2015_Atlanta_Falcons_season

2015 Atlanta Falcons season

NFL team season

The 2015 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League and the first under new head coach Dan Quinn.

Quick Facts Atlanta Falcons season, Owner ...

2015 Atlanta Falcons season
Owner	Arthur Blank
General manager	Thomas Dimitroff
Head coach	Dan Quinn
Home field	Georgia Dome
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	2nd NFC South
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	RB Devonta Freeman WR Julio Jones CB Desmond Trufant FB Patrick DiMarco
← 2014 Falcons seasons 2016 →

The Atlanta Falcons started the season 5–0, their best start since 2012. However, the Falcons would struggle throughout the rest of the season by losing eight of their remaining eleven games finishing at .500 for the first time in 10 years. After their Week 15 win at EverBank Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Falcons managed to improve their record from last season. The highlight of the season was the team's Week 16 victory over their divisional rival Carolina Panthers who were 14–0 coming into the game. The Falcons thus denied the Panthers a perfect regular season, which would have made them the second team since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule to achieve that feat.^{[note 1]}

Offseason

Coaching staff changes

On December 29, 2014 head coach Mike Smith was fired after back-to-back losing seasons.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of Dirk Koetter as their new offensive coordinator.
On January 15, 2015, the New York Jets announced the hiring of Joe Danna as their new defensive backs coach.
On January 16, 2015, the Oakland Raiders announced the hiring of Mike Tice as their new offensive line coach.
On January 18, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Kyle Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator.
On January 23, 2015, the Chicago Bears announced the hiring of Glenn Pires as their new linebackers coach.
On January 24, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Raheem Morris as their defensive backs coach and assistant head coach.
On January 26, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Richard Smith as their defensive coordinator.
On January 25, 2015, the Falcons promoted Wade Harman Tight Ends Coach, formally the assistant offensive line coach.
On January 29, 2015, the San Diego Chargers announced the hiring of Mike Nolan as their linebackers coach.
On January 31, 2015, the San Francisco 49ers announced the hiring of Tim Lewis as their defensive backs coach.
On February 2, 2015, Dan Quinn was hired as the Falcons' 16th head coach.
On February 2, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Chris Morgan as their offensive line coach.
On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Bobby Turner as their running backs coach.
On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Mike LaFleur as their offensive assistant.
On February 3, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Marquand Manuel as their defensive backs coach and senior defensive consultant.
On February 4, 2015, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the hiring of Andrew Weidinger as their offensive assistant.
On February 4, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Steve Scarnecchia as their assistant to head coach coach.
On February 8, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Jeff Ulbrich as their linebackers coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Matt LaFleur as their Quarterback coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Doug Mallory as their defensive Assistant & Linebackers coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Mike McDaniel as their offensive assistant.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Chad Walker as their defensive assistant & defensive backs coach.
On February 10, 2015, the Falcons announced the hiring of Keith Carter as their assistant offensive line coach.

Free Agents

More information Number, Player ...


Number	Player	Position
28	Javier Arenas	Cornerback
71	Kroy Biermann	Defensive end
3	Matt Bryant	Kicker
68	Gabe Carimi	Offensive tackle
19	Drew Davis	Wide receiver
42	Patrick DiMarco	Fullback
30	Charles Godfrey	Free safety
79	Mike Johnson	Offensive guard
20	Dwight Lowery	Free safety
98	Cliff Matthews	Defensive end
27	Robert McClain	Cornerback
86	Bear Pascoe	Tight end
91	Corey Peters	Defensive tackle
32	Jacquizz Rodgers	Running back
64	Jonathan Scott	Offensive tackle
35	Antone Smith	Running back
52	Nate Stupar	Linebacker
50	Osi Umenyiora	Defensive end
56	Sean Weatherspoon	Linebacker
14	Eric Weems	Wide receiver
26	Josh Wilson	Cornerback
13	T. J. Yates	Quarterback

Re-signings

More information Date, Player ...


Date	Player	Position	Contract	Source
February 24, 2015	Cliff Matthews	Defensive end	2 years / $1,505,000	^[1]
February 24, 2015	Patrick DiMarco	Fullback	2 years / $1,495,000	^[1]
February 25, 2015	Matt Bryant	Kicker	3 years / $8,500,000	^[2]
March 3, 2015	Nate Stupar	Linebacker	1 years / $585,000	^[3]
March 5, 2015	Charles Godfrey	Safety	1 years / $1,500,000	^[4]
March 6, 2015	Eric Weems	Wide receiver	2 years / $3,000,000	^[5]
March 9, 2015	T. J. Yates	Quarterback	1 years / $1,500,000	^[6]
March 10, 2015	Antone Smith	Running back	1 years / $1,400,000	^[7]
March 18, 2015	Kroy Biermann	Linebacker	1 years / $1,925,000	^[8]

Team additions

More information Date, Player ...


