History of the Atlanta Falcons
[1] NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership nine days later on June 30 to Rankin M. Smith Sr., the executive vice president of Life Insurance Company of Georgia.
Despite knocking out Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach and taking a 20–13 lead into halftime, the offense would only collect 85 net yards in the second half as the Cowboys, led by backup QB Danny White, came back and won 27–20.
After an average 7–8–1 season in 1986, where David Archer succeeded Steve Bartkowski as starting QB, head coach Dan Henning was dumped and replaced by Marion Campbell.
[7] 1988 would start with Atlanta drafting first overall, a pick they used to select Auburn linebacker Aundray Bruce, most notably bypassing perennial All-Pro DE Neil Smith, who went second overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 1989, Atlanta's top draft pick (fifth overall) was a flamboyant All-American defensive back from Florida State named Deion Sanders who was as good at cultivating his "Prime Time" image as he was at intercepting passes and returning kicks.
Featuring a balanced offense led by Pro Bowlers Chris Chandler and Jamal Anderson, as well as an aggressive and opportunistic defense, the Falcons sprinted to a promising 6–2 start.
A major distraction hit Atlanta the day after a road win over the Saints, in the form of a quadruple-bypass heart surgery that their head coach Dan Reeves required.
The then highest scoring team in NFL history, the 1998 Vikings wielded an explosive, record-setting passing attack powered by Randall Cunningham and Minnesota's deadly trio of wide receivers Randy Moss, Jake Reed, and Cris Carter, and finished the regular season 15–1.
Despite Atlanta's impressive 14–2 regular season, they were heavy underdogs heading into Minnesota, with few pundits believing they could keep the game close, and virtually none predicting a win[citation needed].
The Falcons' offense prepared all week for the deafening cacophony of the Metrodome, and promptly opened the game with a touchdown drive that quieted the crowd and propelled the team to an early 7–0 lead.
Opting for three consecutive downfield passes, Minnesota was dumbfounded when DE Chuck Smith managed to beat Todd Steussie on 3rd down to force a Randall Cunningham fumble.
The Vikings responded, converting three third downs in a 15-play, 82-yard drive, and posting their only points of the second half on a Cunningham to Matthew Hatchette touchdown pass 1:19 into the fourth quarter.
Stopped on 3rd down with 2:07 left, the Vikings summoned Pro Bowl kicker Gary Anderson, who had made NFL history that season by converting all 39 of his field goal attempts.
In perhaps the finest moment of his injury-prone and inconsistent career, QB Chris Chandler directed an 8 play drive, concluding with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis with 49 seconds left.
The Metrodome waxed breathless as Andersen split the uprights from 38 yards, vaulting the Falcons to the win and sending them to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
Falcons Pro Bowl free safety Eugene Robinson, who had just that morning received the Bart Starr Award for his "high moral character," was arrested for soliciting an undercover police officer $40[11] for oral sex on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami.
A Morten Andersen field goal brought the Falcons within 17–6 going into halftime, but the second half was punctuated by two key interceptions thrown by the normally surehanded Chris Chandler, which allowed the Broncos to pull away to a 31–6 lead.
After the adrenaline rush of the 1998 season, Atlanta football would cool down when RB Jamal Anderson endured an early season-ending torn ACL injury.
They immediately scored a major upset on January 4, 2003, by becoming the first road team in NFL history to defeat the Green Bay Packers in a playoff game at Lambeau Field, winning 27–7.
With three games left in the season, head coach Dan Reeves was fired and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was named his replacement on an interim basis.
The Falcons started this season successfully with two wins against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but lost to the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, giving them a record of 2–1.
In a shootout rivaling the following week's Indianapolis Colts-Denver Broncos game, the Falcons beat the Steelers 41–38 in overtime as Morten Andersen kicked a game-winning 32-yard field goal.
However, with Vick on the sidelines, Petrino's game plan didn't seem to fit on the field or in the locker room, with veteran players Alge Crumpler and DeAngelo Hall voicing their displeasure.
After games with the Cleveland Browns (a 20–10 win) and the Philadelphia Eagles (a 31–17 loss), they won a key division match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 to claim a lead in the NFC South, putting them at 6–2 at the halfway point of their season.
In the 2010 Thursday Night Football opener, the Falcons donned throwback uniforms and defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26–21 in a highly anticipated match-up of 6–2 teams, and the first meeting of the top two quarterback picks of the 2008 draft, in Ryan and Joe Flacco.
However, their season had a disappointing end, with the Falcons suffering a loss at home in the divisional round of the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers by a margin of 48–21.
In 2014, Atlanta improved by two games, and thanks to an extremely weak division, remained in playoff contention until the final week of the season, when their divisional rival, the Carolina Panthers, defeated them 34–3.
After defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round 36–20 and blowing out the Green Bay Packers 44–21 in the title game, the Falcons advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in 18 years.
However, Tom Brady and the Patriots mounted an incredible comeback, scoring 25 unanswered points to send the game into overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history.
One highlight is the fact that the Falcons have upset the NFC South champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season finale to win their first and only game against Tom Brady.
