice squad

Preseason

The Falcons' preseason opponents and schedule was announced on April 11.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 10	at New York Jets	L 0–17	0–1	MetLife Stadium	Recap
2	August 17	Kansas City Chiefs	L 14–28	0–2	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
3	August 25	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 6–17	0–3	EverBank Field	Recap
4	August 30	Miami Dolphins	L 7–34	0–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 6	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 12–18	0–1	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
2	September 16	Carolina Panthers	W 31–24	1–1	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
3	September 23	New Orleans Saints	L 37–43 (OT)	1–2	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
4	September 30	Cincinnati Bengals	L 36–37	1–3	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
5	October 7	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 17–41	1–4	Heinz Field	Recap
6	October 14	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 34–29	2–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
7	October 22	New York Giants	W 23–20	3–4	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
8	Bye
9	November 4	at Washington Redskins	W 38–14	4–4	FedExField	Recap
10	November 11	at Cleveland Browns	L 16–28	4–5	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
11	November 18	Dallas Cowboys	L 19–22	4–6	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
12	November 22	at New Orleans Saints	L 17–31	4–7	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
13	December 2	Baltimore Ravens	L 16–26	4–8	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
14	December 9	at Green Bay Packers	L 20–34	4–9	Lambeau Field	Recap
15	December 16	Arizona Cardinals	W 40–14	5–9	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Recap
16	December 23	at Carolina Panthers	W 24–10	6–9	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
17	December 30	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 34–32	7–9	Raymond James Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Kickoff Game

Week One: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	3	0	6	12
Eagles	0	3	7	8	18

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date: September 6
Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), Cloudy
Game attendance: 69,696
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 5:01. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:07.

Second quarter

PHI – Jake Elliott 26-yard field goal, 6:09. Tied 3–3. Drive: 14 plays, 52 yards, 8:03.
ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 2:08. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 8 plays, 41 yards, 4:01.

Third quarter

PHI – Jay Ajayi 1-yard run (Jake Elliott kick), 4:37. Eagles 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:34.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Tevin Coleman 9-yard run (kick failed), 9:48. Falcons 12–10. Drive: 2 plays, 27 yards, 0:47.
PHI – Jay Ajayi 11-yard run (Jay Ajayi run), 2:19. Eagles 18–12. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 2:32.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 21/43, 251 yards, INT
PHI – Nick Foles – 19/34, 117 yards, INT

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 6 rushes, 36 yards
PHI – Jay Ajayi – 15 rushes, 62 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 10 receptions, 169 yards
PHI – Zach Ertz – 5 receptions, 48 yards

Week 2: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Two: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	3	7	0	14	24
Falcons	3	14	7	7	31

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: September 16
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 72,528
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (Fox): Dan Hellie, Greg Jennings and Karyn Bryant
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Graham Gano 54-yard field goal, 11:36. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 3:24.
ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 5:41. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:55.

Second quarter

CAR – Jarius Wright 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 8:42. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 13 plays, 70 yards, 6:28.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 11-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:03. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:39.
ATL – Austin Hooper 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:22. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards, 1:13.

Third quarter

ATL – Matt Ryan 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 9:23. Falcons 24–10. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:26.

Fourth quarter

CAR – Torrey Smith 3-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 11:23. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:21.
ATL – Matt Ryan 8-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:17. Falcons 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:06.
CAR – D. J. Moore 51-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 2:20. Falcons 31–24. Drive: 5 plays, 96 yards, 1:36.

Top passers

CAR – Cam Newton – 32/45, 335 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 23/28, 272 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

CAR – Cam Newton – 5 carries, 42 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 16 carries, 107 yards

Top receivers

CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 14 receptions, 102 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 5 receptions, 64 yards

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

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

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Saints	7	9	7	14	6	43
Falcons	7	7	7	16	0	37

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: September 23
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 74,457
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Cris Carter and Sara Walsh
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:45. Saints 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:15.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 18-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:45. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 6:06.

Second quarter

NO – Wil Lutz 49-yard field goal, 9:37. Saints 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:21.
NO – Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal, 3:06. Saints 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 4:46.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 75-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:12. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:54.
NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 0:06. Saints 16–14. Drive: 3 plays, 31 yards, 0:34.

