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2017 Atlanta Falcons season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from 2017 Atlanta Falcons)

2017 Atlanta Falcons season
OwnerArthur Blank
General managerThomas Dimitroff
Head coachDan Quinn
Offensive coordinatorSteve Sarkisian
Defensive coordinatorMarquand Manuel
Home stadiumMercedes-Benz Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place3rd NFC South
PlayoffsWon Wild Card Playoffs
(at Rams) 26–13
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(at Eagles) 10–15
Pro BowlersWR 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. Atlanta entered the season as the defending NFC champions, following a historic collapse in Super Bowl LI where they surrendered a 28-3 lead and lost to the Patriots.

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 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 2025, this is the most recent winning season and playoff appearance for the Falcons, and the Falcons currently hold the second-longest playoff drought, with only the New York Jets holding a longer drought, having last qualified for the playoffs in 2010.

Offseason

[edit]

Signings

[edit]
Position Player Age 2016 Team Contract
WRReginald Davis III25Atlanta Falcons3 years, $1.66 million
DEJack Crawford28Dallas Cowboys3 years, $8.8 million
DTDontari Poe26Kansas City Chiefs1 year, $8 million
SKemal Ishmael25Atlanta Falcons1 year, $2 million
WRAndre Roberts29Detroit Lions1 year, $1.8 million
LBLaRoy Reynolds26Atlanta Falcons1 year, $1.3 million
CBBlidi Wreh-Wilson27Atlanta Falcons1 year, $775,000
OGHugh Thornton25Indianapolis Colts1 year, $690,000

Draft

[edit]
2017 Atlanta Falcons Draft
RoundSelectionPlayerPositionCollege
126 Takkarist McKinleyDEUCLA
375 Duke RileyLBLSU
4136 Sean HarlowGOregon State
5149 Damontae KazeeSSan Diego State
5156 Brian HillRBWyoming
5174 Eric SaubertTEDrake

Undrafted free agents

[edit]
2017 Atlanta Falcons Undrafted Free Agents
PositionPlayerCollegeNotes
QBAlek TorgersenPennsylvania
FBTyler RenewThe Citadel
WRJosh MageeSouth Alabama
WRDeonte BurtonKansas State
CCam KeizurPortland State
TAndreas KnappeUConn
TRobert LeffAuburn
OLTravis AverillBoise State
OLWill FreemanSouthern Miss
DEJ.T. JonesMiami (OH)
DEChris OdomArkansas State
DEDarius EnglishSouth Carolina
DEGary Thompson Jr.Marshall
LBChristian TagoSan Jose State
LBJermaine GraceMiami
CBMarcelis BranchRobert Morris
SDeron WashingtonPittsburg State
SQuincy MaugerGeorgia
CBTaylor ReynoldsJames Madison

Staff

[edit]
2017 Atlanta Falcons staff

Front office

Head coaches

  • Head coach – Dan Quinn
  • Assistant head coach/passing game coordinator/wide receivers – Raheem Morris
  • Assistant to the head coach – Steve Scarnecchia

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong
  • Assistant special teams – Eric Sutulovich

Strength and conditioning

  • Athletic performance manager – A.J. Neibel
  • Head strength and conditioning – Jesse Ackerman
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Jonas Beauchemin

Final roster

[edit]
2017 Atlanta Falcons roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams (ST)

 Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 7 reserve, 10 practice squad

Preseason

[edit]
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
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

Regular season

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]
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.

Game summaries

[edit]

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

[edit]
Week 1: Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 7 31023
Bears 0 10 0717

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 8:01. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 7:04.

Second quarter

  • CHI – Connor Barth 54-yard field goal, 15:00. Tied 3–3. Drive: 10 plays, 41 yards, 4:24.
  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 5-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:34. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 6:59.
  • CHI – Jordan Howard 4-yard run (Connor Barth kick), 0:20. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:15.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 2:15. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 76 yards, 6:29.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Austin Hooper 88-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:10. Falcons 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 95 yards, 0:59.
  • CHI – Tarik Cohen 19-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Connor Barth kick), 7:33. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:29.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 3:29. Falcons 23–17. Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:02.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 2: vs. Green Bay Packers

[edit]
Week 2: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Packers 7 0 31323
Falcons 7 17 10034

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:14. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:12.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 3:27. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 3:53.
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:24. Falcons 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 0:28.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Desmond Trufant fumble recovery 15-yard run, 14:17. Falcons 31–7.
  • GB – Mason Crosby 28-yard field goal, 9:37. Falcons 31–10. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:31.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 4:25. Falcons 34–10. Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:14.