Date	Player	Position	Previous team	Contract	Source
February 13, 2015	Allen Bradford	Linebacker	Seattle Seahawks	1 year / $660,000	^[9]
February 24, 2015	Nick Williams	Wide receiver	Washington Redskins	2-year / $1,100,000	^[1]
March 10, 2015	Brooks Reed	Linebacker	Houston Texans	5-year / $22,000,000	^[7]
March 10, 2015	Justin Durant	Linebacker	Dallas Cowboys	3-year / $10,800,000	^[7]
March 10, 2015	Mike Person	Guard	St. Louis Rams	3-year / $3,350,000	^[7]
March 10, 2015	Leonard Hankerson	Wide receiver	Washington Redskins	1 year / $1,000,000	^[10]
March 12, 2015	Adrian Clayborn	Defensive end	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1 year / $3,000,000	^[11]
March 12, 2015	Phillip Adams	Cornerback	New York Jets	1 year / $745,000	^[11]
March 12, 2015	O'Brien Schofield	Defensive end	Seattle Seahawks	1 year / $1,700,000	^[12]
March 18, 2015	Jared Smith	Offensive guard	Seattle Seahawks	1 year / $440,000	^[13]
March 19, 2015	Jacob Tamme	Tight end	Denver Broncos	2-year / $4,000,000	^[14]
March 19, 2015	Tony Moeaki	Tight end	Seattle Seahawks	1 year / $745,000	^[15]
May 4, 2015	Collin Mooney	Fullback	Tennessee Titans	2-year / $1,100,000	^[16]
May 14, 2015	Tyler Polumbus	Offensive tackle	Washington Redskins	Undisclosed	^[17]
May 14, 2015	Chris Chester	Offensive guard	Washington Redskins	1 year / $2,800,000	^[18]
July 29, 2015	DeMarcus Love	Offensive tackle	Denver Broncos	Unknown	^[19]
August 7, 2015	Michael Ford	Running back	Chicago Bears	Unknown	^[20]
August 16, 2015	Terrell Manning	Linebacker	New York Giants	Unknown	^[21]
August 16, 2015	Evan Royster	Running back	Washington Redskins	Unknown	^[21]
August 24, 2015	John Harris	Wide receiver	Philadelphia Eagles	Unknown	^[22]
August 26, 2015	Rex Grossman	Quarterback	Cleveland Browns	Unknown	^[23]

Departures

More information Date, Player ...


Date	Player	Position	Note	New Team	Source
February 26, 2015	Steven Jackson	Running back	Released	New England Patriots	^[24]
February 27, 2015	Harry Douglas	Wide receiver	Released	Tennessee Titans	^[25]^[26]
February 27, 2015	Justin Blalock	Offensive guard	Released	Retired	^[27]
February 27, 2015	Jonathan Massaquoi	Defensive end	Waived	Tennessee Titans	^[28]^[29]
March 10, 2015	Sean Weatherspoon	Linebacker	Signed	Arizona Cardinals	^[30]
March 10, 2015	Corey Peters	Defensive end	Signed	Arizona Cardinals	^[31]
March 10, 2015	Drew Davis	Wide receiver	Declined option		^[32]
March 18, 2015	Robert McClain	Cornerback	Signed	New England Patriots	^[33]
March 31, 2015	Jacquizz Rodgers	Running back	Signed	Chicago Bears	^[34]
April 2, 2015	Zeke Motta	Safety	Waived		^[35]
April 3, 2015	Dwight Lowery	Safety	Signed	Indianapolis Colts	^[36]
April 3, 2015	Josh Wilson	Cornerback	Signed	Detroit Lions	^[37]
April 23, 2015	Bear Pascoe	Tight end	Signed	Chicago Bears	^[38]
May 1, 2015	Brandan Bishop	Safety	Waived		^[39]
May 1, 2015	Reid Fragel	Tackle	Waived	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	^[39]
May 1, 2015	Jordan Mabin	Cornerback	Waived	San Diego Chargers	^[39]
May 1, 2015	Jacques Smith	Linebacker	Waived		^[39]
May 1, 2015	Ronnie Wingo	Running back	Waived		^[39]
May 3, 2015	Kyle Miller	Tight end	Waived	San Diego Chargers	^[40]
May 29, 2015	Prince Shembo	Linebacker	Waived		^[41]
June 15, 2015	Sam Baker	Offensive tackle	Released		^[42]
August 1, 2015	Harland Gunn	Offensive guard	Released	New England Patriots	^[43]
August 10, 2015	Freddie Martino	Wide receiver	Waived	Philadelphia Eagles	^[44]
August 11, 2015	Javier Arenas	Cornerback	Signed	New York Jets	^[45]
August 12, 2015	Ricky Havili-Heimuli	Defensive tackle	Waived		^[46]
August 16, 2015	DeMarcus Love	Offensive tackle	Released		^[21]
August 24, 2015	Marquis Spruill	Linebacker	Waived		^[22]

2015 draft class

Vic Beasley, the Falcons' first round pick

Main article: 2015 NFL draft

More information Round, Selection ...

2015 Atlanta Falcons Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	8	Vic Beasley	Linebacker	Clemson
2	42	Jalen Collins	Cornerback	LSU
3	73	Tevin Coleman	Running back	Indiana
4	107	Justin Hardy	Wide receiver	East Carolina
5	137	Grady Jarrett	Defensive tackle	Clemson
6	185	None – see below
7	225	Jake Rodgers	Offensive tackle	Eastern Washington
7	249	Akeem King	Safety	San Jose State

Notes

The Falcons acquired an additional seventh-round selection (No. 249 overall) as part of a trade that sent the team's 2013 first-, third- and sixth-round selections to the St. Louis Rams.
The Falcons were not rewarded with any compensatory picks this year.
The Falcons traded their fifth- (No. 146 overall) and sixth-round (No. 185 overall) picks to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 137 overall).