Third quarter

ATL – Calvin Ridley 9-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:00. Falcons 21–16. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:00.
NO – Cameron Meredith 11-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 6:07. Saints 23–21. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 2:29.

'Fourth quarter

ATL – Tevin Coleman 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Ryan-Austin Hooper pass), 14:11. Falcons 29–23. Drive: 12 plays, 82 yards, 6:56.
NO – Zach Line 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:59. Saints 30–29. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:12.
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Ryan-Mohamed Sanu pass), 6:56. Falcons 37–30. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:01.
NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 1:15. Tied 37–37. Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:43.

Overtime

NO – Drew Brees 1-yard run, 2:55. Saints 43–37. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 7:05.

Top passers

NO – Drew Brees – 39/49, 396 yards, 3 TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/35, 374 yards, 5 TD

Top rushers

NO – Alvin Kamara – 16 carries, 66 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 15 carries, 33 yards

Top receivers

NO – Alvin Kamara – 15 receptions, 124 yards
ATL – Calvin Ridley – 7 receptions, 146 yards, 3 TD

Week 4: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Four: Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	14	14	0	9	37
Falcons	7	17	3	9	36

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: September 30
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 71,985
Referee: Shawn Smith
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Bruce Arians and Melanie Collins
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Ito Smith 7-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 10:27. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:43.
CIN – Tyler Eifert 15-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Randy Bullock kick), 7:23. Tied 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 3:04.
CIN – Giovani Bernard 10-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 0:12. Bengals 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:29.

Second quarter

ATL – Logan Paulsen 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:03. Tied 14–14. Drive 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:09.
CIN – John Ross 39-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Randy Bullock kick), Bengals 21–14. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:52.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 11-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant), 2:55. Tied 21–21. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:16.
CIN – Giovani Bernard 1-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 0:44. Bengals 28–21. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:11.
ATL – Matt Bryant 55-yard field goal, 0:00. Bengals 28–24. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 0:44.

Third quarter

ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 11:22. Bengals 28–27. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:46.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Calvin Ridley 30-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Two-point conversion failed), 14:25. Falcons 33–28. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 2:13.
CIN – Randy Bullock 36-yard field goal, 8:19. Falcons 33–31. Drive: 11 plays, 34 yards, 6:06.
ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 4:15. Falcons 36–31. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 4:04.
CIN A. J. Green 13-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Two-point conversion failed), 0:07. Bengals 37–36. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 4:08.

Top passers

CIN – Andy Dalton – 29/41, 337 yards, 3 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/39, 419 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

CIN – Giovani Bernard – 15 rushes, 69 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 14 rushes, 51 yards

Top receivers

CIN – Tyler Boyd – 11 receptions, 100 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 173 yards

Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Five: Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	10	0	7	17
Steelers	13	0	14	14	41

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Date: October 7
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 64,781
Referee: John Parry
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

PIT – James Conner 1-yard run (kick failed), 10:44. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 4:16.
PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster 18-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 0:37. Steelers 13–0. Drive: 11 plays, 97 yards, 4:38.

Second quarter

ATL – Mohamed Sanu 43-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:21. Steelers 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:16.
ATL – Matt Bryant 47-yard field goal, 4:23. Steelers 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 50 yards, 5:56.

Third quarter

PIT – Antonio Brown 9-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 3:42. Steelers 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 7:06.
PIT – James Conner 2-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 1:39. Steelers 27–10. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:58.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Ito Smith 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 12:28. Steelers 27–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:11.
PIT – Antonio Brown 47-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 9:41. Steelers 34–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:47.
PIT – L. J. Fort fumble recovery in end zone (Chris Boswell kick), 3:35. Steelers 41–17.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/38, 285 yards, 1 TD
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 19/29, 250 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 8 carries, 32 yards
PIT – James Conner – 21 carries, 110 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ATL – Austin Hooper – 9 receptions, 77 yards
PIT – Antonio Brown – 6 receptions, 101 yards, 2 TD

Week 6: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	6	7	3	13	29
Falcons	7	17	0	10	34

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: October 14
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), clear – retractable roof open
Game attendance: 72,665
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman and Shannon Spake
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

TB – Cameron Brate 15-yard pass from Jameis Winston (kick failed), 11:36. Buccaneers 6–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:24.

