The 2011 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League and the fourth under head coach Mike Smith.
Finishing the regular season 10–6, the Falcons clinched the #5 seed in the playoffs. Atlanta’s season ended quickly as they lost 24–2 to Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the opening round. The Giants would go on to defeat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
This is also the first time the franchise clinched consecutive playoff berths, and the first time it won ten or more games in consecutive seasons.
Schedule
The Falcons' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | August 12 | Miami Dolphins | L 23–28 | 0–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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2 | August 19 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 13–15 | 0–2 | EverBank Field | Recap |
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3 | August 27 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–34 | 0–3 | Heinz Field | Recap |
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4 | September 1 | Baltimore Ravens | L 7–21 | 0–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
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1 | September 11 | at Chicago Bears | L 12–30 | 0–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
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2 | September 18 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 35–31 | 1–1 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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3 | September 25 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 13–16 | 1–2 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
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4 | October 2 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 30–28 | 2–2 | CenturyLink Field | Recap |
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5 | October 9 | Green Bay Packers | L 14–25 | 2–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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6 | October 16 | Carolina Panthers | W 31–17 | 3–3 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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7 | October 23 | at Detroit Lions | W 23–16 | 4–3 | Ford Field | Recap |
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8 | Bye |
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9 | November 6 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 31–7 | 5–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
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10 | November 13 | New Orleans Saints | L 23–26 (OT) | 5–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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11 | November 20 | Tennessee Titans | W 23–17 | 6–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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12 | November 27 | Minnesota Vikings | W 24–14 | 7–4 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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13 | December 4 | at Houston Texans | L 10–17 | 7–5 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
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14 | December 11 | at Carolina Panthers | W 31–23 | 8–5 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
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15 | December 15 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 41–14 | 9–5 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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16 | December 26 | at New Orleans Saints | L 16–45 | 9–6 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | Recap |
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17 | January 1 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 45–24 | 10–6 | Georgia Dome | Recap |
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Game summaries
Week 1: at Chicago Bears
Week One: Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
Bears | 10 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 30 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: 76 °F or 24.4 °C (Partly Cloudy)
- Game attendance: 62,115
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information |
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First quarter - CHI – Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal, Bears 3–0.
- ATL – Matt Bryant 48-yard field goal, Tied 3–3.
- CHI – Matt Forte 56-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 10–3.
Second quarter - CHI – Robbie Gould 23-yard field goal, Bears 13–3.
- CHI – Robbie Gould 26-yard field goal, Bears 16–3.
Third quarter - ATL – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal, Bears 16–6.
- CHI – Matt Spaeth 1-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 23–6.
- CHI – Brian Urlacher 12-yard fumble return (Robbie Gould kick), Bears 30–6.
Fourth quarter - ATL – Kroy Biermann 50-yard interception return (Matt Ryan run failed), Bears 30–12.
| Top passers - ATL – Matt Ryan – 31/47, 319 yards, 1 interception
- CHI – Jay Cutler – 22/32, 312 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Top rushers - ATL – Michael Turner – 10 rushes, 100 yards
- CHI – Matt Forte – 16 rushes, 68 yards
Top receivers - ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions, 72 yards
- CHI – Matt Forte – 5 receptions, 90 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers - ATL – Sean Weatherspoon – 9 tackles, 1 assist
- CHI – Brian Urlacher – 6 tackles, 2 assists
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The Falcons started their season out on the road against the Bears. With the loss, the team fell to 0–1.