Staff

**2015 Atlanta Falcons staff**
	Front office Owner/chairman – Arthur Blank President/CEO – Rich McKay general manager – Thomas Dimitroff Assistant general manager – Scott Pioli Director of player personnel – Lionel Vital Director of football administration – Nick Polk Director of pro scouting – DeJuan Polk Director of college scouting – Steve Sabo Consultant – Joe Banner 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 – Kyle Shanahan Quarterbacks – Matt LaFleur Running backs – Bobby Turner Wide receivers – Terry Robiskie Tight ends – Wade Harman Offensive line – Chris Morgan Assistant offensive line – Keith Carter Offensive assistant – Mike LaFleur Offensive assistant – Mike McDaniel Offensive quality control – Rich Scangarello			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Richard Smith Defensive line – Bryan Cox Linebackers – Jeff Ulbrich Senior defensive assistant/secondary – Marquand Manuel Defensive assistant/linebackers – Doug Mallory Defensive assistant/defensive backs – Chad Walker Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong Assistant special teams – Eric Sutulovich Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – A.J. Neibel Strength and conditioning assistant – Jonas Beauchemin

Final roster

**2015 Atlanta Falcons final roster**

	Quarterbacks 12 Sean Renfree 2 Matt Ryan Running backs 26 Tevin Coleman 42 Patrick DiMarco FB 24 Devonta Freeman 33 Terron Ward Wide receivers 16 Justin Hardy 17 Devin Hester 11 Julio Jones 14 Eric Weems 84 Roddy White 15 Nick Williams Tight ends 81 Tony Moeaki 86 D. J. Tialavea 83 Jacob Tamme 80 Levine Toilolo		Offensive linemen 65 Chris Chester G 63 Ben Garland G 66 Gino Gradkowski C 72 Bryce Harris T 67 Andy Levitre G 75 Jake Long T 70 Jake Matthews T 68 Mike Person C 73 Ryan Schraeder T Defensive linemen 44 Vic Beasley DE 95 Jonathan Babineaux DT 71 Kroy Biermann DE 99 Adrian Clayborn DE 93 Malliciah Goodman DE 77 Ra'Shede Hageman DT 94 Tyson Jackson DE 97 Grady Jarrett DT 74 Joey Mbu DT		Linebackers 52 Justin Durant OLB 56 Brooks Reed OLB 50 O'Brien Schofield OLB 41 Tyler Starr OLB 54 Nate Stupar MLB/OLB 55 Paul Worrilow MLB 51 Philip Wheeler OLB Defensive backs 20 Phillip Adams CB 23 Robert Alford CB 37 Ricardo Allen FS 32 Jalen Collins CB 30 Charles Godfrey SS 36 Kemal Ishmael SS 28 Akeem King CB 27 Robenson Therezie FS 21 Desmond Trufant CB Special teams 5 Matt Bosher P 6 Shayne Graham K 47 Josh Harris LS		Reserve lists 3 Matt Bryant K (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 25 William Moore SS (IRTooltip Injured reserve) -- Beau Gardner TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 92 Ricky Havili-Heimuli DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) -- Travis Howard CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 39 Collin Mooney FB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 67 Adam Replogle G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 96 Paul Soliai DT (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 62 James Stone G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 91 Xzavier Dickson OLB 89 C. J. Goodwin WR 90 Curtis Grant MLB 19 R.J. Harris WR 35 Gus Johnson RB 18 Jordan Leslie WR 90 Dontay Moch OLB 22 Terrance Parks SS 64 Collin Rahrig G 8 Matt Simms QB Rookies in italics 53 active, 9 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason

Schedule

More information Week, Date ...

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 14	Tennessee Titans	W 31–24	1–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
2	August 21	at New York Jets	L 22–30	1–1	MetLife Stadium	Recap
3	August 29	at Miami Dolphins	L 9–13	1–2	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
4	September 3	Baltimore Ravens	W 20–19	2–2	Georgia Dome	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

More information Week, Date ...

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 14	Philadelphia Eagles	W 26–24	1–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
2	September 20	at New York Giants	W 24–20	2–0	MetLife Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	at Dallas Cowboys	W 39–28	3–0	AT&T Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	Houston Texans	W 48–21	4–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
5	October 11	Washington Redskins	W 25–19 (OT)	5–0	Georgia Dome	Recap
6	October 15	at New Orleans Saints	L 21–31	5–1	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
7	October 25	at Tennessee Titans	W 10–7	6–1	Nissan Stadium	Recap
8	November 1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 20–23 (OT)	6–2	Georgia Dome	Recap
9	November 8	at San Francisco 49ers	L 16–17	6–3	Levi's Stadium	Recap
10	Bye
11	November 22	Indianapolis Colts	L 21–24	6–4	Georgia Dome	Recap
12	November 29	Minnesota Vikings	L 10–20	6–5	Georgia Dome	Recap
13	December 6	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 19–23	6–6	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
14	December 13	at Carolina Panthers	L 0–38	6–7	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
15	December 20	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 23–17	7–7	EverBank Field	Recap
16	December 27	Carolina Panthers	W 20–13	8–7	Georgia Dome	Recap
17	January 3	New Orleans Saints	L 17–20	8–8	Georgia Dome	Recap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	3	14	7	24
Falcons	3	17	0	6	26

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

ATL – 10:55 Matt Bryant 41-yard FG.
Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:04. (ATL 3–0)

