2004 Atlanta Falcons season The 2004 Atlanta Falcons season was the Falcons ' inaugural season under head coach Jim L . Mora . The Falcons finished the season 11 - 5 and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship . Regular season results . Week 1 . The Falcons began their season by traveling to San Francisco , where Falcons head coach Jim L . Mora had coached the last five years as the 49ers defensive coordinator , to play the San Francisco 49ers . The Falcons scored first with a 15 yard touchdown pass from Michael Vick to Alge Crumpler . In the second quarter the Falcons scored again with a two yard touchdown run by Warrick Dunn . Dunn ran for a second rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter this one from nine yards out . The 49ers did battle back with two touchdown passes from Tim Rattay late in the fourth quarter . At the end of the game the 49ers could have tied the game at 21points with a two point conversion . There attempt at a two point conversion failed as Tim Rattay ’ s pass to Brandon Lloyd was defended by Rod Coleman . Tight end Alge Crumpler finished the game with 6 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown ; at that time it was Crumpler ’ s second best game of his career Week 2 . For the Falcons home opener the 1 - 0 St . Louis Rams came to the Georgia Dome to take on the 1 - 0 Atlanta Falcons . The Falcons started their second drive of the game from their own 18 yard line when Michael Vick dumped a pass off to his full back Justin Griffith . Griffith took the ball all the way to the St . Louis 20 for a 62 yard gain . 4 plays later Vick found Griffith again this time for a 3 yard touchdown pass to give the Falcons the lead 7 to 0 . In the second quarter Vick set up the Falcons second score of the game , with a 14 yard run to the St . Louis 2 yard line . Vick ’ s run was followed by Warrick Dunn scoring the Falcons second touchdown of the game . After Jay Feely ’ s extra point the falcons had the lead 14 to 0 . On the following drive the Ram ’ s offence moved the ball 82 yards to the Falcon ’ s 1 yard line where Marshall Faulk caped of the drive with a 1 yard touchdown run . Vick and the Falcons got the ball back with 1 : 06 left before half time . Vick ’ s 3 rushes on the drive for 20 , 14 , and 18 yards put Falcons kicker Jay Feely in range for a 35 yard field goal with 6 seconds left in the half . The Falcon ’ s went in to half time with a 10 point lead . In the third quarter Ram ’ s QB Mark Bulger completed 4 of 5 passes as he moved the ball down the field on an 80 yard touchdown drive . The drive was capped off with a 33 yard touchdown pass to Tory Holt , which cut the Falcons lead 3 points . Later in the third quarter the rams tied the when Jeff Wilkins hit a 46 yard field goal to make the score 17 to 17 . On the next drive Vick completed 3 of his 4 pass attempts for 48 yards . He then set up another Warrick Dunn 2 yard touchdown run with a 7 yard rush from the St . Louis 9 yard line . Because of a taunting penalty on the kick off the rams started their ensuing drive on their own 10 yard line . On first down Patrick Kerney sacked Ram ’ s QB Mark Bulger at the St . Louis 1 yard line . Backed up at their own 1 yard line Bulger and the Rams wanted to try to make a big play ( after the game Bulger said “ I was going for a home run , ” ) . When Bulger dropped back to pass in his own end zone Falcon ’ s defensive end Brady Smith got in to the back field , and took the ball right from Bulger ’ s hand for a touchdown . Bulger almost got the pass off for what could have been a 99 yard touchdown for the Rams . " I was a half - second away from letting the ball go . . . . It could have been a touchdown the other way . " Said Bulger after the game . The Falcons kicked one more field goal before the game ended to make the final score Falcons 34 , Rams 17 . . For the third time in his career Vick ran for more than 100 yards in a game ; he finished the game with 109 . For the second week in a row Warrick Dunn ran for 2 touchdowns . Week 3 . In week 3 the winless Arizona Cardinals came to the Georgia Dome to play the unbeaten Atlanta Falcons . On the Falcons first drive , running back Warrick Dunn ran for a 60 yard gain that put the Falcons at the Arizona 8 yard line . 