Week 2: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week Two: Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Eagles | 0 | 10 | 21 | 0 | 31 |
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,608
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information |
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First quarter - ATL – Roddy White 2-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 7–0
Second quarter - PHI – Jeremy Maclin 5-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), Tied 7–7
- PHI – Alex Henery 22-yard Field Goal, Eagles 10–7
- ATL – Tony Gonzalez 4-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Alex Bryant kick), Falcons 14–10
Third quarter - ATL – Tony Gonzalez 17-yard pass from Matt Ryan, Falcons 21–10
- PHI – Jeremy Maclin 36-yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick), Falcons 21–17
- PHI – LeSean McCoy 8-yard run (Alex Henery kick), Eagles 24–21
- PHI – LeSean McCoy 2-yard run (Alex Henery kick), Eagles 31–21
Fourth quarter - ATL – Ovie Mughelli 1-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Eagles 31–28
- ATL – Michael Turner 3-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 35–31
| Top passers - PHI – Michael Vick – 19/28, 242 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
- ATL – Matt Ryan – 17/28, 195 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers - PHI – Lesean McCoy – 18 carries, 95 yards, 2 touchdowns
- ATL – Michael Turner – 21 carries, 114 yards, 1 touchdown
Top receivers - PHI – Jeremy Maclin – 13 receptions, 171 yards, 2 touchdowns
- ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 7 receptions, 83 yards, 2 touchdowns
Top tacklers - PHI – Jamar Chaney – 5 tackles, 4 assists
- ATL – Sean Weatherspoon – 7 tackles, 3 assists
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For the regular season opener at home, the Falcons faced the Eagles. The win improved the team to 1–1 and also helped Starting QB Matt Ryan improve to 4–0 as a regular season starter during home openers.
Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Three: Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
Buccaneers | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 89 °F or 31.7 °C (Rain)
- Game attendance: 46,995
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers - ATL – Matt Ryan – 27/47, 330 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
- TB – Josh Freeman – 22/32, 180 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
Top rushers - ATL – Michael Turner – 11 rushes, 20 yards
- TB – LeGarrette Blount – 24 rushes, 81 yards
Top receivers - ATL – Roddy White – 9 receptions, 140 yards
- TB – Earnest Graham – 7 receptions, 37 yards
Top tacklers - ATL – Sean Weatherspoon – 10 tackles, 1 assist
- TB – E. J. Biggers – 7 tackles
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With the loss, the Falcons fell to 1–2.
Week 4: at Seattle Seahawks
Week Four: Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 |
Seahawks | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: October 2
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 58 °F or 14.4 °C (Partly Sunny)
- Game attendance: 66,266
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Craig Bolerjack and John Lynch
Game information |
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First quarter TD Tony Gonzalez 1 Yd Pass From Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant Kick) ATL 7–0 Second quarter TD 10:13 Michael Turner 21 Yd Run (Matt Bryant Kick) ATL 14–0 TD 08:46 Sidney Rice 52 Yd Pass From Tarvaris Jackson (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 14–7 TD 02:48 Michael Turner 1 Yd Run (Matt Bryant Kick) ATL 21–7 FG 00:25 Matt Bryant 47 Yd ATL 24–7 Third quarter FG 13:40 Matt Bryant 50 Yd ATL 27–7 TD 10:01 Mike Williams 6 Yd Pass From Tarvaris Jackson (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 27–14 TD 03:07 Marshawn Lynch 11 Yd Run (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 27–21 Fourth quarter FG 11:38 Matt Bryant 42 Yd ATL 30–21 TD 08:13 Ben Obomanu 8 Yd Pass From Tarvaris Jackson (Steven Hauschka Kick) ATL 30–28 | Top passers - ATL – M. Ryan 291 Yards
- SEA – T. Jackson 319 Yards
Top rushers - ATL – M. Turner 70 Yards
- SEA – M. Lynch 24 Yards
Top receivers - ATL – J. Jones 127 Yards
- SEA – D. Baldwin 84 Yards
Top tacklers - ATL – W. Moore 8 Tackles
- SEA – D. Hawthorne 10 tackles
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 2–2.
Week 5: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week Five: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Packers | 0 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 25 |
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,576
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Michele Tafoya
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers - GB – Aaron Rodgers – 26/39, 396 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
- ATL – Matt Ryan – 18/32, 167 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers - GB – James Starks – 12 rushes, 40 yards
- ATL – Michael Turner – 16 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD
Top receivers - GB – James Jones – 5 receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD
- ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 6 receptions, 60 yards
Top tacklers - GB – Desmond Bishop – 7 tackles, 1 sack
- ATL – Sean Weatherspoon – 11 tackles
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The Falcons went home for a week 5 duel with the undefeated Packers. This would be a rematch of last year's NFC Divisional Round. With the loss, the Falcons fell to 2–3.