Second quarter

ATL – Mohamed Sanu 35-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:22. Falcons 7–6. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:14.
ATL – Ito Smith 14-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 12:19. Falcons 14–6. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 7:23.
ATL – Austin Hooper 9-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:30. Falcons 21–6. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:13.
TB – O. J. Howard 10-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 0:26. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:55.
ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 0:01. Falcons 24–13. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:25.

Third quarter

TB – Chandler Catanzaro 35-yard field goal, 2:39. Falcons 24–16. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 4:08.

Fourth quarter

TB – Chris Godwin 9-yard pass from Jameis Winston (pass failed), 11:34. Falcons 24–22. Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards, 3:45.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:28. Falcons 31–22. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:06.
TB – Peyton Barber 5-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 3:47. Falcons 31–29. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:41.

Top passers

TB – Jameis Winston – 30/41, 395 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/41, 355 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

TB – Peyton Barber – 13 carries, 82 yards
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 10 carries, 35 yards

Top receivers

TB – Chris Godwin – 6 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD
ATL – Julio Jones – 10 receptions, 144 yards

Week 7: vs. New York Giants

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	3	3	14	20
Falcons	0	10	0	13	23

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: October 22
Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), clear – retractable roof open
Game attendance: 72,756
Referee: Tony Corrente
TV announcers (ESPN): Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and Lisa Salters
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays.

Second quarter

ATL – Marvin Hall 47-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 4:51. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 86 yards, 1:01.
NYG – Aldrick Rosas 31-yard field goal, 0:50. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 4:01.
ATL – Giorgio Tavecchio 40-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 0:47.

Third quarter

NYG – Aldrick Rosas 36-yard field goal, 3:51. Falcons 10–6. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 1:48.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Giorgio Tavecchio 50-yard field goal, 14:55. Falcons 13–6. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:56.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 30-yard run (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 7:47. Falcons 20–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 5:14.
NYG – Saquon Barkley 2-yard run (kick failed), 4:47. Falcons 20–12. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:00.
ATL – Giorgio Tavecchio 56-yard field goal, 1:55. Falcons 23–12. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 2:52.
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 1-yard pass from Eli Manning (Saquon Barkley run), 0:05. Falcons 23–20. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 1:50.

Top passers

NYG – Eli Manning – 27/38, 399 yards, 1 TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/39, 379 yards, 1 TD

Top rushers

NYG – Saquon Barkley – 14 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 11 carries, 50 yards, 1 TD

Top receivers

NYG – Saquon Barkley – 9 receptions, 51 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 104 yards

Week 9: at Washington Redskins

Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	14	7	10	38
Redskins	0	7	7	0	14

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

Date: November 4
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 62,386
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Tevin Coleman 39-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 9:46. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:04.

Second quarter

ATL – Ito Smith 12-yard run (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 9:10. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4:19.
WAS – Josh Doctson 2-yard pass from Alex Smith (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:10. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 6:00.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 0:28. Falcons 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:42.

Third quarter

ATL – Tevin Coleman 10-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 9:58. Falcons 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:02.
WAS – Kapri Bibbs 3-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 2:15. Falcons 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 3:42.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Giorgio Tavecchio 27-yard field goal, 7:09. Falcons 31–14. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 6:43.
ATL – Julio Jones 35-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 3:42. Falcons 38–14. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:16.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/38, 250 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
WAS – Alex Smith – 30/46, 306 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Tevin Coleman – 13 carries, 88 yards
WAS – Alex Smith – 1 carries, 22 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 121 yards, 1 TD
WAS – Maurice Harris – 10 receptions, 124 yards

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns

Week Ten: Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	10	0	6	16
Browns	7	7	14	0	28

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: November 11
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 62,144
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Sara Walsh
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CLE – Rashard Higgins 28-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Greg Joseph kick), 4:36. Browns 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 4:55.

Second quarter

ATL – Giorgio Tavecchio 40-yard field goal, 12:18. Browns 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 7:18.
ATL – Julio Jones 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 5:04. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 3:26.
CLE – Nick Chubb 13-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Greg Joseph kick), 0:55. Browns 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:09.