4 plays after the long Warrick Dunn run the Falcons took the lead ( 3 to 0 ) with a 25 yard Jay Feely field goal . Early in the second quarter Arizona punter Scott Player punted the ball to Falcons ’ punt and kick returner Allen Rossum . Rossum returned the punt 30 yards to give the Falcons great field position at the Arizona 39 yard line . The Falcons were unable to score a touchdown on the drive , but Feely did kick a 23 yard field goal to make the score 6 to 0 . Late in the second quarter Falcons ’ defensive tackle Rod Coleman sacked and forced a fumble by Cardinals ’ quarterback Josh McCown . Cloeman also recovered the fumble to give the Falcons the ball at the Arizona 13 yard line . The Falcons were unable to capitalize on the turnover , and Michael Vick fumbled at the Arizona 8 yard line , which gave the Cardinals the ball back with 27 seconds left in the first half . After the Falcons punted on their first possession to start the second half 4 consecutive drives ended in turnovers : • Coleman recorded his second forced fumble of the game • On the ensuing Falcons drive Vick fumbled for the second time • Falcons ’ defensive end Brady Smith forced a third McCown fumble • 2 plays later Vick was intercepted by Cardinals ’ safety Adrian Wilson Wilson ’ s interception gave the Cardinals ’ great field possession . The Cardinals were only able to gain 6 yards on the drive , but Neil Rackers 30 yard field goal shrunk the Falcons ’ lead to 3 points . Later in the fourth quarter both teams fumbled again . Dunn fumbled at his own 21 yard line which put Arizona in range to kick a game tying field goal , but 2 plays later Arizona wide receiver Karl Williams fumbled , which gave the ball to Atlanta . On the Falcons final drive , Vick sealed the victory with a 58 yard run . The rush was the longest of Vick ’ s career . After the game Vick admitted he was thinking about more than winning the game during his 58 yard run . " I was thinking about getting the first down and getting out of bounds … but then I was thinking about the type of game I was having and decided I can make something happen . I wanted to score , ” said Vick . Week 4 . In week 4 the still unbeaten Atlanta Falcons traveled to Carolina to play the 1 and 1 Carolina Panthers . In the Falcons ’ first drive of the game Michael Vick completed his first pass to wide receiver Dez White for 19 yards , and his second to Justin Griffith for 18 . Vick ’ s passes were followed by a 38 yard touchdown run by Warrick Dunn which gave the Falcons ’ an early lead ( 7 to 0 ) . On the next drive Carolina wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad had two big receptions for 34 and 23 yard gains . Following Muhammad ’ s 23 yard catch , running back DeShaun Foster scored on a 1 yard touchdown run . Foster ’ s run tied the game at 7 points . The first quarter action continued Atlanta tight end Alge Crumpler caught 3 passes from Vick , for 17 , 5 , and , 24 yard gains , that put the Falcons in range for Jay Feely to kick a 47 yard field goal , which put the Falcons back on top 10 to 7 . Early in the second quarter the Falcons put together another good drive which resulted in a successful Feely Field goal attempt . Feely ’ s 2nd field goal extended the Falcons ’ lead to 6 points , and capped off the Falcons third consecutive scouring drive . Late in the first half Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme completed 8 of 9 passes to put Carolina kicker John Kasay in range to hit a 26 yard field goal with 46 seconds left in the half . Kasay ’ s kick brought the score to 13 to 10 going in to half time . Neither team scored again until early in the fourth quarter when Falcon defensive back Kevin Mathis intercepted a Delhomme pass , and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown . Later in the fourth quarter Carolina punter Todd Sauerbrun punted the ball to Atlanta return man Allen Rossum who returned the punt 25 yards to the Carolina 40 yard line . Following the return by Rossum , Atlanta turned to running back T . J . Duckett . Duckett carried the ball 5 times for 36 yards , the last of which was a 4 yard touchdown . Duckett ’ s touchdown gave the Falcons a 17 point lead with only 4 : 16 left in the ball game . The panthers were unable to score in the last 4 minutes , and the Falcons won 27 to 10 . After the game Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers spoke about how they might have paid too much attention to Vick . " We get sidetracked as a team , as a defensive unit , in thinking we ' ve got to stop one person . There ' s 10 other people out there . . . if you focus on just one , someone else will kill you , " said Peppers after the game . Week 5 . In week 5 , the Falcons played the Detroit Lions at the Georgia Dome . The Lions came in to the game with 2 wins and 1 loss , and the Falcons were at a perfect 4 wins and 0 losses . Neither team scored until the Falcons ’ first drive of the second quarter . On fourth and 6 , at their own 36 yard line , the Falcons faked a punt , and punter Chris Mohr completed a 26 yard pass to wide receiver Brian Finneran . 