# 1996 Atlanta Falcons season

The 1996 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise’s 31st season in the National Football League (NFL). The Falcons were unable to match their previous season’s output of 9–7 and failed to reach the playoffs. Atlanta started the season 0–8, going winless until November. Two of the team’s three wins were over the equally inept New Orleans Saints, who also finished 3–13.
The Falcons allowed 461 points in 1996, the most in team history. Football Outsiders calculates that the 1996 Falcons had the third-worst pass defense they had ever tracked.
The season was notable when Jeff George was engaged in a shouting match with June Jones in a nationally televised game against Philadelphia. The next day, George was suspended for his act and was eventually released by the team. As for coach Jones, he was fired at the conclusion of the season.

## Offseason
### NFL draft

1996 Atlanta Falcons draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
| 3 | 84 | Shannon Brown | Defensive tackle | Alabama |
| 4 | 117 | Richard Huntley | Running back | Winston-Salem State |
| 4 | 127 | Juran Bolden | Cornerback | Mississippi Delta |
| 5 | 164 | Gary Bandy | Defensive end | Baylor |
| 6 | 188 | Craig Sauer | Linebacker | Minnesota |
| 7 | 229 | Ethan Brooks | Offensive tackle | Williams |
| Made roster ||||||

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 1 | at Carolina Panthers | L 6–29 | 0–1 | Ericsson Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 8 | Minnesota Vikings | L 17–23 | 0–2 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 3 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 4 | September 22 | Philadelphia Eagles | L 18–33 | 0–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 5 | September 29 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 17–39 | 0–4 | 3Com Park | Recap |
| 6 | October 6 | at Detroit Lions | L 24–28 | 0–5 | Pontiac Silverdome | Recap |
| 7 | October 13 | Houston Oilers | L 13–23 | 0–6 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 8 | October 20 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 28–32 | 0–7 | Texas Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | October 27 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 17–20 | 0–8 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 10 | November 3 | Carolina Panthers | W 20–17 | 1–8 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 11 | November 10 | at St. Louis Rams | L 16–59 | 1–9 | Trans World Dome | Recap |
| 12 | November 17 | New Orleans Saints | W 17–15 | 2–9 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 13 | November 24 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 31–41 | 2–10 | Cinergy Field | Recap |
| 14 | December 2 | San Francisco 49ers | L 10–34 | 2–11 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 15 | December 8 | at New Orleans Saints | W 31–15 | 3–11 | Louisiana Superdome | Recap |
| 16 | December 15 | St. Louis Rams | L 27–34 | 3–12 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 17 | December 22 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 17–19 | 3–13 | Jacksonville Municipal Stadium | Recap |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |||||||

### Standings

NFC West :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(2)}$ Carolina Panthers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 367 | 218 | W7 |
| $^{(4)}$ San Francisco 49ers | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 398 | 257 | W2 |
| St. Louis Rams | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 303 | 409 | W2 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 309 | 461 | L2 |
| New Orleans Saints | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 229 | 339 | L1 |