# 2014 Atlanta Falcons season

The 2014 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), and their seventh and final season under head coach Mike Smith. The Falcons were defeated by the Carolina Panthers in week 17, officially eliminating them from postseason contention for the second straight year. As a result, Smith was fired after his seventh year as head coach, after two straight years with a losing record.
The 2014 Atlanta Falcons were featured on the HBO documentary series Hard Knocks.

## 2014 draft class

2014 Atlanta Falcons Draft :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
| 1 | 6 | Jake Matthews | Offensive tackle | Texas A&M |
| 2 | 37 | Ra'Shede Hageman | Defensive tackle | Minnesota |
| 3 | 68 | Dezmen Southward | Free safety | Wisconsin |
| 4 | 103 | Devonta Freeman | Running back | Florida State |
| 4 | 139 | Prince Shembo | Linebacker | Notre Dame |
| 5 | 147 | Ricardo Allen | Cornerback | Purdue |
| 5 | 168 | Marquis Spruill | Linebacker | Syracuse |
| 6 | None — see below | None — see below | None — see below | None — see below |
| 7 | 253 | Yawin Smallwood | Linebacker | Connecticut |
| 7 | 255 | Tyler Starr | Linebacker | South Dakota |
* Compensatory selection
* Note: The Falcons traded their sixth- (No. 182 overall) and original seventh- (No. 220 overall) round selections to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the Vikings' fifth-round selection (No. 168 overall).

## Schedule
### Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 8 | Miami Dolphins | W 16–10 | 1–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 2 | August 16 | at Houston Texans | L 7–32 | 1–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | Tennessee Titans | L 17–24 | 1–2 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 4 | August 28 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 24–14 | 2–2 | EverBank Field | Recap |

### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | September 7 | New Orleans Saints | W 37–34 (OT) | 1–0 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 2 | September 14 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 10–24 | 1–1 | Paul Brown Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 56–14 | 2–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 4 | September 28 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 28–41 | 2–2 | TCF Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | at New York Giants | L 20–30 | 2–3 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | Chicago Bears | L 13–27 | 2–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 7 | October 19 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 7–29 | 2–5 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 26 | Detroit Lions | L 21–22 | 2–6 | Wembley Stadium (London, England) | Recap |
| 9 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 10 | November 9 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 27–17 | 3–6 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 16 | at Carolina Panthers | W 19–17 | 4–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 23 | Cleveland Browns | L 24–26 | 4–7 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 13 | November 30 | Arizona Cardinals | W 29–18 | 5–7 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 14 | December 8 | at Green Bay Packers | L 37–43 | 5–8 | Lambeau Field | Recap |
| 15 | December 14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 20–27 | 5–9 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
| 16 | December 21 | at New Orleans Saints | W 30–14 | 6–9 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | Carolina Panthers | L 3–34 | 6–10 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
    Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
| Saints | 6 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| Falcons | 0 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 37 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,706
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Shayne Graham 31-yard field goal, 10:33. Saints 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:27.
NO – Shayne Graham 50-yard field goal, 4:39. Saints 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 28 yards, 3:59.
Second quarter
NO – Khiry Robinson 2-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 11:46. Saints 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:10.
ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:06. Saints 13–7. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:40.
NO – Brandin Cooks 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 0:20. Saints 20–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:46.
ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Saints 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 58 yards, 0:20.
Third quarter
ATL – Levine Toilolo 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:22. Saints 20–17. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:38.
ATL – Antone Smith 54-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:21. Falcons 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:31.
Fourth quarter
NO – Mark Ingram 3-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 8:46. Saints 27–24. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 6:35.
ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers 17-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 2:50. Falcons 31–27. Drive: 8 plays, 94 yards, 3:26.
NO – Mark Ingram 3-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 1:20. Saints 34–31. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 1:30.
ATL – Matt Bryant 51-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 34–34. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:20.
Overtime
ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 13:17. Falcons 37–34. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:32.
Top passers
NO – Drew Brees – 29/42, 333 yards, TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/43, 448 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
NO – Mark Ingram - 13 rushes, 60 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Steven Jackson – 12 rushes, 52 yards
Top receivers
NO – Marques Colston - 5 receptions, 110 yards
ATL – Julio Jones - 7 receptions, 116 yards :

#### Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Bengals | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: September 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 58,574
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Mike Nugent 31-yard field goal, 5:19. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 5:57.
ATL – Matt Bryant 46-yard field goal, 1:08. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 4:11.
Second quarter
CIN – Giovani Bernard 4-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 2:11. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 91 yards, 5:21.
Third quarter
CIN – Mohamed Sanu 76-yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick), 10:58. Bengals 17–3. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:12.
CIN – Jeremy Hill 1-yard run (Mike Nugent kick), 6:28. Bengals 24–3. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:14.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 14-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:35. Bengals 24–10. Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 3:59.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/44, 231 yards, TD, 3 INT
CIN – Andy Dalton – 15/23, 252 yards, TD
Top rushers
ATL – Steven Jackson – 11 rushes, 46 yards
CIN – Giovani Bernard – 27 rushes, 90 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 88 yards, TD
CIN – Mohamed Sanu – 3 receptions, 84 yards, TD :

#### Week 3: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Falcons | 21 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 56 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 8:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,318
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS/NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Harry Douglas 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:03. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 2:57.
ATL – Julio Jones 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:03. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 4:14.
ATL – Kemal Ishmael 23-yard interception return (Matt Bryant kick), 2:33. Falcons 21–0.
Second quarter
ATL – Devin Hester 20-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 14:53.Falcons 28–0. Drive: 4 plays, 35 yards, 1:55.
ATL – Devin Hester 62-yard punt return (Matt Bryant kick), 7:06. Falcons 35–0.
Third quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 40-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 8:23. Falcons 42–0. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:39.
ATL – Steven Jackson 2-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 8:11. Falcons 49–0. Drive: 1 play, 2 yards, 0:07.
ATL – Antone Smith 38-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:47. Falcons 56–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 3:12.
Fourth quarter
TB – Vincent Jackson 3-yard pass from Mike Glennon (Patrick Murray kick), 8:46. Falcons 56–7. Drive: 15 plays, 80 yards, 8:01.
TB – Danny Lansanah 27-yard interception return (Patrick Murray kick), 7:07. Falcons 56–14.
Top passers
TB – Mike Glennon – 17/24, 121 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 21/24, 286 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
TB – Bobby Rainey – 11 rushes, 41 yards
ATL – Steven Jackson – 14 rushes, 54 yards, TD
Top receivers
TB – Bobby Rainey – 7 receptions, 64 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 9 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TD :
In this game, Devin Hester would break Deion Sanders's all-time record for punt/kick returns for touchdowns, with 20.

#### Week 4: at Minnesota Vikings

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| Vikings | 14 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 41 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: September 28
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
* Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 52,173
* Referee: Ron Torbert
* TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
MIN – Matt Asiata 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 9:27. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:31.
ATL – Roddy White 24-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 3:56. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:31.
MIN – Matt Asiata 3-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:31. Vikings 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:25.
Second quarter
ATL – Patrick DiMarco 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:56. Tied 14–14. Drive: 13 plays, 60 yards, 5:26.
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater 13-yard run (Blair Walsh kick), 1:59. Vikings 21–14. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:57.
MIN – Blair Walsh 18-yard field goal, 0:02. Vikings 24–14. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 1:23.
Third quarter
MIN – Blair Walsh 41-yard field goal, 10:40. Vikings 27–14. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 4:20.
ATL – Devin Hester 36-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:19. Vikings 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:21.
ATL – Antone Smith 48-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:31. Falcons 28–27. Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 1:16.
Fourth quarter
MIN – Matt Asiata 1-yard run (Teddy Bridewater-Rhett Ellison pass), 10:50. Vikings 35–28. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 3:51.
MIN – Blair Walsh 55-yard field goal, 3:38. Vikings 38–28. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:51.
MIN – Blair Walsh 33-yard field goal, 1:14. Vikings 41–28. Drive: 7 plays, 15 yards, 2:11.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 25/41, 298 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
MIN – Teddy Bridgewater – 19/30, 317 yards
Top rushers
ATL – Antone Smith – 4 rushes, 62 yards, TD
MIN – Jerick McKinnon – 18 rushes, 135 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 6 receptions, 82 yards
MIN – Jarius Wright – 8 receptions, 132 yards :