4 plays later the Falcons faced another fourth down . With 5 yards to go for the first down , Michael Vick completed a 10 yard pass to Finneran for the first down . With the help of some fourth down conversions and Detroit penalties the Falcons managed to find the end zone when Warrick Dunn scored on a 2 yard touchdown run . Detroit followed with a scouring drive of their own when Lions ’ quarterback Joey Harrington completed a 39 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Az - Zahir Hakim . The Hakim touchdown evened the score at 7 . The Falcons got the ball back with 3 : 20 left in the half . The first play of the Falcons ’ drive was also their last . Vick threw an interception to Lions ’ linebacker Alex Lewis who returned the ball to the Atlanta 2 yard line . 3 plays after the interception Detroit running back Artose Pinner ran in for a 1 yard touchdown that gave the Lions a 7 point advantage . The Falcons got the ball back with less than 2 minutes left in the half . Vick completed a 49 yard pass to wide receiver Peerless Price , but 4 plays later the Falcons turned the ball over after an unsuccessful fourth down conversion . The teams went in to half time with the Lions winning 14 to 7 . The only scoring in the third quarter was a 23 yard field goal by Jason Hanson . The field goal was setup by Atlanta return man Allen Rossum who muffed a punt to give the Lions the ball at Atlanta ’ s 16 yard line . Atlanta kicked another field goal before the game ended . . The Falcons lost 10 to 17 . It was the Falcons ’ first loss of the 2004 season . Vick fumbled 3 times in the loss and had this to say about it after the game : “ I was caught up looking for receivers and got careless with the ball . The bottom line is I should have had the ball tucked away . " Week 6 . The Atlanta Falcons came into week 6 trying to avoid back to back losses . Their opponent in week 6 was the San Diego Chargers who were 3 and 2 . The Falcons scored first when Michael Vick completed a 19 yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler in the second quarter . The touchdown gave the Falcons the lead 7 to 0 . On the next drive San Diego quarterback Drew Brees completed 2 passes to wide receiver Eric Parker for 15 and 14 yards . Parker ’ s receptions helped move the Chargers to the 1 yard line where running back LaDainian Tomlinson scored , on a 1 yard touchdown rush , to tie the game at 7 points . The Falcons got the ball back with 1 : 13 left before half time , but their drive was ended when Vick threw an interception to Chargers corner back Drayton Florence . The interception gave the Chargers the ball at Atlanta ’ s 39 yard line , and it only took Brees 3 plays find Parker for a 17 yard touchdown pass . At half time the Chargers were winning 14 to 7 . The Chargers extended their lead in the third quarter when kicker Nate Kaeding hit a 53 yard field goal to make the score 17 to 7 . Early in the fourth quarter Vick completed a 50 yard pass to wide receiver Peerless Price . 3 plays later Vick ran for a 14 yard touchdown , which made the score 17 to 14 . The Falcons defense then forced the Chargers to punt the ball back to the Falcons . Atlanta got the ball back at the Chargers ’ 47 yard line . 3 plays after the punt , Vick threw a 32 yard touchdown to wide receiver Dez White . Vick ’ s second touchdown pass of the game gave the Falcons a 4 point lead . The Chargers kicked a field goal on their next possession which brought them within one point of the Falcons . The Falcons got the ball back with 5 : 55 left in the game . They held on to the ball for the rest of the game , and they won 21 to 20 . The Falcons sixth game was their fifth win of the year . In 2003 the Falcons did not get 5 wins until their 17th game . " Michael Vick did what Michael Vick can do , and that ' s run all over the place with the ball and create first downs , " San Diego head coach Marty Schottenheimer commented . Week 7 . In week 7 , the 5 - 1 Falcons traveled to Kansas City to play the 1 - 4 Kansas City Chiefs . On the Falcons first drive Michael Vick ’ s 32 yard run got the Falcons