Fourth quarter

  • GB – Davante Adams 33-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, 12:50. Falcons 34–16. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:37.
  • GB – Ty Montgomery 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 5:54. Falcons 34–23. Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 3:44.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

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.

Week 3: at Detroit Lions

[edit]
Week 3: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 13 3730
Lions 0 13 10326

at Ford Field, Detroit Michigan

Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Mohamed Sanu pass from Matt Ryan for 4 yards. (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:43/

Second quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 36 yard field goal. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 5:36.
  • DET – Matt Prater 55 yard field goal. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 2:24.
  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 1 yard rush. (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:27.
  • DET – Matt Prater 40 yard field goal. Falcons 17–6. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 3:10.
  • DET – Glover Quin 37 yard interception return. (Matt Prater kick). Falcons 17–13. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:09.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 48 yard field goal. Falcons 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 1:10.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 40 yard field goal. Falcons 23–13. Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:55.
  • DET – Golden Tate pass from Matthew Stafford for 11 yards. (Matt Prater kick). Falcons 23–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:46.
  • DET – Matt Prater 35 yard field goal. Tied 23–23. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:20.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Taylor Gabriel pass from Matt Ryan for 40 yards. (Matt Bryant kick). Falcons 30–23. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:34.
  • DET – Matt Prater 57 yard field goal. Falcons 30–26. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:02.

Top passers

  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/35, 294 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
  • DET – Matthew Stafford – 25/45, 264 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 21 rushes, 106 yards, TD
  • DET – Ameer Abdullah – 14 rushes, 47 yards.

Top receivers

  • ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 91 yards
  • DET – T. J. Jones – 3 receptions, 63 yards

Week 4: vs. Buffalo Bills

[edit]
Week 4: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 7 7923
Falcons 0 10 0717

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • Tre'Davious White 52 yard fumble return, 10:55 (Stephen Hauschka kick). Bills 14–10.

Fourth quarter

  • Stephen Hauschka 24–yard field goal, 12:00. Bills 17–10. Drive: 19 plays, 82 yards, 11:20.
  • Justin Hardy 3–yard pass from Matt Ryan, 7:00 (Matt Bryant kick). Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:00.
  • Stephen Hauschka 56–yard field goal, 4:44. Bills 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:16.
  • Stephen Hauschka 55–yard field goal, 3:06. Bills 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 0:21.

Top passers

  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 12/20, 182 yards, TD
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/42, 242 yards, TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • BUF – Charles Clay – 5 receptions, 112 yards
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman – 4 receptions, 65 yards

Week 6: vs. Miami Dolphins

[edit]
Week 6: Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 0 14620
Falcons 10 7 0017

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: October 15
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 70,593
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, and Jamie Erdahl
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 9:41. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:19.
  • ATL – Marvin Hall 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 1:51. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 90 yards, 4:49.

Second quarter

  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 6-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 5:29. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:23

Third quarter

  • MIA – Kenny Stills 11-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 6:17. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:43.
  • MIA – Jarvis Landry 7-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Cody Parkey kick), 1:32. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:30.

Fourth quarter

  • MIA – Cody Parkey 49-yard field goal, 8:43. Tied 17–17. Drive: 8 plays, 21 yards, 3:08.
  • MIA – Cody Parkey 38-yard field goal, 2:30. Dolphins 20–17. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:30.

Top passers

  • MIA – Jay Cutler – 19/33, 151 yards, 2 TD, INT
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/35, 248 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • MIA – Jarvis Landry – 8 receptions, 62 yards, TD
  • ATL – Austin Hooper – 7 receptions, 48 yards

Week 7: at New England Patriots

[edit]
Week 7: Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 0 077
Patriots 0 17 3323

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: October 22
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy, fog started developing in 2nd quarter
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • NE – Brandin Cooks 11-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:26. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:39.
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 29-yard field goal, 4:42. Patriots 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yard, 6:37.
  • NE – James White 2-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:21. Patriots 17–0. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 1:34.

Third quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 4:12. Patriots 20–0. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards,6:23.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 38-yard field goal, 9:15. Patriots 23–0. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 5:17.
  • ATL – Julio Jones 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:09. Patriots 23–7. Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 5:06.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

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. This marked the Falcons's 6th loss to the Patriots since 2001.