#### Week 5: at New York Giants

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Giants | 7 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 30 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
* Date: October 5
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 80,307
* Referee: Ed Hochuli
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NYG – Rueben Randle 3-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 6:40. Giants 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 83 yards, 5:06.
ATL – Steven Jackson 10-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 1:57. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:43.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 14:15. Falcons 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:33.
NYG – Josh Brown 49-yard field goal, 3:40. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 5:13.
ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 0:03. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 3:37.
Third quarter
ATL – Antone Smith 74-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:37. Falcons 20–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:20.
NYG – Andre Williams 3-yard run (Josh Brown kick), 2:05. Falcons 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 3:32.
Fourth quarter
NYG – Odell Beckham Jr. 3-yard pass from Eli Manning (Josh Brown kick), 10:02. Giants 24–20. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 5:22.
NYG – Josh Brown 50-yard field goal, 5:01. Giants 27–20. Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:22.
NYG – Josh Brown 26-yard field goal, 2:08. Giants 30–20. Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 2:26.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/45, 316 yards, TD, INT
NYG – Eli Manning – 19/30, 200 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 4 rushes, 38 yards
NYG – Andre Williams – 20 rushes, 65 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 105 yards
NYG – Preston Parker – 3 receptions, 61 yards :

#### Week 6: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 27 |
| Falcons | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: October 12
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,712
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 52-yard field goal, 9:41. Falcons 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:21.
Second quarter
CHI – Robbie Gould 25-yard field goal, 14:47. Tied 3–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 3:38.
CHI – Josh Morgan 3-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 5:59. Bears 10–3. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:37.
CHI – Robbie Gould 28-yard field goal, 0:02. Bears 13–3. Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards, 4:04.
Third quarter
ATL – Antone Smith 41-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:19. Bears 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:41.
ATL – Matt Bryant 54-yard field goal, 6:19. Tied 13–13. Drive: 10 plays, 33 yards, 3:19.
CHI – Matt Forte 6-yard run (kick failed), 5:06. Bears 19–13. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:13.
Fourth quarter
CHI – Matt Forte 9-yard run (Jay Cutler-Martellus Bennett pass), 10:07. Bears 27–13. Drive: 15 plays, 87 yards, 8:28.
Top passers
CHI – Jay Cutler – 26/38, 381 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 19/37, 271 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CHI – Matt Forte – 17 rushes, 80 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Steven Jackson – 6 rushes, 25 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Alshon Jeffery – 5 receptions, 136 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 4 receptions, 68 yards :

#### Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Ravens | 7 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 29 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: October 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 71,184
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Owen Daniels 5-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 11:47. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 1:49.
Second quarter
BAL – Bernard Pierce 1-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 2:38. Ravens 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:18.
BAL – Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 17–0. Drive: 3 plays, 33 yards, 0:37.
Third quarter
BAL – Justin Tucker 38-yard field goal, 11:28. Ravens 20–0. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 3:32.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:12. Ravens 20–7. Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 2:45.
BAL – Matt Ryan sacked in endzone by Terrell Suggs for a safety, 3:44. Ravens 22–7.
BAL – Torrey Smith 39-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Justin Tucker kick), 1:46. Ravens 29–7. Drive: 4 plays, 40 yards, 1:58.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/48, 228 yards, TD
BAL – Joe Flacco – 16/25, 258 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ATL – Steven Jackson – 8 rushes, 22 yards
BAL – Justin Forsett – 23 rushes, 95 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 100 yards, TD
BAL – Torrey Smith – 3 receptions, 81 yards, TD :

#### Week 8: vs. Detroit Lions
##### NFL International Series

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 10 | 12 | 22 |
| Falcons | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
at Wembley Stadium, London, England
* Date: October 26
* Game time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. EDT
* Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), overcast
* Game attendance: 83,532
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman and Charissa Thompson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 7-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 9:25. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:35.
ATL – Bear Pascoe 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:53. Falcons 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:26.
Second quarter
ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 3:45. Falcons 21–0. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:17.
Third quarter
DET – Matt Prater 22-yard field goal, 7:54. Falcons 21–3. Drive: 15 plays, 76 yards, 7:06.
DET – Golden Tate 59-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matt Prater kick), 4:38. Falcons 21–10. Drive: 3 plays, 44 yards, 1:44.
Fourth quarter
DET – Matt Prater 20-yard field goal, 14:10. Falcons 21–13. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:00.
DET – Theo Riddick 5-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (pass failed), 3:56. Falcons 21–19. Drive: 13 plays, 69 yards, 7:29.
DET – Matt Prater 48-yard field goal, 0:00. Lions 22–21. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 1:38.
Top passers
DET – Matthew Stafford – 24/47, 325 yards, 2 TD, INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/27, 228 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
DET – Joique Bell – 14 rushes, 39 yards
ATL – Steven Jackson – 18 rushes, 60 yards, TD
Top receivers
DET – Golden Tate – 7 receptions, 151 yards, TD
ATL – Roddy White – 5 receptions, 66 yards :

#### Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 27 |
| Buccaneers | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
* Date: November 9
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 57,751
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
TB – Patrick Murray 51-yard field goal, 6:24. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 47 yards, 8:36.
ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 0:51. Falcons 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 5:33.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 37-yard field goal, 7:09. Falcons 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 42 yards, 6:53.
TB – Mike Evans 22-yard pass from Josh McCown (Matt Bryant kick), 0:46. Tied 10–10. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 1:45.
ATL – Matt Bryant 43-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 0:46.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 10:23. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 4:37.
Fourth quarter
TB – Austin Seferian-Jenkins 1-yard pass from Josh McCown (Patrick Murray kick), 14:18. Buccaneers 17–16. Drive: 8 plays, 34 yards, 4:04.
ATL – Roddy White 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Ryan-Harry Douglas pass), 9:18. Falcons 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 5:00.
ATL – Matt Bryant 33-yard field goal, 4:10. Falcons 27–17. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:53.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/31, 219 yards, TD
TB – Josh McCown – 27/43, 301 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ATL – Steven Jackson – 16 rushes, 81 yards, TD
TB – Josh McCown – 5 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 8 receptions, 119 yards
TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 125 yards, TD :

#### Week 11: at Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 0 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 19 |
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: November 16
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 73,314
* Referee: Walt Anderson
* TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 23-yard field goal, 14:57. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 83 yards, 9:05.
ATL – Matt Bryant 34-yard field goal, 9:26. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:31.
ATL – Matt Bryant 42-yard field goal, 0:02. Falcons 6–3. Drive: 10 plays, 48 yards, 1:33.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 26-yard field goal, 12:07. Falcons 9–3. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:28.
ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 6:34. Falcons 16–3. Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:49.
Fourth quarter
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin 22-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 9:12. Falcons 16–10. Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 1:50.
CAR – Corey Brown 47-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 6:20. Panthers 17–16. Drive: 2 plays, 69 yards, 0:41.
ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 2:08. Falcons 19–17. Drive: 12 plays, 54 yards, 4:12.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/45, 268 yards, TD
CAR – Cam Newton – 23/37, 292 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ATL – Steven Jackson – 17 rushes, 41 yards
CAR – DeAngelo Williams – 10 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 75 yards, TD
CAR – Kelvin Benjamin – 9 receptions, 109 yards, TD :

#### Week 12: vs. Cleveland Browns

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: November 23
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 70,046
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 24-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:53. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 4:26.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 11-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 1:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:20.
Second quarter
CLE – Billy Cundiff 33-yard field goal, 13:17. Browns 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:37.
CLE – Billy Cundiff 37-yard field goal, 9:20. Browns 13–7. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 1:55.
ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers 8-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:55. Falcons 14–13. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 1:57.
Third quarter
CLE – Billy Cundiff 32-yard field goal, 9:46. Browns 16–14. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:14.
CLE – Isaiah Crowell 26-yard run (Billy Cundiff kick), 0:46. Browns 23–14. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:58.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Steven Jackson 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 9:31. Browns 23–21. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:15.
ATL – Matt Bryant 53-yard field goal, 0:44. Falcons 24–23. Drive: 7 plays, 20 yards, 1:58.
CLE – Billy Cundiff 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 26–24. Drive: 7 plays, 61 yards, 0:44.
Top passers
CLE – Brian Hoyer – 23/40, 322 yards, 3 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 27/43, 273 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Isaiah Crowell – 12 rushes, 88 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Steven Jackson – 13 rushes, 34 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Josh Gordon – 8 receptions, 120 yards
ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 96 yards :

#### Week 13: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
| Falcons | 17 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 29 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: November 30
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 69,557
* Referee: Terry McAulay
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
ATL – Levine Toilolo 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 11:39. Falcons 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 3:21.
ATL – Matt Bryant 20-yard field goal, 8:13. Falcons 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 2:20.
ATL – Julio Jones 32-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 5:48. Falcons 17–0. Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 0:39.
Second quarter
ARI – Rashad Johnson 88-yard interception return (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 14:07. Falcons 17–7.
ARI – Chandler Catanzaro 44-yard field goal, 2:42. Falcons 17–10. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:56.
ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Falcons 20–10. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 2:42.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 6:13. Falcons 23–10. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 4:47.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 45-yard field goal, 12:55. Falcons 26–10. Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 5:11.
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 2:30. Falcons 29–10. Drive: 11 plays, 44 yards, 4:47.
ARI – Stepfan Taylor 3-yard pass from Drew Stanton (Stepfan Taylor run), 1:05. Falcons 29–18. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:25.
Top passers
ARI – Drew Stanton – 24/39, 294 yards, TD, 2 INT
ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/41, 361 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
ARI – Marion Grice – 5 rushes, 16 yards
ATL – Steven Jackson – 18 rushes, 101 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Jaron Brown – 7 receptions, 75 yards
ATL – Julio Jones – 10 receptions, 189 yards, TD :
This was the Falcons' only win outside the NFC South division.