Third quarter

CLE – Duke Johnson 11-yard pass from Baker Mayfield (Greg Joseph kick), 10:27. Browns 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 3:00.
CLE – Nick Chubb 92-yard run (Greg Joseph kick), 8:45. Browns 28–10. Drive: 2 plays, 92 yards, 0:16.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Austin Hooper 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 4:24. Browns 28–16. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 4:03.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 38/52, 330 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Baker Mayfield – 17/20, 216 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

ATL – Tevin Coleman – 11 carries, 44 yards
CLE – Nick Chubb – 20 carries, 176 yards, TD

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 107 yards, TD
CLE – Antonio Callaway – 2 receptions, 39 yards

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Eleven: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	0	3	16	22
Falcons	0	6	3	10	19

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: November 18
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny – retractable roof open
Game attendance: 74,447
Referee: Craig Wrolstad
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

DAL – Brett Maher 21-yard field goal, 3:00. Cowboys 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 7:23.

Second quarter

ATL – Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, 14:56. Tied 3–3. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:04.
ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 0:34. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 4:13.

Third quarter

DAL – Brett Maher 50-yard field goal, 10:20. Tied 6–6. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:45.
ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 7:16. Falcons 9–6. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:03.

Fourth quarter

DAL – Dak Prescott 4-yard run (kick failed), 14:23. Cowboys 12–9. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:53.
DAL – Ezekiel Elliott 23-yard run (Brett Maher kick), 12:33. Cowboys 19–9. Drive: 2 plays, 31 yards, 0:41.
ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 8:28. Cowboys 19–12. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:00.
ATL – Julio Jones 34-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:52. Tied 19–19. Drive: 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:10.
DAL – Brett Maher 42-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 22–19. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 1:52.

Top passers

DAL – Dak Prescott – 22/32, 208 yards
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/34, 291 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 23 rushes, 122 yards, TD
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 8 rushes, 58 yards

Top receivers

DAL – Ezekiel Elliott – 7 receptions, 79 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 118 yards, TD

Week 12: at New Orleans Saints

NFL on Thanksgiving Day

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	0	7	7	17
Saints	7	10	7	7	31

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Date: November 22
Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST/7:20 p.m. CST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 73,017
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison and Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

NO – Tommylee Lewis 28-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 11:11. Saints 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:49.
ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 2:35. Saints 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 25 yards, 3:03.

Second quarter

NO – Wil Lutz 22-yard field goal, 9:09. Saints 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 81 yards, 8:26.
NO – Austin Carr 12-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 3:20. Saints 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 4:10.

Third quarter

NO – Dan Arnold 25-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 5:59. Saints 24–3. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:18.
ATL – Calvin Ridley 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:22. Saints 24–10. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 5:37.

Fourth quarter

NO – Keith Kirkwood 5-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 9:27. Saints 31–10. Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 3:00.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:51. Saints 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 1:48.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 35/47, 377 yards, 2 TD, INT
NO – Drew Brees – 15/22, 171 yards, 4 TD, INT

Top rushers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 2 carries, 16 yards
NO – Alvin Kamara – 14 carries, 89 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 147 yards
NO – Dan Arnold – 4 receptions, 48 yards, TD

Week 13: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week Thirteen: Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	7	3	6	10	26
Falcons	3	7	0	6	16

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: December 2
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), mostly cloudy – retractable roof open
Game attendance: 72,262
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 9:32. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 49 yards, 5:28.
BAL – Lamar Jackson 13-yard rush (Justin Tucker kick), 4:17. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:15.

Second quarter

ATL – Vic Beasley 74-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), 11:33. Falcons 10–7.
BAL – Justin Tucker 41-yard field goal, 0:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 1:40.

Third quarter

BAL – Justin Tucker 21-yard field goal, 9:59. Ravens 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 5:01.
BAL – Justin Tucker 45-yard field goal, 0:31. Ravens 16–10. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 8:08.

Fourth quarter

BAL – Justin Tucker 47-yard field goal, 7:25. Ravens 19–10. Drive: 13 plays, 55 yards, 6:38.
BAL – Tavon Young 12-yard fumble return (Justin Tucker kick), 7:16. Ravens 26–10.
ATL – Austin Hooper 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 4:18. Ravens 26–16. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:58.