into field goal Range , and 3 plays later the Falcons scored when kicker Jay Feely hit a 19 yard field goal to give the Falcons the lead 3 to 0 . On the Chiefs first offensive play from scrimmage Falcons defensive tackle Ed Jasper forced and recovered a fumble by Chiefs running back Priest Holmes . The Falcons were unable to capitalize on the turnover , and turned the ball over on downs 4 plays later . The Chiefs were able to get points from the Falcons ’ turn over . On the Chiefs drive following the turnover , Holmes ran for 38 yards on 4 rushes including a 15 yard touchdown run which gave the Chiefs the lead 7 to 3 . Later in the first quarter Michael Vick was intercepted by Chiefs defensive back Greg Wesley . When the Chiefs got the ball back , after the interception , Holmes quickly got his team in to the red zone when he took a pass from quarterback Trent Green 33 yards to the Atlanta 7 yard line . One play after Holmes ’ reception Chiefs running back Derrick Blaylock scored on a 7 yard touchdown run . The Falcons fell behind 14 to 3 . Holmes scored on the Chiefs next 2 possessions which extended the Chiefs ’ lead to a huge 25 point margin ( 28 to 3 ) . Before the half was over Holmes scored again giving the Chiefs a 35 to 3 lead . The Chiefs got the ball back after half time , but were forced to punt . They punted the ball away to Allen Rossum who returned it 75 yards for a touchdown . Rossum ’ s return was the only touchdown the Falcons scored the entire game . The Chiefs followed Rossum ’ s return with an 80 yard scoring drive which was capped off by Blaylock ’ s second touchdown of the game . The Falcons could not answer back . On their next drive the Falcons turned the ball over on downs again . Following the Atlanta turnover the Chiefs again drove the ball down the field , and Blaylock scored his 3rd touchdown . The Falcons next 2 drives ended in failed fourth down conversions . The Chiefs final drive of the game ended with Blaylock ’ s 4th rushing touchdown of the game . The final score was 56 to 10 . Both Holmes and Blaylock scored 4 rushing touchdowns in the game . The Falcons only gained 222 total yards which was their worst total in the 2004 season . The Falcons also gave up 271 rushing yards which was also their worst total for the season . The Chiefs 8 rushing touch downs set a new NFL record . Blaylock commented on the record setting day after the game , " They had , like , the No . 1 rushing defense , but once we started moving the ball on them we just kept moving the ball . We got in a rhythm . And eight touchdowns later , we ' ve got the record . " Falcons coach Jim Mora could only joke about the circumstance , " I am honored to be a part of history . We have done a tremendous job of stopping the run . So it just emphasized how well they played . Their O - line was doing such an excellent , tremendous job , it might not have mattered who was in there . " Week 8 . In week 8 the 5 - 2 Falcons went to Denver to play the 5 - 2 Denver Broncos . The Broncos began the game with a 69 yard scoring drive that ended with a 1 yard touchdown pass from Jake Plummer to tight end Patrick Hape . On the Falcons first drive , Michael Vick broke away for a 44 yard run which got the Falcons to the Denver 23 yard line . The Falcons were forced to settle for a field goal which made the score 7 to 3 . Denver got the ball back and it only took one play for Plummer to find wide receiver Rod Smith for a 80 yard touchdown pass . Smith ’ s reception made the score 14 to 3 . Early in the second quarter the Falcons got their first touchdown of the game when T . J . Duckett scored on a 21 yard touchdown run . The Broncos next drive ended in a turnover . Falcons ’ defensive end Patrick Kerney intercepted Plummer . Following Kerney ’ s Interception Atlanta scored again when Vick threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Peerless Price . Price ’ s touchdown gave Atlanta the lead and made the score 17 to 14 . Later in the second quarter Atlanta line backer Keith Brooking intercepted Plummer and gave Atlanta the ball in Denver territory with just over a minute left in the first half . Atlanta was able to get a field goal before half time . On Atlanta ’ s first drive of the second half , tight end Alge Crumpler caught passes for 12 and 18 yards . Vick then ran for a 15 yard gain and moved the ball to the Denver 5 yard line . On the next play , Warrick Dunn scored with a 5 touchdown run . Late in the 3rd quarter , Atlanta ’ s rookie wide receiver Michael Jenkins made his first reception in the NFL . Jenkins ’ first reception was a 46 yard gain to the Denver 36 yard line . 