Second quarter

ATL – 10:44 Julio Jones 4-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 11 plays, 88, yards, 5:39. (ATL 10–0)
PHI – 7:18 Cody Parkey 29-yard FG.
Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:26. (ATL 10–3)
ATL – 10:55 Matt Bryant 39-yard FG.
Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:00. (ATL 13–3)
ATL – 0:45 Julio Jones 22-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 1 play, 27, yards, 0:14. (ATL 20–3)

Third quarter

PHI – 13:13 DeMarco Murray 8-yard TD run, Cody Parkey kick.
Drive: 2 plays, 8 yards, 0:12. (ATL 20–10)
PHI – 3:39 DeMarco Murray 5-yard TD pass from Sam Bradford, Cody Parkey kick.
Drive: 13 plays, 95, yards, 6:10. (ATL 20–17)

Fourth quarter

ATL – 10:49 Matt Bryant 44-yard FG.
Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 7:50. (ATL 23–17)
PHI – 8:37 Ryan Matthews 1-yard TD run, Cody Parkey kick.
Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:12. (PHI 24–23)
ATL – 6:27 Matt Bryant 51-yard FG.
Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:10. (ATL 26–24)

Top passers

PHI – Sam Bradford – 36/52, 336 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 23/34, 298 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

PHI – Darren Sproles – 5 CAR, 50 YDS
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 20 CAR, 80 YDS

Top receivers

PHI – Jordan Matthews - 10 REC, 102 YDS
ATL – Julio Jones - 9 REC, 141 YDS

Top tacklers

PHI – Mychal Kendricks - 10 TACKLES
ATL – Paul Worrilow - 13 TACKLES

Week One: Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: September 14
Game time: 7:10 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 70,516
Referee: Terry McAulay
TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
Recap, Gamebook

With the win, the Falcons began their season 1–0.

Week 2: at New York Giants

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	3	0	14	24
Giants	0	13	7	0	20

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

ATL – 0:34 Tevin Coleman 1-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 13 plays, 86 yards, 4:19. (ATL 7–0)

Second quarter

NYG – 10:06 Josh Brown 38-yard FG.
Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:28. (ATL 7–3)
ATL – 4:46 Matt Bryant 42-yard FG.
Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 5:20. (ATL 10–3)
NYG – 3:19 Odell Beckham Jr. 67-yard TD pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown kick.
Drive: 4 plays, 80, yards, 1:27. (TIE 10–10)
NYG – 0:02 Josh Brown 44-yard FG.
Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 0:56. (NYG 13–10)

Third quarter

NYG – 10:53 Larry Donnell 10-yard TD pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown kick.
Drive: 9 plays, 69, yards, 4:07. (NYG 20–10)

Fourth quarter

ATL – 12:39 Leonard Hankerson 10-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 12 plays, 91, yards, 6:36. (NYG 20–17)
ATL – 1:14 Devonta Freeman 2-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 1:58. (ATL 24–20)

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/46, 363 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
NYG – Eli Manning - 27/40, 292 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Tevin Coleman – 9 CAR, 32 YDS
NYG – Andre Williams - 6 CAR, 43 YDS

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones - 13 REC, 135 YDS
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. - 7 REC, 146 YDS

Top tacklers

ATL – Justin Durant - 10 TACKLES
NYG – Devon Kennard - 10 TACKLES

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

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: September 20
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 77,678
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

The Giants would lead 20–17 with below 2 minutes left, but Atlanta was able to pull off the comeback, scoring with 1:14 remaining after Devonta Freeman took it in from a yard out. New York tried to come back, but the Falcons would force a turnover on downs to end the game.

With the win, Atlanta improved to 2–0.

Week 3: at Dallas Cowboys

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	10	8	14	39
Cowboys	14	14	0	0	28

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

DAL – Joseph Randle 37-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 14:03. Cowboys 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 1:08.
DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:12. Cowboys 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 4:37.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:05. Cowboys 14–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:07.

Second quarter

DAL – Darren McFadden 2-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 7:31. Cowboys 21–7. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 5:09.
ATL – Devonta Freeman 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:23. Cowboys 21–14. Drive: 7 plays, 23 yards, 3:32.
DAL – Joseph Randle 1-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 0:46. Cowboys 28–14. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 1:38.
ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 0:05. Cowboys 28–17. Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 0:40.

Third quarter

ATL – Julio Jones 45-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Levine Toilolo pass from Matt Ryan), 7:16. Cowboys 28–25. Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:15.

Fourth quarter

ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 11:30. Falcons 32–28. Drive: 11 plays, 89 yards, 6:44.
ATL – Julio Jones 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:09. Falcons 39–28. Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 6:14.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/36, 285 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Brandon Weeden – 22/26, 232 yards, INT

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 30 rushes, 141 yards, 3 TD
DAL – Joseph Randle – 14 rushes, 87 yards, 3 TD

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 12 receptions, 164 yards, 2 TD
DAL – Lance Dunbar – 10 receptions, 100 yards

Top tacklers

ATL – Justin Durant - 8 tackles, 1 assist
DAL – Sean Lee - 7 tackles, 3 assists

Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Date: September 27
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
Game attendance: 90,345
Referee: Pete Morelli
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
Recap, Gamebook

The Falcons would trail 14–28 at one point, but they would pull off their second comeback in as many weeks, as they scored 25 unanswered points afterwards to ultimately win 39–28.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 3–0 for the first time since 2012.