Top passers

BAL – Lamar Jackson – 12/21, 125 yards
ATL – Matt Ryan – 16/26, 131 yards, 1 TD

Top rushers

BAL – Gus Edwards – 21 carries, 82 yards
ATL – Ito Smith – 7 carries, 22 yards

Top receivers

BAL – Mark Andrews – 3 receptions, 47 yards
ATL – Austin Hooper – 5 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD

The Falcons were the only NFC South team to lose to all of their AFC North opponents in 2018.

Week 14: at Green Bay Packers

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	0	0	13	20
Packers	7	13	14	0	34

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Date: December 9
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 77,329
Referee: Walt Coleman
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

ATL – Julio Jones 16-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:43. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:24.
GB – Davante Adams 7-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 7:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:25.

Second quarter

GB – Mason Crosby 50-yard field goal, 7:45. Packers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 43 yards, 6:02.
GB – Bashaud Breeland 22-yard interception return (Mason Crosby kick), 6:08. Packers 17–7.
GB – Mason Crosby 48-yard field goal, 0:03. Packers 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 2:45.

Third quarter

GB – Randall Cobb 24-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 12:49. Packers 27–7. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:16.
GB – Aaron Jones 29-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 5:57. Packers 34–7. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:38.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Julio Jones 12-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 13:39. Packers 34–14. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 4:13.
ATL – Justin Hardy 19-yard pass from Matt Ryan, 0:18. Packers 34–20. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 2:23.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 28/42, 262 yards, 3 TD, INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 21/32, 196 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ATL – Ito Smith – 11 carries, 60 yards
GB – Aaron Jones – 17 carries, 78 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 8 receptions, 106 yards, 2 TD
GB – Davante Adams – 7 receptions, 81 yards, TD

Matt Ryan eclipsed 4,000 yards, becoming the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 4,000 in at least eight consecutive seasons, joining Drew Brees (2006-2017) & Peyton Manning (2006-2014).^[3] Julio Jones eclipsed 1,400 yards and became the first player in NFL history to register five consecutive seasons with at least 1,400 yards.^[4]

Week 15: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Fifteen: Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	0	0	7	14
Falcons	10	16	7	7	40

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: December 16
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 72,084
Referee: Shawn Smith
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Sara Walsh
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

ARI – David Johnson 1-yard rush (Zane Gonzalez kick), 8:25. Cardinals 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:22.
ATL – Deion Jones 41-yard interception return (Matt Bryant kick), 6:11. Tied 7–7.
ATL – Matt Bryant 22-yard field goal, 0:37. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 69 yards, 2:15.

Second quarter

ATL – Matt Ryan 1-yard rush (Matt Bryant kick), 12:32. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 1:37.
ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 5:16. Falcons 20–7. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:03.
ATL – Julio Jones 21-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 0:13. Falcons 26–7. Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 0:57.

Third quarter

ATL – Tevin Coleman 43-yard rush (Matt Bryant kick), 5:39. Falcons 33–7. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:53.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Justin Hardy 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:14. Falcons 40–7. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 6:32.
ARI – Trent Sherfield 7-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Zane Gonzalez kick), 3:14. Falcons 40–14. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 3:50.

Top passers

ARI – Josh Rosen – 13/22, 132 yards, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 231 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

ARI – David Johnson – 11 carries, 33 yards, 1 TD
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 11 carries, 145 yards, 1 TD

Top receivers

ARI – Larry Fitzgerald – 7 receptions, 82 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD

Despite this win, Minnesota's win to Miami eliminated the Falcons from post-season contention and once again assures that the Super Bowl host team will not play the championship game on their own field.

Week 16: at Carolina Panthers

Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	3	14	0	24
Panthers	7	3	0	0	10

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: December 23
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 73,722
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Jennifer Hale
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Ian Thomas 1-yard pass from Taylor Heinicke (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 7:05. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 14 plays, 73 yards, 8:03.
ATL – Julio Jones 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:44. Tied 7–7. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 6:19.

Second quarter

CAR – Chandler Catanzaro 50-yard field goal, 7:46. Panthers 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 5:22.
ATL – Matt Bryant 39-yard field goal, 5:35. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:09.

