History of the Atlanta Falcons facts for kids
The American football team Atlanta Falcons was started in Atlanta, Georgia in 1965. They joined the NFL Eastern Conference with Norb Hecker as their first coach. The team later moved to the NFC West division, and then to the NFC South in 2002. Their home stadiums have been the Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium (1966–1991), the Georgia Dome (1992–2016), and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium (since 2017).
The Falcons didn't have much success at first. They didn't reach the postseason playoffs until 1978. They won the NFC West in 1980 and 1998. In 1998, they played in Super Bowl XXXIII but lost to the Denver Broncos. The Falcons also finished first in the NFC South in 2004, 2010, and 2012. They reached Super Bowl LI in 2016, where they lost to the New England Patriots.
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Early Years (1965–1979)
The Atlanta Falcons team was officially approved on June 21, 1965. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle gave ownership to Rankin M. Smith Sr.. The name "Falcons" was suggested by Julia Elliott, a high school teacher. She won a contest in 1965, writing that the falcon is "proud and dignified, with great courage and fight."
The Falcons picked Tommy Nobis as their first player in the 1966 NFL Draft. He became the first-ever Falcon. Norb Hecker, an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers, was chosen as the first head coach.
The Falcons played their first NFL season in 1966. They lost their first nine regular season games. Their first win was against the New York Giants, 27–16. Their first home win was against the St. Louis Cardinals, 16–10. The team finished their first year with 3 wins and 11 losses. Nobis won the NFL Rookie of the Year Award.
The next two seasons were tough, with only 1 win in 1967 and 2 wins in 1968. In 1969, the Falcons improved a lot, finishing with 6 wins and 8 losses. They won their first season opener ever, beating the San Francisco 49ers 24–12.
In 1970, the Falcons played their first Monday Night Football game. They had their first winning season in 1971, finishing 7–6–1. In 1973, they started with a huge 62–7 win over the New Orleans Saints. They then won 7 games in a row, including a victory against the unbeaten Vikings. The Falcons finished 9–5, their best record yet, but just missed the playoffs.
In 1975, the Falcons drafted quarterback Steve Bartkowski. In 1977, Leeman Bennett became the new head coach. The 1977 team had a strong defense called the "Grits Blitz." They set an NFL record for allowing the fewest points in a 14-game season (129 points).
First Playoff Appearance (1978)
In 1978, the Falcons finished with 9 wins and 7 losses. This was their first time making the playoffs! They beat the Philadelphia Eagles 14–13 in a close game. Next, they faced the strong Dallas Cowboys. The Falcons led at halftime, but the Cowboys came back to win 27–20.
The 1979 season saw the Falcons finish 6–10.
The 1980s
The 1980 season was very successful for the Falcons. They won 12 games and lost 4. Atlanta had an amazing 9-game winning streak. They beat the San Francisco 49ers 35–10 to win their first-ever NFC West division title. In the playoffs, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 30–27 in a very close game. This loss was one of the toughest in Atlanta sports history.
The 1981 season was tough due to injuries, and the Falcons finished 7–9. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, they made the playoffs with a 5–4 record but lost in the first round.
In 1984, running back William Andrews suffered a serious knee injury. Gerald Riggs stepped up, gaining over 3,000 yards in two seasons. However, the team had two losing seasons in 1984 and 1985. After a 7–8–1 season in 1986, Marion Campbell became head coach again. The Falcons continued to struggle, finishing 3–12 in 1987 and 5–11 in 1988.
In 1989, Atlanta drafted Deion Sanders, a very exciting defensive player. Sanders was known for his "Prime Time" image and amazing plays. He even scored a touchdown and hit a home run in the same week! Despite his talent, the Falcons finished 3–13.
The 1990s: "Dirty Bird" Era
Jerry Glanville became the new head coach in 1990. The Falcons changed their uniforms to all-black, matching Glanville's "Man in black" style.
