LOL Atlanta Falcons History

The **Atlanta Falcons** are an NFL franchise based in Atlanta and are one of the current NFL Legacies of Failure. This is their story.

## Be Nice to Dogs, Kids

* 2001 would start with a big splash, with the Falcons trading up to take the number draft pick from San Diego and getting QB Micheal Vick.
* The 2002 season would be stellar, the team would become the first in history to beat the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs at Lambeau, the following week they would get blown out by the Eagles.
* The following season, Vick would break his leg, as a result, they went 5-11 and missed the playoffs. Dan Reeves would get fired.
* Next year they would bounce back only to lose to the Eagles in the playoffs again.
* The following year, after a strong 6-2 start, the Falcons would lose their last 6 of 8 and miss the playoffs
* They'd also miss the playoffs again the following year going 7-9, Coach Jim Mora would be fired.
* The 2007 season would also be one that would crash and burn.
	+ The Falcons would hire Bobby Petrino as their next head coach specifically to oversee the development of Micheal Vick.
	+ They would trade their back up QB in Matt Shaub to Houston since they were going all in on him.
	+ Then everything hit a brick wall: **Micheal Vick would be busted running a dog fighting ring and be sentenced to 23 months in prison.**
	+ The season would be a disaster as a result. After 13 games, with no clear QB and direction for the team without Vick, whom he was specifically hired to take care of, Bobby Petrino threw his hands up and quit.
	+ The season would end 4-12.

## Still Suffering

* The Falcons next head coach would be Mike Smith, they would also draft a new QB in Matt Ryan.

* Matt Ryan would prove to be a good pick up and get them to the playoffs with a 11-5 season. They'd blow it in the first round to the Cardinals
* They would not make the playoffs the following year, but would post a winning record for the first time in back-to-back seasons, so hey! Upside!
* And they post another winning season next year and make the playoffs this time! But then lose to Green Bay at home.
* The Giants would kick their asses in the playoffs the following year
* The Falcons would come back stronger in the 2012 season and get the best record in the NFC at 13-3. They would blow a 17 point lead at home in the championship game and lose to San Francisco.
* They would collapse in the 2013 season and go 4-12.
* While they were still weak the next season, so was the rest of their division. The Panthers would beat them in the final game ending any hope they had. Mike Smith would be fired.
* The 2016-17 season would be one to remember for the ages in the worst way possible.
	+ The Falcons would go on to make to Superbowl against the New England Patriots dynasty and put up 28 points against them in the third quarter as the Patriots only got one field goal.
	+ **The Falcons then blew the lead and lost.** They wouldn't put a **single point up** after the 28 as the Pats would bring in 25 points then go on to win it in overtime.
	+ 28-3 is now a meme that haunts Matt Ryan to this day. Safe to say he'll probably never recover from this, ouch.
	+ Their offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan would depart immediately the next day to become the new HC of San Francisco, more on him 2 years later.
* Philly would knock them out again the following year.
* The 2018 season the team experienced injuries up the ass as they went 7-9.
* The 2019 season would confirm the Superbowl window was shut.
	+ They'd lose 7 of their first 8.
	+ Meanwhile, in the ensuing chaos, Kyle Shanahan would make the 49ers a force to be reckoned with. However once he got to the Superbowl he choked again.
	+ Arthur Blank proceeded to do nothing as the team went 7-9 again, how isn't Dan Quinn gone?
* At least they have Gurley now, however he's already a shell of his former self.
* I don't think COVID would make a difference for Mercedes Benz Stadium's capacity for the 2020 season.
	+ Start by getting obliterated by the Seahawks, that's three seasons now losing your opener.
	+ But wait it gets even better next week, after getting up 29-10 in the first half to the Cowboys they would again lay a massive egg and lose. The Cowboys even recovered an onside kick to win it.
		- One Falcons fan got so fed up with the team he penned a fan resignation letter to the team claiming "In my 28 years of existence, I have decided no longer to embrace the suck."
	+ After an 0-5 start, Blank at last pulled the trigger and axed Quinn and Dimitroff.
	+ The Falcons still proceeded to find ways to blow wins, one of which came from Todd Gurley leaving too much time on the clock before going into the end zone for a touchdown, which is hilarious because in LA he did a play where he ate up clock time before going into the end zone.
	+ Takk McKinley was trying to get traded before the deadline and when the Falcons decided to keep him he went on a twitter tirade saying how they denied multiple offers, Atlanta denied it but for revealing classified info he was waived, there goes a first rounder.