2 plays later Vick threw his second touchdown pass of the game to Price . The 25 yard touchdown made the score 34 to 14 . On the ensuing drive , Plummer threw for his 3rd touchdown of the game . His 3rd touchdown was a 7 yard pass to Darius Watts . Later in the 4th quarter , Falcons corner back Kevin Mathis intercepted a pass from Plummer and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown . It was Plummer 3rd pick of the game . Before the game ended Plummer threw his 4th touchdown of the game . His final touchdown of the game was a 35 yard pass to wide receiver Ashley Lelie . The Falcons won their 6th game of the year with a final score of 41 to 28 . Crumpler finished the game with 7 receptions for 86 yards . Plummer threw for 499 yards in his loss to the Falcons and had this to say about it " If I had thrown for 2 yards and we ' d won , I ' d be the happiest guy in here right now . " Week 10 . In week 10 , the Falcons played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Georgia Dome . Michael Vick ’ s 45 yard pass to Alge Crumpler helped put the Falcons in field goal range on their first drive . 4 plays after Vick ’ s long completion , Jay Feely hit a 33 yard field goal to give Atlanta an early 3 point lead . On the Falcons second drive Vick helped set up a second touchdown when he broke away for a 41 yard run . 2 plays later running back T . J . Duckett scored on a 2 yard touchdown run . Early in the second quarter , Duckett ran for his second touchdown of the game . Duckett ’ s second touchdown was from 1 yard out and gave the Falcons a 17 point lead . The Buccaneers scored their first points of the game with 5 : 48 left in the 2nd quarter . Tampa Bay quarterback Brian Griese hit wide receiver Michael Clayton for a 25yard touchdown pass , and made the score 17 to 3 . In the 3rd quarter Ronde Barber intercepted a pass from Vick and gave Tampa Bay the ball in Atlanta territory . 4 plays after the turnover Griese threw a 22 yard touchdown to tight end Ken Dilger . Griese ’ s second touchdown cut the Falcons lead to 3 points . The Falcons brought their lead back to 10 points in the 4th quarter when Vick threw a 49 yard touchdown to Crumpler . The Falcons defense had 7 sacks in the game . Crumpler had 118 yards in the game which was a career high . Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman had this to say about Atlanta ’ s 7 sack performance , " Sometimes , they had three guys on me . I was just laughing . They were wasting three guys on me , but their quarterback was on the ground . " Week 11 . In week 11 the Falcons went to New York to play the New York Giants . Giant ’ s quarterback Eli Manning made his first NFL start in the game . On the Falcons opening drive , Michael Vick ran for gains of 7 , 20 , and 24 yards and finished the drive with a 6 yard touchdown pass to Alge Crumpler . Early in the 2nd quarter , Vicks threw another touchdown pass to Crumpler to make the score 14 to 0 . Late in the 2nd quarter , Manning threw his first interception of his career . Manning ’ s pass was picked off by Atlanta corner Jason Webster . Atlanta tried to kick a 46 yard field goal before the half expired , but Jay Feely ’ s attempt was no good . In the 3rd quarter Manning moved the Giant ’ s offense down the field and finished it with his first touchdown of his NFL career . Mannings first touchdown was a 6 yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeremy Shockey . Later in the 3rd quarter Manning threw another interception . Manning ’ s second interception was made by Atlanta defensive end Brady Smith . In the 4th quarter Giants kicker Steve Christie hit a 24 yard field goal to make the score 14 to 10 . The win brought the Falcons to 8 - 2 . Falcons coach Jim Mora had this to say about Vick after the game , " Mike wins . You look at his record , it ' s not always pretty in terms of statistics and quarterback rating . You might need to throw those things out when you talk about Mike Vick . He just wins . " Week 12 . In week 12 , the Falcons played the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome . In the 1st quarter Michael Vick threw a 24 yard pass to Alge Crumpler which put the ball at the New Orleans 16 yard line . Vick ran for a 16 yard touchdown one play after his completion to Crumpler . In the 2nd quarter Vick threw a 25 yard pass to receiver Peerless