The 2012 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 47th in the National Football League (NFL) and the fifth under head coach Mike Smith.

However, the Falcons retook the lead as Matt Ryan found Julio Jones again for a 14-yard passing touchdown to make the score 17–10.

After winning over the Chiefs on the road, the Falcons returned home to face a newly formed Peyton Manning-led Broncos team.

In the 2nd quarter, the team moved up 13–0 after a Willis McGahee fumble which led to Bryant's 42-yard field goal then Ryan's 1-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez for a 20–0 lead.

In the third quarter, the Falcons moved ahead by 20 again with Matt Ryan's 4-yard touchdown pass Roddy White for a 27–7 lead.

The Falcons traveled back home to take on their division rival Panthers whom they have won 4 straight games over.

However, for the first time in the 2012 season, the Falcons trailed a game in the first quarter with Cam Newton's 18-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olson for a 7–0 lead.

The Falcons however, were able to move down the field and tie the game with Matt Ryan's 49-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White.

In the third quarter, the Falcons moved ahead by 10 with Ryan finding Michael Turner on a 60-yard touchdown pass for a 24–14 lead.

The Falcons rallied coming within a point as Matt Bryant scored a field goal from 33 yards out cutting the lead to 28–27.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons would trail a game again for the second time all season as the Skins took the lead with Ryan Kerrigan returning an interception 28 yards for a touchdown.

The Falcons offense sputtered for the majority of the half, but not long before halftime, Matt Ryan was able to find Tony Gonzalez on a 1-yard pass to tie the game.

The Skins however moved back into the lead as their 2nd-string and fellow rookie QB Kirk Cousins found Santana moss on a 77-yard pass.

However, for the 3rd straight week, the team would trail a game as the Raiders moved ahead after Sebastian Janikowski's 53-yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter.

Then, In the fourth quarter, they took the lead after Asante Samuel returned an interception from 79 yards out for a touchdown to make the score 20–13.

The Raiders however were able to make up for this mistake as Carson Palmer drove them down the field and Darren McFadden ran a touchdown in from 2 yards out to tie the game at 20–20.

They also finish the season 4–0 against the AFC West and with the Texans' loss to the Packers on Sunday Night, they remain the NFL's only undefeated team.

The game, played under cloudy skies, was also notable in that the weather conditions heralded the approach of Hurricane Sandy, a storm which was set to make landfall in nearby South Jersey.

However, the Falcons responded with Ryan's 63-yard TD pass to Julio Jones and with Matt Bryant's 43-yard field goal to make it 24–7.

The Falcons responded in the second quarter with field goals from Matt Bryant from 45 and 46 yards out to tie the game at halftime at 6–6.

In the 2nd quarter, the Saints took the lead as Drew Brees found Jimmy Graham for a 29-yard pass to make the score 14–10.

Then the Falcons retook the lead as Tony Gonzalez caught a 6-yard pass from Matt Ryan to move ahead 17–14.

After the break, the Saints went back to work as Brees found Marques Colston on a 7-yard pass to move ahead 28–17.

The Falcons are the most recent team to win a regular season game with a -5 turnover differential (the 2022 Jaguars defeated the 2022 Chargers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs in this scenario).

With the win, the Falcons not only improved to 11–1, but also clinched the division title of the NFC South, following the Bucs' loss to the Broncos that week.

The 34–0 win over the Giants was the worst shutout loss to a defending Super Bowl champion team in NFL history.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's record for Most Receiving Yards in a Season.