NFL Team by Team Guide: Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons franchise was established in 1965 as an expansion team in the NFL. The league offered then-owner Rankin Smith a franchise in order to prevent him from joining the rival AFL. The Falcons struggled early in their history and never recorded consecutive winning seasons until 2008 and 2009.
The early Atlanta teams didn’t make the playoffs until the 1978 season. The team experienced its first real success in the late 1990s under head coach Dan Reeves. The Falcons would eventually play in two Super Bowls (XXXIII in the 1998 season and LI in the 2016 season).
The Atlanta Falcons first appeared on Monday Night Football in 1970. Atlanta will play on national broadcasts like MNF and Sunday Night Football from time to time. Regional broadcasts of Falcons game can be seen on FOX Sports or CBS and nationally televised games can be seen on NBC, ESPN, and the NFL Network. Fans can watch nearly the complete Falcons schedule via a live streaming service like HULU, fuboTV, or CBS All Access.
Home of the Falcons
The Falcons began playing in the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium that also served as the home of the MLB’s Braves. The team then headed indoors to the Georgia Dome in 1992 and to its current home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2017. The Falcons stadium can hold 71,000 fans for home games though it is expandable to 75,000.
Championship History
The Falcons did not make a playoff appearance until 1978. The team has made 14 total postseason appearances. That includes six division championships – two in the NFC West (1980, 1998) and four more in the NFC South (2004, 2010, 2012, and 2016).
The Falcons have won two NFC championships (1998, 2016) and have played in two Super Bowls. They are one of eight teams that have played in at least one Super Bowl but have never won a Lombardi Trophy.
Best of the Falcons
Linebacker Tommy Nobis was the first player ever drafted by the Falcons. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1966 NFL draft. He was also selected at No. 5 in the 1966 AFL draft but decided to play for the Falcons. Nobis won the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1966 and would go on to earn five Pro Bowl berths.
Quarterback Steve Bartkowski was the franchise’s first great at the position. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 draft and would earn the Rookie of the Year honors. Bartkowski led the NFL in passing touchdowns in 1980 and earned two Pro Bowl selections.
Claude Humphrey was the third pick in the 1968 NFL draft and played 10 seasons with the Falcons. A defensive end, Humphrey was a five-time first-team All-Pro and three-time second-team All-Pro. He was selected to six Pro Bowls and was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1968. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
Kicker Morten Anderson played eight of his 25 seasons in Atlanta and retired with the NFL record for games played at 382. He ranks second in NFL history in field goals (565) and points (2,544) and is one of only two exclusive kickers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.