Price . Price ’ s reception moved the ball to the Saint ’ s 1 yard line and set up Vicks 1 yard touchdown pass to fullback Stanley Pritchett on the next play . Saints ’ kicker John Carney made 2 field goals in the second quarter to make the score 14 to 6 . With 38 seconds left in the 1st half Michael Vicks ’ s second cousin Aaron Brooks threw an interception to Falcons cornerback Allen Rossum . Rossum returned the pick 14 yards to the Saint ’ s 26 yard line and the Falcons were able to kick a field goal before halftime . The Saints got the ball to start the 3rd quarter . On their first drive the Saints offense moved the ball to the Atlanta 19 yard line but their field goal attempt was blocked by Falcons defensive tackle Ed Jasper . Later in the 3rd quarter , Brooks scored on a 1 yard touchdown run . The Saints scored on a 2 point conversion . The 2 point conversion was caught by New Orleans receiver Joe Horn . In the 4th quarter Brooks threw a 7 yard touchdown to Horn and gave New Orleans the lead 21 to 17 . With 1 : 56 left in the game Atlanta was down by 4 points and had the ball at the New Orleans 47 yard line . On their first play of the drive Vick completed a 27 yard pass to Crumpler and on their second play Vick threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Crumpler . On the Saints final drive , Brooks threw an interception to Atlanta cornerback DeAngelo Hall . Crumpler had this to say about his game winning touchdown grab , " Me and Mike have a great connection . We work on that all week in practice - - the scramble drill . Mike put the ball in a great spot . " Week 13 . In week 13 , the Falcons played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium . Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman finished the Bucks first drive of the game with a 4 yard rushing touchdown . Early in the second quarter , Michael Vick threw an interception to Tampa Bay line backer Derrick Brooks . Brooks intercepted the ball in his own end zone for a touchback . Tampa Bay ’ s drive following the interception ended with a 50 yard Jay Taylor field goal . The Falcons ’ next drive was ended when Brooks forced Vick to fumble . Tampa Bay recovered Vick ’ s fumble at their own 47 yard line . Taylor capitalized on Vick ’ s second fumble with a 30 yard field goal and extended the Bucks lead to 13 to 0 . In the 3rd quarter , Vick Fumbled again when he was sacked by Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice . Just one play after Vick ’ s fumble , Tampa Bay quarterback Brian Griese connected with wide receiver Joey Galloway for a 36 yard touchdown . In the 4th quarter Tampa Bay fullback Mike Alstott scored on a 1 yard touchdown run . The Buccaneers won 27 to 0 . The Falcons turned the ball over 5 times in the game . Week 14 . In week 14 , the Atlanta Falcons played the Oakland Raiders at the Georgia Dome . The Raiders scored on their second drive with a 52 yard field goal by kicker Sebastian Janikowski . Atlanta scored their first points of the game in the second quarter . T . J . Duckett ran for a 28 ran touchdown and gave Atlanta the lead 7 to 3 . On the ensuing drive Falcon ’ s safety Aaron Beasley forced a fumble from Oakland running back J . R . Redmond . The Falcons turned Redmond ’ s turnover into points when Duckett finished another drive with a touchdown . Atlanta scored again in the 2nd quarter when Falcons ’ defensive tackle Rod Coleman intercepted a pass from Kerry Collins and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown . Coleman played for the Raiders for 5 years before becoming a Falcon . The Falcons went into half time winning 21 to 3 . On the opening drive of the 2nd half , Duckett scored his 3rd rushing touchdown of the game . Duckett ’ s 3rd touchdown was from 4 yards out and gave extended Atlanta ’ s lead to 28 to 3 . Duckett also scored a 1 yard touchdown to cap off the Falcons first drive of the fourth quarter . The Raiders also scored a touchdown in the 4th quarter when running back Zack Crockett scored a 1 yard touchdown . With the win Atlanta clinched the NFC South division championship . Duckett scored a career high 4 touchdown in the game . Week 15 . In week 15 , the Atlanta Falcons played the Carolina Panthers in the Georgia Dome . Early in the 1st quarter Panther ’ s quarterback Jake Delhomme was sacked by Falcon ’ s linebacker Keith Brooking . Delhomme then fumbled and the ball was recovered by Atlanta defensive tackle Chad Lavalais at the Carolina 40 yard line . The Falcons