1991: "2 Legit 2 Quit"
The 1991 team was known as the "2 Legit 2 Quit" Falcons, using the song by MC Hammer as their theme. They made the playoffs with a 10–6 record, ending a long streak of losing seasons. Key players included Deion Sanders, Andre Rison, and Tim McKyer. They beat the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs but then lost to the Washington Redskins.
Moving to the Georgia Dome (1992)
In 1992, the Falcons moved to the Georgia Dome. They finished with a 6–10 record. After the season, the team traded quarterback Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers.
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Deion Sanders continued to be a star in 1993, but the team still finished 6–10. June Jones became the new coach. In 1994, the Falcons got quarterback Jeff George. They improved slightly to a 7–9 record. In 1995, the Falcons made the playoffs again but lost to the Green Bay Packers. The 1996 season was difficult, with a 3–13 record.
Dan Reeves Era and Super Bowl XXXIII (1997–1998)
Dan Reeves became the head coach in 1997, leading the team to a 7–9 record.
The 1998 season was the best in Falcons history. The team surprised everyone by winning 14 games and losing only 2. They reached Super Bowl XXXIII by beating the favored Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
The 1998 Falcons had a strong offense with Chris Chandler and Jamal Anderson. Their defense was also very good. They started 6–2, but many people thought it was just luck. On November 8, 1998, they beat the New England Patriots 41–10. This win showed the league they were serious. Tight end O. J. Santiago introduced the famous "Dirty Bird" dance that season.
The Falcons won their last six games, including a win over the Detroit Lions that clinched their first division title since 1980. Coach Dan Reeves had heart surgery, and assistant coach Rich Brooks took over temporarily. Reeves returned for the playoffs.
The Falcons entered the playoffs as the #2 team in the NFC. They beat the San Francisco 49ers 20–18 to reach their first NFC Championship game.
1998 NFC Championship Game
The Falcons faced the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings, who had a powerful offense and a 15–1 record. Most people thought the Vikings would win easily.
The Falcons scored a touchdown early, making the crowd quiet. The Vikings then scored 20 unanswered points. But a key play happened when Falcons' Chuck Smith forced a fumble, leading to a Falcons touchdown just before halftime. The score was 20–14.
In the second half, the Falcons kept fighting. They scored a field goal, making it 20–17. The Vikings scored another touchdown, making it 27–20. The Falcons responded with another field goal.
With minutes left, the Vikings' kicker, Gary Anderson, who had made every field goal that season, missed a 38-yard kick. This gave the Falcons a chance. Quarterback Chris Chandler led an amazing drive, throwing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis with 49 seconds left. The game went into overtime.
In overtime, the Falcons got the ball. Chandler led another great drive, setting up kicker Morten Andersen for a 38-yard field goal. Andersen made the kick, and the Falcons won! They were going to the Super Bowl for the first time ever!
Super Bowl XXXIII
In Super Bowl XXXIII, the Falcons played the Denver Broncos and their famous quarterback John Elway. The Falcons offense moved the ball well but made mistakes. The Broncos took a 17–3 lead. Two interceptions by Chris Chandler in the second half helped the Broncos pull away to a 31–6 lead. The Falcons scored two late touchdowns, including a 94-yard kickoff return by Tim Dwight, but lost 34–19.
Despite the loss, the 1998 Falcons are remembered as a great team. They set franchise records for wins (14) and points scored (442). Jamal Anderson broke the NFL record for carries in a season (410) and the team record for rushing yards (1,846).
After the exciting 1998 season, the Falcons struggled. Running back Jamal Anderson suffered a season-ending injury in 1999, and the team finished 5–11. In 2000, they had a 4–12 record.
The Michael Vick Era (2001–2006)
2001–2003
In the 2001 NFL Draft, the Falcons traded to get the #1 pick. They chose exciting quarterback Michael Vick from Virginia Tech. In 2002, Vick became the full-time starting quarterback. The Falcons had an amazing eight-game unbeaten streak. They beat the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game at Lambeau Field, which was a big upset. Their season ended the next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2003, Vick broke his leg in the preseason and missed most of the season. The team struggled, finishing 5–11.