Third quarter

ATL – Calvin Ridley 75-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 14:51. Falcons 17-10. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:09.
ATL – Mohamed Sanu 44-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:45. Falcons 24-10. Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards, 4:06.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 15/26, 239 yards, 3 TD
CAR – Taylor Heinicke – 33/53, 274 yards, TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Brian Hill – 8 rushes, 115 yards
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 21 rushes, 101 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Calvin Ridley – 3 receptions, 90 yards, TD
CAR – Christian McCaffrey – 12 receptions, 77 yards

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	17	10	34
Buccaneers	7	10	3	12	32

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Date: December 30
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 52,884
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth and Jennifer Hale
Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

TB – Mike Evans 19-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cairo Santos kick), 3:48. Buccaneers 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 93 yards, 6:28.

Second quarter

TB – Cairo Santos 36-yard field goal, 8:25. Buccaneers 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 35 yards, 4:16.
TB – Chris Godwin 30-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Cairo Santos kick), 0:46. Buccaneers 17–0. Drive: 4 plays, 70 yards, 0:56.
ATL – Julio Jones 19-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:20. Buccaneers 17–7. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:26.

Third quarter

ATL – Matt Ryan 5-yard pass from Mohamed Sanu (Matt Bryant kick), 8:49. Buccaneers 17–14. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 6:11.
TB – Cairo Santos 45-yard field goal, 6:39. Buccaneers 20–14. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:10.
ATL – Matt Bryant 49-yard field goal, 1:59. Buccaneers 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 42 yards, 4:40.
ATL – Tevin Coleman 23-yard rush (Matt Bryant kick), 0:44. Falcons 24–20. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:35.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Calvin Ridley 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 10:51. Falcons 31–20. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:59.
TB – Mike Evans 10-yard pass from Jameis Winston (pass failed), 8:09. Falcons 31–26. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:42.
TB – Chris Godwin 19-yard pass from Jameis Winston (pass failed), 5:10. Buccaneers 32–31. Drive: 2 plays, 34 yards, 0:44.
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 34–32. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 5:10.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/44, 378 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
TB – Jameis Winston – 22/35, 345 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Tevin Coleman – 8 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD
TB – Peyton Barber – 15 carries, 66 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 138 yards, TD
TB – Chris Godwin – 6 receptions, 114 yards, 2 TD

Standings

Division

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽¹⁾ New Orleans Saints	13	3	0	.813	4–2	9–3	504	353	L1
Atlanta Falcons	7	9	0	.438	4–2	7–5	414	423	W3
Carolina Panthers	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	376	382	W1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	396	464	L4

Conference

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1^{[lower-alpha 1]}	New Orleans Saints	South	13	3	0	.813	4–2	9–3	.482	.488	L1
2^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Los Angeles Rams	West	13	3	0	.813	6–0	9–3	.480	.428	W2
3	Chicago Bears	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	10–2	.430	.419	W4
4	Dallas Cowboys	East	10	6	0	.625	5–1	9–3	.488	.444	W2
Wild Cards
5	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	8–4	.484	.400	W2
6	Philadelphia Eagles	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	6–6	.518	.486	W3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	Minnesota Vikings	North	8	7	1	.531	3–2–1	6–5–1	.504	.355	L1
8^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	9	0	.438	4–2	7–5	.482	.348	W3
9^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Washington Redskins	East	7	9	0	.438	2–4	6–6	.486	.371	L2
10^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Carolina Panthers	South	7	9	0	.438	2–4	5–7	.508	.518	W1
11	Green Bay Packers	North	6	9	1	.406	1–4–1	3–8–1	.488	.417	L1
12	Detroit Lions	North	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.504	.427	W1
13^{[lower-alpha 3]}	New York Giants	East	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.527	.487	L3
14^{[lower-alpha 3]}	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	4–8	.523	.506	L4
15	San Francisco 49ers	West	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	.504	.406	L2
16	Arizona Cardinals	West	3	13	0	.188	2–4	3–9	.527	.302	L4
Tiebreakers ^{[lower-alpha 4]}
1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 3 Atlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 NY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory. ↑ 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.