Week 4: vs. Houston Texans

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	0	0	21	21
Falcons	7	21	14	6	48

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

ATL – 8:32 Devonta Freeman 16-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:29. (ATL 7–0)

Second quarter

ATL – 14:39 Devonta Freeman 23-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 6:19. (ATL 14–0)
ATL – 12:24 Desmond Trufant 24-yard TD fumble recovery, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 2 plays, -7 yards, 0:16. (ATL 21–0)
ATL – 3:11 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 11 plays, 82 yards, 6:20. (ATL 28–0)

Third quarter

ATL – 10:50 Devonta Freeman 6-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 4 plays, 68 yards, 1:56. (ATL 35–0)
ATL – 2:56 Terron Ward 8-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 6:17. (ATL 42–0)

Fourth quarter

HOU – 14:22 C. J. Fiedorowicz 5-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer, Nick Novak kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:34. (ATL 42–7)
HOU – 9:09 Chris Polk 1-yard TD run, Nick Novak kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:47. (ATL 42–14)
HOU – 3:01 Cecil Shorts III 8-yard TD pass from Brian Hoyer, Nick Novak kick.
Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 1:31. (ATL 42–21)
ATL – 0:00 Nate Stupar 84-yard TD fumble recovery.
Drive: 10 plays, 38 yards, 1:50. (ATL 48–21)

Top passers

HOU – Brian Hoyer - 17/30, 232 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 19/27, 256 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT

Top rushers

HOU – Chris Polk - 3 CAR, 27 YDS
ATL – Terron Ward – 19 CAR, 72 YDS

Top receivers

HOU – DeAndre Hopkins - 9 REC, 157
ATL – Leonard Hankerson - 6 REC, 103 YDS

Top tacklers

HOU – Brian Cushing - 11 TACKLES
ATL – Nate Stupar - 6 TACKLES

Week Four: Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: October 4
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 69,904
Referee: Carl Cheffers
TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
Recap, Gamebook

The Falcons routed the Texans 48–21 at home. Atlanta would build a 42–0 lead, but Houston put up a fight, as they would outscore Atlanta 21–6 for the remainder of the game. However, the Falcons still won in a blowout.

With the win, the Falcons improved to 4–0.

Week 5: vs. Washington Redskins

More information Period, OT ...

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Redskins	0	7	0	12	0	19
Falcons	0	3	3	13	6	25

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter No Scoring Second quarter

WAS – 12:12 Derek Carrier 7-yard TD pass from Kirk Cousins, Dustin Hopkins kick.
Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 6:47. (WAS 7–0)
ATL – 7:07 Matt Bryant 42-yard FG.
Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 5:05. (WAS 7–3)

Third quarter

ATL – 1:54 Matt Bryant 28-yard FG.
Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 4:47. (WAS 7–6)

Fourth quarter

ATL – 9:14 Julio Jones 0-yard TD fumble recovery.
Drive: 11 plays, 91 yards, 6:32. (ATL 12–7)
WAS – 7:59 Matt Jones 2-yard TD run.
Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:15. (WAS 13–12)
WAS – 2:38 Dustin Hopkins 28-yard FG.
Drive: 6 plays, 11 yards, 3:06. (WAS 16–12)
ATL – 0:24 Devonta Freeman 6-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 2:14. (ATL 19–16)
WAS – 0:00 Dustin Hopkins 52-yard FG.
Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 0:24. (TIE 19–19)

Overtime

ATL – 12:15 Robert Alford 59-yard TD interception.
Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:45. (ATL 25–16)

Top passers

WAS – Kirk Cousins – 21/32, 219 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/42, 254 YDS, 0 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

WAS – Matt Jones - 11 CAR, 20 YDS
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 27 CAR, 153 YDS

Top receivers

WAS – Jamison Crowder - 8 REC, 87
ATL – Jacob Tamme - 8 REC, 94 YDS

Top tacklers

WAS – Dashon Goldson - 10 TACKLES
ATL – Paul Worrilow - 9 TACKLES

Week Five: Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: October 11
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 70,178
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
Recap, Gamebook

the Falcons would win this game in overtime against the Redskins. In overtime, the game was sealed away after Robert Alford returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown to end the game.

With the win, Atlanta started 5–0 for the first time since 2012.

Week 6: at New Orleans Saints

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	7	0	14	21
Saints	14	0	10	7	31

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

NO – 9:44 Mark Ingram II 2-yard TD run, Zach Hocker kick.
Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:16. (NO 7–0)
NO – 2:06 Michael Mauti blocked punt returned 4-yards for TD, Zach Hocker kick.
Drive: 3 plays, -4 yards, 2:15. (NO 14–0)

Second quarter

ATL – 14:12 Roddy White 7-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:54. (NO 14–7)

Third quarter

NO – 7:19 Zach Hocker 31-yard FG.
Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 4:55. (NO 17–7)
NO – 2:23 Benjamin Watson 2-yard TD pass from Drew Brees, Zach Hocker kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:19. (NO 24–7)

Fourth quarter

ATL – 13:07 Devonta Freeman 25-yard TD run, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:16. (NO 24–14)
NO – 8:02 Mark Ingram II 1-yard TD run, Zach Hocker kick.
Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:05. (NO 31–14)
ATL – 1:29 Devonta Freeman 13-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:05. (NO 31–21)

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/44, 295 YDS, 2 TD, 0 INT
NO – Drew Brees - 30/39, 312 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 13 CAR, 100 YDS
NO – Mark Ingram II - 20 CAR, 46 YDS

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones - 6 REC, 93 YDS
NO – Benjamin Watson - 10 REC, 127 YDS

Top tacklers

ATL – Paul Worrilow - 9 TACKLES
NO – Dannell Ellerbe - 14 TACKLES

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

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

Date: October 15
Game time: 8:25 pm. EDT/7:25 pm. CDT
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 73,018
Referee: Gene Steratore
TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
Recap, Gamebook

The Falcons suffered their first loss of the season in New Orleans on Thursday Night Football. The Saints would lead the entire game. The Falcons would tie it, but that was the closest they would come to striking distance, as the Saints won 31–21.