scored after the turnover when Michael Vick threw a 3 yard pass to Falcon ’ s wide receiver Brian Finneran for a touchdown . The Falcons kicked a field goal early in the second quarter to make the score 10 to 0 . Following the Falcon ’ s field goal , the Panthers drove down the field goal and scored when Delhomme threw a 6 yard touchdown to Muhsin Muhammad . The Panthers kicked a field goal before half time to make the score 10 to 10 at halftime . Running back Warrick Dunn carried the ball 9 times for 45 yards including a 6 yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the 2nd half . The Falcons scored again in the 3rd quarter when Vick threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dez White . Late in the 3rd quarter Vick was intercepted for the second time of the game by Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble . The Panthers turned Vicks second interception in to points when Delhomme threw a 11 yard touchdown to tight end Kris Mangum . 2 minutes later in the 4th quarter , Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers recovered a fumble by Vick and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown . Peppers touchdown tied the game at 24 to 24 . The next time the Panthers offence got the ball Delhomme threw a 43 yard pass to wide receiver Keary Colbert . 4 plays later Panther ’ s running back Nick Goings scored on a 5 yard touchdown run . Goings ’ touchdown gave the Panthers their first lead of the game with only 3 : 41 left in the game . With 1 : 44 left in the game the Falcons offense faced a 4th and goal at the Panther ’ s 12 yard line . The Falcons were down by 7 , and if they didn ’ t score on that 4th down , the Panthers would have retained possession and been able to run out the clock . Vick ran up the middle for the 12 yard touchdown which tied the game at 31 to 31 . The Panthers were unable to score on the final drive of the 4th quarter so the game went into overtime . The Panthers got the ball first to start sudden death overtime but on 3rd and 9 Delhomme was intercepted by Falcons ’ safety Aaron Beasley . 3 plays later the Falcons kicked a field goal and won 34 to 31 . There were 4 touchdowns scored in the 4th quarter . Vick commented on his spectacular game tying touchdown run after the game , " Everyone else had their backs turned to me , so that is why I was able to make it to the end zone . I was lucky to get in there . " Week 16 . In week 16 , the Falcons played the New Orleans Saints in the Louisiana Super Dome . With a record of 11 - 3 , the Falcons were set to be the second seed in the 2004 NFC Playoffs . Quarterback Matt Schaub started in place of Michael Vick . In the 1st quarter Schaub was sacked in the end zone by Saint ’ s defensive tackle Tony Bryant for a safety . The Saints also kicked a field goal in the 1st quarter to give them a 5 to 0 lead . On the first play of the 2nd quarter Schaub threw a short pass to Warrick Dunn , who ran 59 yards to the New Orleans yard line . 4 plays later Jay Feely kicked a 25 yard field goal . On the Saint ’ s next drive Aaron Brooks threw an interception to Keith Brooking who returned the pick 27 yards to the New Orleans ’ s 11 yard line . Feely kicked a 20 yard field goal to give the Falcons the lead 6 to 5 . Brooks ’ 18 yard pass to Joe Horn helped the Saint ’ s move the ball down the field for a touchdown . The drive ended when Brooks ’ scored on a 1 yard touchdown run which put the Saints back up 12 to 6 . In the 3rd quarter Donte Stallworth scored on a 39 yard pass from Brooks . Dunn scored on a 16 yard touchdown run , but on the following kickoff Saint ’ s return man Michael Lewis returned the kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown . Neither team scored in the in the 4th quarter , and the Saints won 26 to 13 . The Falcons playoff status was unaffected by the loss . Week 17 . In week 17 the Falcons played the Seattle Seahawks at Quest Field . It was the final game of the regular season for the Falcons and Seahawks . The Seahawks were forced to punt on their first drive and Falcon ’ s line backer Demorrio Williams blocked Ken Walter ’ s punt . The Falcons scored on their next drive when Vick threw a 2 yard touchdown to Peerless Price . Later in the 1st quarter Seahawk ’ s running back Shaun Alexander scored a 1 yard touchdown . In the second quarter Jay Feely kicked a 33 yard field goal . On the 4th play of the Seahawk ’ s next drive cornerback DeAngelo Hall intercepted a pall from Seahawk ’ s quarterback