Related Research Articles

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, 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 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League, the 52nd overall and the second under head coach Adam Gase. The team came off from a 10-6 record and a playoff appearance for the first time since 2008. They were seen as potential playoff contenders and looked to make consecutive playoff seasons for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. However, the team was affected by the loss of starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who tore his ACL during practice and was ruled out for the season. The team turned to former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who came out of retirement to become Tannehill's replacement and team's starter. After Tannehill got injured, coach Adam Gase called former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning about possibly coming out of retirement and taking Tannehill's place. However Manning later declined the idea of coming out of retirement. Gase was the QB coach and offensive coordinator of Peyton's Broncos between the 2012 and 2014 seasons. Additionally, the Dolphins were also one of the teams Peyton considered signing with following his release by the Colts in 2012. Later during the season, the team traded starting running back Jay Ajayi to the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2018 fourth round draft pick on October 31.

The 2017 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL) 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.

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 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 Indianapolis Colts' 71st season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 40th in Indianapolis. It was also their seventh under the leadership of general manager Chris Ballard and the first under new head coach Shane Steichen. Despite low expectations, the Colts improved on their 4–12–1 record from the previous season after a Week 10 victory over the New England Patriots in Frankfurt, and more than doubled their wins from the previous year, and finished with a 9–8 record. Unable to win the AFC South for the 9th consecutive season, they were eliminated from playoff contention in the final week of the season for the second time in three seasons after a loss to the Houston Texans.

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 a 6–6 start and 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.

References

↑ Patra, Kevin (September 1, 2017). "Broncos trade Ty Sambrailo to Falcons for '18 draft pick". NFL. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
↑ "2018 NFL Draft trade tracker: Details of all the moves". NFL. April 24, 2018. Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
↑ "Streaks - Eight Seasons - 4,000 Passing Yards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
↑ D. Orlando Ledbetter (December 10, 2018). "Falcons' Julio Jones sets NFL record with another 1,400-yard season". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 18, 2019.

External links

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[13–3-5] 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of LA Rams based on head-to-head victory.

[7–9-6] 1 2 3 Atlanta finished ahead of Washington based on head-to-head victory. Atlanta finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head sweep. Washington finished ahead of Carolina based on head-to-head victory.

[5–11-7] 1 2 NY Giants finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory.

[8] 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.

[1] Patra, Kevin (September 1, 2017). "Broncos trade Ty Sambrailo to Falcons for '18 draft pick". NFL. Retrieved September 1, 2017.

[2] "2018 NFL Draft trade tracker: Details of all the moves". NFL. April 24, 2018. Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2018.

[3] "Streaks - Eight Seasons - 4,000 Passing Yards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 18, 2019.

[4] D. Orlando Ledbetter (December 10, 2018). "Falcons' Julio Jones sets NFL record with another 1,400-yard season". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved December 18, 2019.

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v t e Atlanta Falcons
Founded in 1966 Based in Atlanta, Georgia Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia
Franchise	Franchise Team history Seasons Players Quarterbacks Head coaches Expansion draft Draft history First-round draft picks
Stadiums	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Georgia Dome Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Culture	Rankin M. Smith Sr. Arthur Blank Freddie Falcon The "Dirty Bird" (dance) "2 Legit 2 Quit" Brian Banks Quarterback
Lore	Grits Blitz Gary Anderson's missed field goal Michael Vick dog fighting investigation Timeline 28–3
Rivalries	Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles
Wild card / First round berths (8)	1978 1982 1991 1995 2002 2008 2011 2017
Division championships (6)	1980 1998 2004 2010 2012 2016
Conference championships (2)	1998 2016
Ring of Honor	10 21 28 31 42 57 58 60 78 84 87
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: South Division
Category

v t e Atlanta Falcons seasons
1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance

2018 Atlanta Falcons season

Contents

Roster changes

Free agents

Unrestricted

Draft

Staff

Final roster

Preseason

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week 2: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week 4: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 6: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 7: vs. New York Giants

Week 9: at Washington Redskins

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns

Week 11: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week 12: at New Orleans Saints

Week 13: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 14: at Green Bay Packers

Week 15: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 16: at Carolina Panthers

Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Standings

Division

Conference

Related Research Articles

References

External links