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 5–1.

Week 7: at Tennessee Titans

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	7	0	10
Titans	0	7	0	0	7

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter No Scoring Second quarter

TEN – 8:42 Kendall Wright 19-yard TD pass from Zach Mettenberger, Ryan Succop kick.
Drive: 1 play, 19 yards, 0:07. (TEN 7–0)
ATL – 2:31 Matt Bryant 27-yard FG.
Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 6:11. (TEN 7–3)

Third quarter

ATL – 5:56 Julio Jones 8-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:30. (ATL 10–7)

Fourth quarter No Scoring

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/38, 295 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
TEN – Zach Mettenberger – 22/35, 295 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 25 CAR, 116 YDS
TEN – Antonio Andrews – 10 CAR, 57 YDS

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones - 9 REC, 92 YDS
TEN – Delanie Walker - 7 REC, 55 YDS

Top tacklers

ATL – Justin Durant - 8 TACKLES
TEN – Wesley Woodyard - 9 TACKLES

Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

Date: October 25
Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/12:00 pm. CDT
Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 63,329
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
Recap, Gamebook

With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–1.

Week 8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

More information Period, OT ...

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Buccaneers	3	10	7	0	3	23
Falcons	3	0	7	10	0	20

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

ATL – 7:54 Matt Bryant 21-yard FG.
Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:06. (ATL 3–0)
TB – 2:03 Connor Barth 38-yard FG.
Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:58. (TIE 3–3)

Second quarter

TB – 3:32 Connor Barth 23-yard FG.
Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 5:32. (TB 6–3)
TB – 0:30 Cameron Brate 20-yard TD pass from Jameis Winston, Connor Barth kick.
Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 0:53. (TB 13–3)

Third quarter

TB – 6:06 Jameis Winston 4-yard TD run, Connor Barth kick.
Drive: 7 plays, 76 yards, 3:56. (TB 20–3)
ATL – 0:15 Jacob Tamme 7-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:35. (TB 20–10)

Fourth quarter

ATL – 4:56 Matt Bryant 24-yard FG.
Drive: 14 plays, 77 yards, 7:11. (TB 20–13)
ATL – 0:17 Julio Jones 8-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:35. (TIE 20–20)

Overtime

TB – 7:52 Connor Barth 31-yard FG.
Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 7:08. (TB 23–20)

Top passers

TB – Jameis Winston – 16/29, 177 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 37/45, 397 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

TB – Doug Martin - 23 CAR, 71 YDS
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 21 CAR, 88 YDS

Top receivers

TB – Cameron Brate - 2 REC, 48 YDS
ATL – Julio Jones - 12 REC, 162 YDS

Top tacklers

TB – Kwon Alexander - 11 TACKLES
ATL – Ricardo Allen - 6 TACKLES

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

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: November 1
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 70,524
Referee: Ron Torbert
TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Charles Davis and Tony Siragusa
Recap, Gamebook

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–2.

Week 9: at San Francisco 49ers

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	3	10	0	3	16
49ers	0	17	0	0	17

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

ATL – 9:24 Matt Bryant 44-yard FG.
Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards, 3:38. (ATL 3–0)

Second quarter

SF – 13:41 Garrett Celek 1-yard TD pass from Blaine Gabbert, Phil Dawson kick.
Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 6:26. (SF 7–3)
ATL – 6:05 Matt Bryant 36-yard FG.
Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:28. (SF 7–6)
SF – 3:20 Phil Dawson 44-yard FG.
Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 2:45. (SF 10–6)
SF – 1:16 Garrett Celek 11-yard TD pass from Blaine Gabbert, Phil Dawson kick.
Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:09. (SF 17–6)
ATL – 0:13 Devonta Freeman 17-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:03. (SF 17–13)

Third quarter No Scoring Fourth quarter

ATL – 2:56 Matt Bryant 19-yard FG.
Drive: 10 plays, 66 yards, 4:18. (SF 17–16)

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/45, 303 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT
SF – Blaine Gabbert - 15/25, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 CAR, 12 YDS
SF – Shaun Draughn - 16 CAR, 58 YDS

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones - 10 REC, 137 YDS
SF – Quinton Patton - 3 REC, 70 YDS

Top tacklers

ATL – Philip Wheeler - 10 TACKLES
SF – Marcus Cromartie - 7 TACKLES

Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Date: November 8
Game time: 4:05 pm. EST/1:05 p.m. PST
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 70,799
Referee: Tony Corrente
TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
Recap, Gamebook

With the bitter loss, the Falcons fell to 6–3.