#### Week 14: at Green Bay Packers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 37 |
| Packers | 7 | 24 | 3 | 9 | 43 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
* Date: December 8
* Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), flurries
* Game attendance: 77,512
* Referee: Pete Morelli
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
GB – James Starks 3-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 11:13. Packers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:47.
ATL – Steven Jackson 4-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 7:00. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:13.
Second quarter
GB – Eddie Lacy 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 14:55. Packers 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 7:05.
GB – Mason Crosby 38-yard field goal, 7:17. Packers 17–7. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:56.
GB – Eddie Lacy 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:20. Packers 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 2:07.
GB – Jordy Nelson 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:24. Packers 31–7. Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 2:11.
Third quarter
ATL – Eric Weems 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:35. Packers 31–14. Drive: 5 plays, 82 yards, 2:25.
ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 8:20. Packers 31–17. Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 2:31.
GB – Mason Crosby 33-yard field goal, 3:57. Packers 34–17. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:23.
Fourth quarter
ATL – Julio Jones 22-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 12:33. Packers 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:24.
GB – Jordy Nelson 60-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (kick failed), 10:38. Packers 40–24. Drive: 4 plays, 74 yards, 1:55.
ATL – Roddy White 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (pass failed), 6:15. Packers 40–30. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 4:23.
GB – Mason Crosby 53-yard field goal, 4:33. Packers 43–30. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:42.
ATL – Harry Douglas 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 2:11. Packers 43–37. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 2:22.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/39, 375 yards, 4 TD, INT
GB – Aaron Rodgers – 24/36, 327 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
ATL – Steven Jackson – 16 rushes, 50 yards, TD
GB – James Starks – 10 rushes, 75 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 11 receptions, 259 yards, TD
GB – Jordy Nelson – 8 receptions, 146 yards, 2 TD :

#### Week 15: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 6 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| Falcons | 0 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 20 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: December 14
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 71,161
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Shaun Suisham 38-yard field goal, 9:08. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:51.
PIT – Shaun Suisham 38-yard field goal, 0:02. Steelers 6–0. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:01.
Second quarter
PIT – William Gay 52-yard interception return (Shaun Suisham kick), 14:46. Steelers 13–0.
ATL – Devin Hester 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 4:19. Steelers 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 5:29.
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 1-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 0:27. Steelers 20–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 3:52.
Third quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 28-yard field goal, 11:00. Steelers 20–10. Drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 4:00.
ATL – Matt Bryant 22-yard field goal, 2:40. Steelers 20–13. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:04.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Le'Veon Bell 13-yard run (Shaun Suisham kick), 14:11. Steelers 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:29.
ATL – Roddy White 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 10:21. Steelers 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 3:50.
Top passers
PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 27/35, 360 yards
ATL – Matt Ryan – 26/37, 310 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
PIT – Le'Veon Bell – 20 rushes, 47 yards, 2 TD
ATL – Steven Jackson – 11 rushes, 46 yards
Top receivers
PIT – Antonio Brown – 10 receptions, 123 yards
ATL – Harry Douglas – 10 receptions, 131 yards :
The Falcons were the only NFC South team to lose to all of their AFC North opponents.

