[1] Head coach Dan Henning was going into his fourth year having failed to post a record above .500 in any of his first three seasons.
Local media, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, saw it as Henning's last chance to save his head coaching job.
[2] Atlanta entered the season led by, among others, Gerald Riggs,[3] Scott Case, Bill Fralic and Jeff Van Note.
Running backs (RB) Wide receivers (WR) Tight ends (TE) Defensive linemen (DL) Defensive backs (DB) Special teams Reserve The Falcons began the 1986 season strong by winning their first four games 4–0 start, beating their NFC West rivals, the New Orleans Saints, 31–10 in the season opener.
Henning didn't let the loss affect his team as they beat the playoff bound Los Angeles Rams 26–14, putting the Falcons in first place with a record of 5-1.