Week 11: vs. Indianapolis Colts

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	7	7	10	24
Falcons	7	7	7	0	21

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

ATL – 0:02 Patrick DiMarco 15-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:28. (ATL 7–0)

Second quarter

ATL – 8:54 Patrick DiMarco 15-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:18. (ATL 14–0)
IND – 1:55 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick.
Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 6:59. (ATL 14–7)

Third quarter

ATL – 9:38 Leonard Hankerson 3-yard TD pass from Matt Ryan, Matt Bryant kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:22. (ATL 21–7)
IND – 0:10 Ahmad Bradshaw 7-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck, Adam Vinatieri kick.
Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 4:58. (ATL 21–14)

Fourth quarter

IND – 10:07 D'Qwell Jackson 6-yard TD interception, Adam Vinatieri kick.
Drive: 1 plays, 0 yards, 0:07. (TIE 21–21)
IND – 0:52 Adam Vinatieri 43-yard FG.
Drive: 9 plays, 56 yards, 4:02. (IND 24–21)

Top passers

IND – Matt Hasselbeck - 23/32, 280 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/46, 280 YDS, 3 TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

IND – Frank Gore - 14 CAR, 34 YDS
ATL – Tevin Coleman – 17 CAR, 48 YDS

Top receivers

IND – Frank Gore - 5 REC, 46 YDS
ATL – Julio Jones - 9 REC, 160 YDS

Top tacklers

IND – Jerrell Freeman - 9 TACKLES
ATL – Justin Durant - 9 TACKLES

Week Eleven: Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: November 22
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 70,433
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Jamie Erdahl
Recap, Gamebook

The Falcons would lead 21–7 at one point, but Indianapolis would rally to erase it after D'Qwell Jackson returned an interception 6 yards to tie it at 21. The Colts would eventually go down the field to win it with an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 43 yards with 52 seconds left.

With the loss, Atlanta fell to 6–4.

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	0	3	10	20
Falcons	0	3	0	7	10

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Top passers

MIN –
ATL –

Top rushers

MIN –
ATL –

Top receivers

MIN –
ATL –

Top tacklers

MIN –
ATL –

Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: November 29
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 70,610
Referee: Clete Blakeman
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–5.

Week 13: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	9	3	7	19
Buccaneers	7	0	9	7	23

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL –
TB –

Top rushers

ATL –
TB –

Top receivers

ATL –
TB –

Top tacklers

ATL –
TB –

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

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Date: December 6
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), cloudy
Game attendance: 58,221
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
Recap, Gamebook

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–6.

Week 14: at Carolina Panthers

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	0	0	0	0
Panthers	21	7	10	0	38

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

CAR – Jonathan Stewart 1-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 11:28. Panthers 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:32.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 74-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:48. Panthers 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 93 yards, 1:18.
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. 46-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:12. Panthers 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:23.

Second quarter

CAR – Ed Dickson 4-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:17. Panthers 28–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:27.

Third quarter

CAR – Graham Gano 38-yard field goal, 5:46. Panthers 31–0. Drive: 9 plays, 23 yards, 4:45.
CAR – Fozzy Whittaker 16-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 2:18. Panthers 38–0. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:57.

Fourth quarter

No scoring plays.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 22/34, 224 yards, INT
CAR – Cam Newton – 15/21, 265 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

ATL – Devonta Freeman – 12 rushes, 40 yards
CAR – Jonathan Stewart – 10 rushes, 75 yards, TD

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 88 yards
CAR – Ted Ginn Jr. – 2 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD

Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

Date: December 13
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), sunny
Game attendance: 74,420
Referee: Tony Corrente
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

The Falcons would suffer a blowout and shutout loss to undefeated Carolina. The Falcons would struggle all day, as the Panthers romped them 38–0, their worst shutout loss since 2004.

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 6–7. This is the first and only time they had been under .500 all season.

Week 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	7	10	0	6	23
Jaguars	0	3	14	0	17

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL –
JAX –

Top rushers

ATL –
JAX –

Top receivers

ATL –
JAX –

Top tacklers

ATL –
JAX –

Week Fifteen: Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Date: December 20
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), clear
Game attendance: 64,016
Referee: Bill Vinovich
TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
Recap, Gamebook

With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–7. They finished 3-1 vs AFC South.

Week 16: vs. Carolina Panthers

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	0	3	3	13
Falcons	0	7	7	6	20

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Top passers

CAR –
ATL –

Top rushers

CAR –
ATL –

Top receivers

CAR –
ATL –

Top tacklers

CAR –
ATL –

Week Sixteen: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: December 27
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 70,981
Referee: John Parry
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
Recap, Gamebook

In a major upset win, the Atlanta Falcons defeated Carolina 20–13, spoiling the Panthers' run at a perfect season. Unfortunately for the Falcons, they were eliminated from playoff contention due to the Minnesota Vikings' 49–17 win against the New York Giants later in the day.

Week 17: vs. New Orleans Saints

More information Period, Total ...

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	7	7	3	3	20
Falcons	3	14	0	0	17

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

Top passers

NO –
ATL –

Top rushers

NO –
ATL –

Top receivers

NO –
ATL –

Top tacklers

NO –
ATL –

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

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia

Date: January 3, 2016
Game time: 1:00 pm. EST
Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
Game attendance: 69,699
Referee: Craig Wrolstad
TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Matt Millen and Peter Schrager
Recap, Gamebook

With the loss, the Falcons ended their season 8–8, and finished 1–5 against their division. For the first time since the 2013 season, they were swept by the New Orleans Saints who also finished their season with a 7-9 Record.

Statistics

Team leaders

More information Category, Player(s) ...