2004–2006
In 2004, with Michael Vick back and a new coach, Jim L. Mora, the Falcons won the NFC South with an 11–5 record. They beat the St. Louis Rams 47–17 in the playoffs. However, they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game, missing out on another Super Bowl trip. After the season, Vick signed a huge contract, the richest in NFL history at the time.
In 2005, the Falcons started strong but finished 8–8 due to injuries. They played on Thanksgiving Day for the first time, beating the Detroit Lions. In 2006, the Falcons finished with a losing record of 7–9. Coach Jim L. Mora was fired and replaced by Bobby Petrino.
Matt Ryan Era (2007–2021)
2007: A Difficult Season
The 2007 season was very challenging for the Falcons. Quarterback Michael Vick was suspended by the NFL due to legal issues. Coach Bobby Petrino resigned after only 13 games. The team finished 4–12.
2008–2015: New Faces, New Hope
In 2008, Mike Smith became the new head coach. The Falcons drafted quarterback Matt Ryan as the new leader of the team. They also added running back Michael Turner. The team surprised everyone by finishing 11–5 and making the playoffs. They lost to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round.
In 2009, the Falcons had many injuries but still managed a 9–7 record. This was the first time in team history they had two winning seasons in a row.
2010: Division Champions
The 2010 season was great! The Falcons won the NFC South division title and earned the top spot in the NFC playoffs. They finished with an NFC-best 13–3 record. However, their season ended in the playoffs with a loss to the Green Bay Packers.
In 2011, Atlanta finished 10–6 and made the playoffs again, but lost in the first round.
2012: Close to the Super Bowl
In 2012, the Falcons won the NFC South again with the best record in the conference at 13–3. Matt Ryan had his best season, throwing for over 4,700 yards and 32 touchdowns. Key players included Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez.
In the playoffs, Atlanta narrowly beat the Seattle Seahawks 30–28. They then hosted the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons took an early 17–0 lead but couldn't hold on, losing 28–24.
The next few seasons were tough. In 2013, the Falcons finished 4–12 due to injuries. In 2014, they improved to 6–10. After the season, Mike Smith was fired, and Dan Quinn became the new head coach. The 2015 season, their 50th, saw the Falcons start 5–0 but then struggle, finishing 8–8.
2016: Super Bowl LI and the 28–3 Lead
The 2016 season was the Falcons' last at the Georgia Dome. They finished 11–5, earning a first-round bye in the playoffs. Matt Ryan was named the NFL MVP. The Falcons beat the Seattle Seahawks and then the Green Bay Packers to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years.
In Super Bowl LI, the Falcons played the Patriots. Atlanta started incredibly strong, leading 28–3 late in the third quarter. However, Tom Brady and the Patriots made an amazing comeback, scoring 25 unanswered points to tie the game. The game went into overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history. The Patriots got the ball first in overtime and scored the winning touchdown, leaving the Falcons heartbroken.
2017–2021: New Stadium, New Challenges
In 2017, the Falcons moved into their new home, Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They finished 10–6 and made the playoffs. They beat the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round, marking the first time they won playoff games in back-to-back years. However, their season ended the next week against the Eagles.
In 2018, the team was hit hard by injuries and finished 7–9. In 2019, the Falcons started 1–7 but finished strong, winning six of their last eight games to also finish 7–9.
The 2020 season was difficult. The Falcons started with five straight losses, leading to head coach Dan Quinn being fired. They finished 4–12. In 2021, the Falcons improved to 7–10.
2022: A New Chapter
The 2022 season marked a big change for the Falcons. For the first time since 2007, quarterback Matt Ryan was not on the roster, as he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
See also
- List of Atlanta Falcons seasons