Week 8: at New York Jets

[edit]
Week 8: Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 6 3925
Jets 7 10 0320

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 43-yard field goal, 14:03. Jets 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 1:10.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, 8:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:57.
  • NYJ – Robby Anderson 24-yard pass from Josh McCown (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 2:26. Jets 17–10. Drive: 5 plays, 43 yards, 2:37.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Jets 17–13. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 2:26.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 5:12. Jets 17–16. Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:04.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Mohamed Sanu 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (run failed), 12:22. Falcons 22–17. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:55.
  • NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 46-yard field goal, 8:42. Falcons 22–20. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:40.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 5:19. Falcons 25–20. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:23.

Top passers

  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 18/29, 254 yards, 2 TD
  • NYJ – Josh McCown – 26/33, 257 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 74 yards, TD
  • NYJ – Robby Anderson – 6 receptions, 104 yards, TD

Week 9: at Carolina Panthers

[edit]
Week 9: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 10 0 0717
Panthers 0 14 6020

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 12:16. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:44.
  • ATL – Mohamed Sanu 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:30. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 4:38.

Second quarter

  • CAR – Christian McCaffrey 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:55. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:35.
  • CAR – Cam Newton 9-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 0:23. Panthers 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 0:52.

Third quarter

  • CAR – Graham Gano 31-yard field goal, 9:03. Panthers 17–10. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 5:57.
  • CAR – Graham Gano 45-yard field goal, 1:38. Panthers 20–10. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:48.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 19-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:25. Panthers 20–17. Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 2:01.

Top passers

  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/38, 313 yards, 2 TD, INT
  • CAR – Cam Newton – 13/24, 137 yards

Top rushers

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 rushes, 46 yards
  • CAR – Cam Newton – 9 rushes, 86 yards, TD

Top receivers

Week 10: vs. Dallas Cowboys

[edit]
Week 10: Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cowboys 7 0 007
Falcons 3 7 71027

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: November 12
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 73,761
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Mike Pereira
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • DAL – Dak Prescott 11-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 6:19. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 1:30.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 0:00. Cowboys 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 6:19.

Second quarter

  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:31. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:25.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Justin Hardy 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:26. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:34.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Austin Hooper 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 13:48. Falcons 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:41.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 8:28. Falcons 27–7. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 3:55.

Top passers

  • DAL – Dak Prescott – 20/30, 176 yards
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/29, 215 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

  • DAL – Alfred Morris – 11 rushes, 53 yards
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman – 20 rushes, 83 yards, TD

Top receivers

In the Falcons' victory, Adrian Clayborn set a new franchise record of six sacks in one game, breaking the previous record of five sacks.

Week 11: at Seattle Seahawks

[edit]
Week 11: Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 14 10 7334
Seahawks 7 10 6831

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • ATL – Adrian Clayborn 10-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), . Falcons 21–7.
  • SEA – Blair Walsh 30-yard field goal, 8:11. Falcons 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:53.
  • SEA – Russell Wilson 1-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 5:21. Falcons 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 2:50.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 1:06. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:15.

Third quarter

  • SEA – Blair Walsh 37-yard field goal, 11:21. Falcons 24–20. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 3:39.
  • ATL – Levine Toilolo 25-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:24. Falcons 31–20. Drive: 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:57.
  • SEA – Blair Walsh 46-yard field goal, 1:40. Falcons 31–23. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:44.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 19-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 34–23. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 5:08.
  • SEA – Doug Baldwin 29-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Russell Wilson–Jimmy Graham pass), 3:00. Falcons 34–31. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:49.

Top passers

  • ARI – Matt Ryan – 19/27, 195 yards, 2 TD
  • SEA – Russell Wilson – 26/42, 258 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

  • ARI – Tevin Coleman – 20 rushes, 43 yards, TD
  • SEA – Russell Wilson – 7 rushes, 86 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • ARI – Julio Jones – 5 receptions, 71 yards
  • SEA – Jimmy Graham – 7 receptions, 58 yards, TD

Week 12: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[edit]
Week 12: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Buccaneers 3 3 7720
Falcons 3 17 7734

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

First quarter

  • TB – Patrick Murray 36-yard field goal, 9:45. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 5:15.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 49-yard field goal, 3:50. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 43 yards, 5:55.

Second quarter

  • ATL – Julio Jones 51-yard pass from Mohamed Sanu (Matt Bryant kick), 12:36. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 3 plays, 60 yards, 1:23.
  • ATL – Julio Jones 25-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:26. Falcons 17–3. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 3:12.
  • TB – Patrick Murray 27-yard field goal, 1:36. Falcons 17–6. Drive: 14 plays, 74 yards, 5:50.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 20–6. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 1:36.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 10:04. Falcons 27–6. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:56.
  • TB – Peyton Barber 2-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 6:07. Falcons 27–13. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:57.