Matt Hasselbeck , and returned the pick 48 yards for a touchdown . Hasselbeck ’ s pass was intended for , the NFL ’ s all - time leading receiver , Jerry Rice . Hasselbeck redeemed himself on the next drive when he threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darrell Jackson . In the 3rd quarter Matt Schaub was intercepted by Seattle cornerback Marcus Trufant . Hasselbeck finished off the next drive with another 3 yard touchdown pass . Hasselbeck ’ s second touchdown was to tight end Jerramy Stevens . Early in the 4th quarter Feely kicked a 40 yard field goal . The Seahawks followed Feely ’ s field goal with another touchdown drive . Seattle ’ s scouring drive was capped off by a 1 yard touchdown run by Hasselbeck . On the final timed play from scrimmage Schaub threw a 3 yard touchdown wide receiver Brian Finneran . Atlanta ’ s final touchdown made the score 26 to 28 with Seattle still leading . The Falcons attempted a 2 point conversion , but Warrick Dunn failed to cross the goal line . Postseason results . Divisional Playoffs . In the Divisional round of the playoffs the Falcons played the St . Louis Rams at the Georgia Dome . On the Falcons first drive Michael Vick ran for a 47 yard gain to the St . Louis 21 yard line . 2 plays later Vick threw a 18 yard touchdown to Alge Crumpler . The Rams also scored on their first drive when quarterback Mark Bulger threw a 57 yard touchdown to wide receiver Kevin Curtis . On the Falcons next drive Warrick Dunn ran for a 62 yard touchdown . On the Falcon ’ s 3rd possession Dunn scored again . Dunn ’ s 2nd rushing touchdown was from 19 yards out . The Ram ’ s offence scored again on their next possession . Bulger ’ s 2nd touchdown was a 2 yard pass to wide receiver Torry Holt . Running back T . J . Duckett ran 3 times for 29 yards on the Falcon ’ s next drive , but the drive ended when a fumble by Vick was recovered by Ram ’ s linebacker Tommy Polley . The Ram ’ s then went 3 and out , and were forced to punt . Kevin Stemke ’ s punt was returned 68 for a touchdown by Allen Rossum . Ram ’ s kicker Jeff Wilkins made a 55 yard field goal at the end of the 1st half . The Falcon ’ s had the lead at half time 28 to 17 . Early in the 2nd quarter Rossum returned a punt 39 yards to the St . Louis 32 yard line . Vick threw a 6 yard touchdown to wide receiver Peerless Price on the Falcons next drive . The Rams were forced to punt to Rossum again and he returned it 45 yards to the St . Louis 13 yard line . Jay Feely then kicked a 38 yard field goal which made the score 38 to 17 going into the 4th quarter . In the 4th quarter Falcon ’ s defensive end Brady Smith sacked Bulger in the Ram ’ s end zone for a safety . Duckett scored a 4 yard touchdown late in the 4th quarter . The Falcon ’ s won 47 to 17 . The Falcon ’ s ran for 327 yards which was a new franchise records . Rossum ’ s 152 return yards set a new NFL postseason record . Vick ran for 119 yard in the game which was also a new NFL postseason record . Dunn ran for 142 yards which was the most in Falcons postseason history . Ram ’ s safety Antuan Edwards had this to say about the loss : " Every person in this locker room is a little stunned . In all phases of the game , we got whipped . " NFC Championship . In the NFC Championship the Atlanta Falcons played the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field . In the first quarter on the Eagles first scouring , the Eagles ’ running back Brian Westbrook broke a 36 yard run to the Atlanta 25 yard line . On the next play Eagles ’ Donavan McNabb completed a 21 yard pass to tight end L . J . Smith . Dorsey Levens scored from 4 yards out on the next play . The Falcons scored their first points on their first drive of the 2nd quarter . Jay Feely ’ s 23 yard field goal shrunk the Eagles ’ lead to 4 points . On the Eagles ’ next drive McNabb completed a 45 yard pass to wide receiver Greg Lewis and 2 plays later he threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to tight end Chad Lewis . The Falcons countered on their next drive when Warrick Dunn ran for a 10 yard touchdown . On the first drive of the 2nd half Westbrook ran the ball 4 times for 34 yards which helped put the Eagles in field goal range . The drive was capped off by a 31 yard David Akers field goal . Akers also kicked a 34 yard field goal later in the 3rd quarter . McNabb sealed the game in the 4th quarter when he threw another touchdown pass to Chad Lewis . The Eagles won 27 to 10 and advanced to the Super Bowl .