Category	Player(s)	Value
Passing yards	Matt Ryan	4,591
Passing touchdowns	Matt Ryan	21
Rushing yards	Devonta Freeman	1,061
Rushing touchdowns	Devonta Freeman	11
Receptions	Julio Jones	136
Receiving yards	Julio Jones	1,871
Receiving touchdowns	Julio Jones	8
Points	Matt Bryant	83
Kickoff return yards	Eric Weems	403
Punt return yards	Eric Weems	221
Tackles	Paul Worrilow	95
Sacks	Vic Beasley	4.0
Interceptions	Ricardo Allen	3
Forced fumbles	Vic Beasley	2

Stats as of week 16.^[47]

Standings

Division

More information NFC South, W ...

NFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽¹⁾ Carolina Panthers	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	500	308	W1
Atlanta Falcons	8	8	0	.500	1–5	5–7	339	345	L1
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	408	476	W2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	342	417	L4

Conference

More information #, Team ...

NFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1	Carolina Panthers	South	15	1	0	.938	5–1	11–1	.441	.438	W1
2	Arizona Cardinals	West	13	3	0	.813	4–2	10–2	.477	.457	L1
3	Minnesota Vikings	North	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	.504	.449	W3
4	Washington Redskins	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	8–4	.465	.403	W4
Wild Cards
5^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Green Bay Packers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.531	.450	L2
6^{[lower-alpha 1]}	Seattle Seahawks	West	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.520	.431	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7	Atlanta Falcons	South	8	8	0	.500	1–5	5–7	.480	.453	L1
8^{[lower-alpha 2]}	St. Louis Rams	West	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	.527	.482	L1
9^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Detroit Lions	North	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.535	.429	W3
10^{[lower-alpha 2]}	Philadelphia Eagles	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	4–8	.508	.473	W1
11^{[lower-alpha 2]}	New Orleans Saints	South	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	.504	.402	W2
12^{[lower-alpha 3]}	New York Giants	East	6	10	0	.375	2–4	4–8	.500	.396	L3
13^{[lower-alpha 3]}	Chicago Bears	North	6	10	0	.375	1–5	3–9	.547	.469	L1
14^{[lower-alpha 3]}	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	.484	.406	L4
15	San Francisco 49ers	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.539	.463	W1
16	Dallas Cowboys	East	4	12	0	.250	3–3	3–9	.531	.438	L4
Tiebreakers^{[lower-alpha 4]}
Green Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on head-to-head victory. St. Louis and Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on conference record. St. Louis finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory. Detroit finished ahead of Philadelphia and New Orleans based on head-to-head sweep, while Philadelphia finished ahead of New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. The New York Giants and Chicago each finished ahead of Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory, while the Giants finished ahead of Chicago based on conference record. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Notes

[N 1]
The 2007 Patriots were the first; however the Patriots lost in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants. When the NFL regular season was only fourteen games long, the 1972 Miami Dolphins achieved a complete perfect season finishing 17—0, whilst when it was still shorter, the Chicago Bears achieved perfect regular seasons in both 1934 and 1942, but lost the NFL Championship game on both occasions.

References

[1]
Jay Adams (February 24, 2015). "Falcons Extend Two Vets, Sign WR Williams". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[2]
Jay Adams (February 25, 2015). "Falcons Sign K Bryant to Contract Extension". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[3]
Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign LB Stupar to Extension". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[4]
Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign Veteran S Godfrey to Extension". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[5]
Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign Weems to Contract Extension". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[6]
Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign QB Yates to Extension". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[7]
"Atlanta Falcons on Twitter: "The Falcons have agreed to terms with LB Justin Durant, G Mike Person, LB Brooks Reed and RB Antone Smith. #RiseUp"". Twitter.com. March 10, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[8]
Jay Adams (March 18, 2015). "Biermann Returns to Falcons with New Contract". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[9]
Jay Adams (February 13, 2015). "Falcons Add Linebacker Bradford to Roster". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[10]
Jay Adams (March 11, 2015). "Falcons Add Wide Receiver Hankerson". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[11]
"Falcons free agency: Adrian Clayborn, Phillip Adams sign with Atlanta Thursday". The Falcoholic. March 12, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[12]
Jay Adams (March 12, 2015). "Falcons Agree to Terms With LB Schofield". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[13]
Jay Adams (March 18, 2015). "Falcons Add More Depth to OL With Smith". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[14]
"Falcons Sign TE Jacob Tamme". Atlantafalcons.com. March 19, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[15]
Jay Adams (March 19, 2015). "Falcons Continue to Add to TE Position". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
[16]
"Falcons add former army Fullback". Atlantafalcons.com. May 4, 2015. Archived from the original on October 24, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
[17]
Jay Adams (May 14, 2015). "Falcons Sign Veteran Tackle Polumbus". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
[18]
Jay Adams. "Falcons Sign Veteran Guard Chester". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
[19]
"Falcons sign offensive tackle DeMarcus Love". www.ajc.com. July 29, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
[20]
"With Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman ailing, Atlanta Falcons sign RB - Atlanta Falcons Blog - ESPN". Espn.go.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
[21]
Conway, Kelsey. "Falcons Make Roster Moves". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
[22]
Conway, Kelsey. "Falcons Sign WR Harris, Waive LB Spruill". Atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
[23]
Conway, Kelsey. "Falcons Sign QB Grossman, Waive RB Royster". Atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
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