Fourth quarter

  • TB – Peyton Barber 1-yard run (Patrick Murray kick), 13:47. Falcons 27–20. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:39.
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 14-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:53. Falcons 34–20. Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 5:12.

Top passers

  • TB – Ryan Fitzpatrick – 27/44, 283 yards
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/35, 317 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • TB – Doug Martin – 7 rushes, 33 yards
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman – 19 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

  • TB – DeSean Jackson – 8 receptions, 60 yards
  • ATL – Julio Jones – 12 receptions, 253 yards, 2 TD

Week 13: vs. Minnesota Vikings

[edit]
Week 13: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Vikings 0 7 0714
Falcons 3 3 309

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 38-yard field goal, 5:24. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 58 yards, 7:24.

Second quarter

  • MIN – Jerick McKinnon 2-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kai Forbath kick), 10:01. Vikings 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 5:04.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 36-yard field goal, 5:47. Vikings 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:14.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 47-yard field goal, 11:57. Falcons 9–7. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:03.

Fourth quarter

  • MIN – Kyle Rudolph 6-yard pass from Case Keenum (Kai Forbath kick), 14:56. Vikings 14–9. Drive: 15 plays, 89 yards, 8:15.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Week 14: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Saints 3 7 7017
Falcons 3 7 01020

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

First quarter

  • NO – Wil Lutz 34-yard field goal, 9:50. Saints 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 5:10.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 5:33. Tied 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:17.

Second quarter

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 4:29. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 8:27.
  • NO – Tommylee Lewis 26-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 1:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:36.

Third quarter

  • NO – Michael Thomas 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 13:10. Saints 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:36.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Mohamed Sanu 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:55. Tied 17–17. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 7:06.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 3:57.

Top passers

  • NO – Drew Brees – 26/35, 271 yards, 2 TD, INT
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 15/27, 221 yards, TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

  • NO – Mark Ingram II – 12 rushes, 49 yards
  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 24 rushes, 91 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • NO – Michael Thomas – 10 receptions, 117 yards, TD
  • ATL – Mohamed Sanu – 6 receptions, 83 yards, TD

Week 15: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[edit]
Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 7 10 0724
Buccaneers 7 0 7721

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: December 18
  • Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C), clear
  • Game attendance: 62,382
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, and Lisa Salters
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • ATL – Levine Toilolo fumble recovery in the end zone (Matt Bryant kick), 12:56. Falcons 14–7. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 3:56.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 57-yard field goal, 3:12. Falcons 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:18.

Third quarter

  • TB – Mike Evans 42-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 8:31. Falcons 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:28.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 32-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:58. Falcons 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 5:23.
  • TB – Adam Humphries 16-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 4:07. Falcons 24–21. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:51.

Top passers

  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 17/31, 212 yards, TD
  • TB – Jameis Winston – 27/35, 299 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 22 rushes, 126 yards, TD
  • TB – Peyton Barber – 13 rushes, 53 yards

Top receivers

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 5 receptions, 68 yards
  • TB – Mike Evans – 5 receptions, 79 yards, TD

With the win, the Falcons swept Tampa Bay to improve to 9-5 and 3-1 against the NFC South. Atlanta's win also eliminated Green Bay from postseason contention.

Week 16: at New Orleans Saints

[edit]
Week 16: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 0 31013
Saints 3 10 7323

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,188
  • Referee: Pete Morelli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis, and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • NO – Wil Lutz 40-yard field goal, 7:31. Saints 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:04.

Second quarter

  • NO – Wil Lutz 29-yard field goal, 1:19. Saints 6–0. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 8:21.
  • NO – Ted Ginn Jr. 54-yard pass from Drew Brees (Wil Lutz kick), 0:14. Saints 13–0. Drive: 3 plays, 64 yards, 0:36.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 9:34. Saints 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:23.
  • NO – Mark Ingram II 26-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 2:52. Saints 20–3. Drive: 4 plays, 54 yards, 2:01.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, 10:18. Saints 20–6. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:06.
  • NO – Wil Lutz 45-yard field goal, 3:38. Saints 23–6. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:22.
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:40. Saints 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 0:58.