#### Week 16: at New Orleans Saints

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Falcons | 3 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
| Saints | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
* Date: December 21
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 73,164
* Referee: John Parry
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
NO – Mark Ingram 1-yard run (Shayne Graham kick), 14:40. Saints 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:20.
ATL – Matt Bryant 44-yard field goal, 11:15. Saints 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 3:25.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 50-yard field goal, 11:48. Saints 7–6. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 4:03.
ATL – Eric Weems 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:03. Falcons 13–7. Drive: 15 plays, 89 yards, 5:33.
Third quarter
ATL – Devonta Freeman 31-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), 5:42. Falcons 20–7. Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 3:40.
Fourth quarter
NO – Jimmy Graham 4-yard pass from Drew Brees (Shayne Graham kick), 5:48. Falcons 20–14. Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 3:40.
ATL – Matt Bryant 32-yard field goal, 1:56. Falcons 23–14. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 0:32.
ATL – Osi Umenyiora 86-yard fumble return (Matt Bryant kick), 0:00. Falcons 30–14.
Top passers
ATL – Matt Ryan – 30/40, 322 yards, TD
NO – Drew Brees – 30/47, 313 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
ATL – Devonta Freeman – 5 rushes, 36 yards, TD
NO – Mark Ingram – 13 rushes, 38 yards, TD
Top receivers
ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 107 yards
NO – Marques Colston – 6 receptions, 80 yards :
With the win, the Falcons swept the Saints for the 1st time since 2005 and eliminated them from postseason contention.

#### Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 10 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
| Falcons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
* Game attendance: 71,015
* Referee: Bill Leavy
* TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
* Recap, Gamebook
Game information :
First quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 21-yard field goal, 7:50. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 7:10.
CAR – Ed Dickson 5-yard pass from Cam Newton (Graham Gano kick), 0:04. Panthers 10–0. Drive: 10 plays, 87 yards, 4:45.
Second quarter
ATL – Matt Bryant 21-yard field goal, 10:36. Panthers 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 4:28.
CAR – Roman Harper 31-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 4:18. Panthers 17–3.
CAR – Cam Newton 4-yard run (Graham Gano kick), 1:47. Panthers 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 4 yards, 0:07.
Third quarter
CAR – Graham Gano 48-yard field goal, 8:43. Panthers 27–3. Drive: 8 plays, 29 yards, 4:35.
CAR – Tre Boston 84-yard interception return (Graham Gano kick), 0:07. Panthers 34–3.
Fourth quarter
No scoring plays.
Top passers
CAR – Cam Newton – 10/16, 114 yards, TD
ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/47, 260 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
CAR – Cam Newton – 6 rushes, 51 yards, TD
ATL – Jacquizz Rodgers – 9 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
CAR – Corey Brown – 1 reception, 28 yards
ATL – Roddy White – 8 receptions, 104 yards :

## Standings
### Division

NFC South :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(4)}$ Carolina Panthers | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 339 | 374 | W4 |
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 401 | 424 | W1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | 381 | 417 | L1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | 277 | 410 | L6 |

### Conference

NFCviewtalkedit :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .525 | .513 | W6 |
| 2 | Green Bay Packers | North | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .482 | .440 | W2 |
| 3 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .445 | .422 | W4 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 8 | 1 | .469 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .357 | W4 |
| Wild Cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .523 | .477 | L2 |
| 6 | Detroit Lions | North | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .471 | .392 | L1 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 7 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .490 | .416 | W1 |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2–4 | 7–5 | .527 | .508 | W1 |
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .486 | .415 | W1 |
| 10 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 1–5 | 6–6 | .475 | .308 | W1 |
| 11 | New York Giants | East | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .512 | .323 | L1 |
| 12 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 5–1 | 6–6 | .482 | .380 | L1 |
| 13 | St. Louis Rams | West | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .531 | .427 | L3 |
| 14 | Chicago Bears | North | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .529 | .338 | L5 |
| 15 | Washington Redskins | East | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | .496 | .422 | L1 |
| 16 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .486 | .469 | L6 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 3 Seattle, Green Bay and Dallas were ranked in seeds 1–3 based on conference record. 1 2 Arizona defeated Detroit head-to-head (Week 11, 14–6). 1 2 New Orleans defeated Minnesota head-to-head (Week 3, 20–9). 1 2 3 The NY Giants defeated both Atlanta and St. Louis head-to-head (Atlanta: Week 5, 30–20; St. Louis: Week 16, 37–27), while Atlanta finished ahead of St. Louis 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. ||||||||||||

## Use of artificial crowd noise

Shortly after the end of the post-season the Falcons were investigated by the League for piping artificial crowd noise during opponent's offensive snaps at home games during the 2013 season and the 2014 season. Team owner Arthur Blank stated that he was "angry and embarrassed" about the allegations, and has allegedly acknowledged the validity of the accusations, stating "I think what we've done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong", and promising to cooperate fully with the investigation. The NFL fined the Falcons $350,000 and took away a fifth round draft pick in the 2016 draft as punishment.