2021 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2021 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 56th season in the National Football League, their fifth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their first under general manager Terry Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith. For the first time since 2010, wide receiver Julio Jones was not on the roster as he was traded to the Tennessee Titans on June 6, 2021. Jones departed Atlanta holding the most career receiving yards and receptions in Falcons franchise history. Following their Week 12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Falcons improved their 4–12 season from the  previous year. However, the Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year following a Week 17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. It was also their final season with quarterback Matt Ryan, as he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for the following season. Draft. Notes Regular season. Schedule. The Falcons 2021 schedule was announced on May 12. They opened the season at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries. Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles. The Falcons start their season off with a 26-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles . Week 5: vs. New York Jets. NFL London games Week 9: at New Orleans Saints. Younghoe Koo kicked a game-winning field goal as time ran out, improving Atlanta to 4–4. Week 18: vs. New Orleans Saints. Coming off with a 2-point win in Week 9, they host the Saints. They were defeated by 10 points and finish their season with a 7-10 record.