Top passers

  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/36, 288 yards, TD, INT
  • NO – Drew Brees – 21/28, 239 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 rushes, 36 yards
  • NO – Mark Ingram II – 13 rushes, 44 yards, TD

Top receivers

  • ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 149 yards
  • NO – Ted Ginn Jr. – 4 receptions, 76 yards, TD

With the loss, Atlanta fell to 9-6 and 3-2 against the NFC South. The Falcons would finish 5-3 on the road.

Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers

[edit]
Week 17: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers 0 7 0310
Falcons 7 0 6922

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

  • Date: December 31
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
  • Game attendance: 74,141
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, and Mike Pereira
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 6:35. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 13 plays, 68 yards, 6:55.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 3:49. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:00.

Fourth quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 30-yard field goal, 14:15. Falcons 16–7. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:26.
  • CAR – Graham Gano 42-yard field goal, 10:38. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:37.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 56-yard field goal, 6:43. Falcons 19–10. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:57.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 2:31. Falcons 22–10. Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:41.

Top passers

  • CAR – Cam Newton – 14/34, 180 yards, TD, 3 INT
  • ATL – Matt Ryan – 28/45, 317 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • CAR – Cam Newton – 11 rushes, 59 yards
  • ATL – Tevin Coleman – 11 rushes, 23 yards
  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 11 rushes, 23 yards

Top receivers

  • CAR – Devin Funchess – 2 receptions, 48 yards, TD
  • ATL – Devonta Freeman – 9 receptions, 85 yards, TD

With the win, alongside Arizona's win over Seattle, Atlanta clinched their second straight playoff berth and the #6 in the NFC. As of 2025, this is the latest time the Falcons had a winning record or clinched a playoff berth. The Falcons finished 4-2 against the NFC South and 5-3 at home.

Standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]
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

Conference

[edit]
NFC
# 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]
  1. 1 2 Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington was 5–0, compared to Minnesota's 4–1 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  2. 1 2 LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  3. 1 2 New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep.
  4. 1 2 3 Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
  5. 1 2 Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2–3, compared to Washington's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  6. 1 2 Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory.
  7. ↑ 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.

Postseason

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]
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

Game summaries

[edit]

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Los Angeles Rams

[edit]
NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (3) Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 6 7 6726
Rams 0 10 0313

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 29-yard field goal, 7:13. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:27.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 1:23. Falcons 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:12.

Second quarter

  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:34. Falcons 13–0. Drive: 8 plays, 32 yards, 4:41.
  • LAR – Cooper Kupp 14-yard pass from Jared Goff (Sam Ficken kick), 2:34. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:05.
  • LAR – Sam Ficken 35-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 1:12.

Third quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal, 6:45. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 16 plays, 76 yards, 8:15.
  • ATL – Matt Bryant 54-yard field goal, 0:19. Falcons 19–10. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:52.

Fourth quarter

  • LAR – Sam Ficken 32-yard field goal, 10:49. Falcons 19–13. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:30.
  • ATL – Julio Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:48. Falcons 26–13. Drive: 8 plays, 83 yards, 5:01.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the win, the Falcons advanced to the Divisional Round to play against the Eagles. As of 2025, this marks the Falcons last playoff win.

NFC Divisional Playoffs: at (1) Philadelphia Eagles

[edit]
NFC Divisional Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (1) Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Falcons 3 7 0010
Eagles 0 9 3315

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: January 13, 2018
  • Game time: 4:35 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 69,596
  • Referee: Bill Vinovich
  • TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 9:05. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:32.

Second quarter

  • PHI – LeGarrette Blount 1-yard run (kick failed), 10:28. Eagles 6–3. Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 6:44.
  • ATL – Devonta Freeman 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:41. Falcons 10–6. Drive: 4 plays, 18 yards, 1:50.
  • PHI – Jake Elliott 53-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 10–9. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 0:46.

Third quarter

  • PHI – Jake Elliott 37-yard field goal, 0:11. Eagles 12–10. Drive: 12 plays, 74 yards, 5:42.

Fourth quarter

  • PHI – Jake Elliott 21-yard field goal, 6:02. Eagles 15–10. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:57.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the loss, the Falcons season came to an end. As of 2025, this marks the Falcons last playoff game.

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Tucker, Tim (October 6, 2017). "Plan: Stadium roof will be closed for rest of Falcons season, open for one soccer game". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Tommy Nobis, 'Mr. Falcon,' is dead at 74". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Tucker, Tim. "Falcons plan to open roof for home opener if weather cooperates". AJC. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
[edit]
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