Week 6: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Six: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Panthers | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Falcons | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 31 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,047
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton and John Lynch
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With their 3rd-straight win over the Panthers, the Falcons improved to 3–3.
Week 7: at Detroit Lions
Week Seven: Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 10 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
Lions | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: October 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 63,625
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
- Recap
Gamebook
Game information |
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First quarter - DET – Jason Hanson 43-yard field goal, Lions 3–0, Drive: 4 plays, −10 yards, 1:47.
- ATL – Matt Bryant 23-yard field goal, Tied 3–3, Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 3:03.
- ATL – Matt Ryan 1-yard run (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 10–3, 5 plays, 28 yards, 2:46.
Second quarter - DET – Jason Hanson 38-yard field goal, Falcons 10–6, Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:12.
- ATL – Roddy White 18-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), Falcons 17–6, Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:05
Third quarter - DET – Jason Hanson 29-yard field goal, Falcons 17–9, Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:25.
- ATL – Matt Bryant 47 yard, Falcons 20–9, Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 2;33.
- DET – Calvin Johnson 57-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Jason Hanson kick), Falcons 20–16, Drive: 6 plays, 84 yards, 3:07.
Fourth quarter - ATL – Matt Bryant 40-yard field goal, Falcons 23–16, Drive: 9 plays, 25 yards, 4:42.
| Top passers - ATL – Matt Ryan – 20/34, 218 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
- DET – Matthew Stafford – 15/32, 183 yards, 1 touchdown
Top rushers - ATL – Michael Turner – 27 carries, 122 yards
- DET – Maurice Morris – 9 carries, 50 yards
Top receivers - ATL – Tony Gonzalez – 5 receptions, 62 yards
- DET – Calvin Johnson – 5 receptions, 115 yards, 1 touchdown
Top tacklers - ATL – Curtis Lofton – 5 tackles, 5 assists
- DET – DeAndre Levy – 6 tackles, 5 assists
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With the win, the Falcons went into their bye week at 4–3.
Week 9: at Indianapolis Colts
Week Nine: Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
Colts | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 57 °F or 13.9 °C (sunny, retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 65,218
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr.
- [citation needed]
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 5–3 and went 2–13 overall against the Colts.
Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Saints | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 26 |
Falcons | 3 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,359
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
- [citation needed]
Game information |
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First quarter - ATL – M.Bryant 36 yd. Field Goal Falcons 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 61 yards, 8:40.
- NO – J.Kasay 52 yd. Field Goal Saints 3–3. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 3:32.
Second quarter - ATL – M.Bryant 29 yd. Field Goal Falcons 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 5:21.
- NO – J.Graham 21 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick) Saints 10–6. Drive: 3 plays, 50 yards, 1:01.
Third quarter - ATL – J.Snelling 21 yd. pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick) Falcons 13–10. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 6:04.
- NO – R.Meachem 33 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick) Saints 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 3:37.
Fourth quarter - NO – J.Kasay 48 yd. Field Goal Saints 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, −4 yards, 2:56.
- NO – J.Kasay 44 yd. Field Goal Saints 23–13. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:35.
- ATL – T.Gonzalez 20 yd. pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick) Falcons 20–23. Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 3:00.
- ATL – M.Bryant 27 yd. Field Goal Falcons 23–23. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 1:55.
Overtime - NO – J.Kasay 26 yd. Field Goal Saints 26–23. Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 2:21.
| Top passers - NO – Drew Brees – 30/43, 322 yards, 2 TD
- ATL – Matt Ryan – 29/52, 351 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers - NO – Pierre Thomas – 6 rushes, 29 yards
- ATL – Michael Turner – 22 rushes, 96 yards
Top receivers - NO – Marques Colston – 8 rec, 113 yards
- ATL – Harry Douglas – 8 rec, 133 yards
Top tacklers - NO – Roman Harper – 10 tackles, 3 assists, 1 sack
- ATL – Thomas DeCoud – 7 tackles, 1 assists
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With the loss, the Falcons fell to 5–4.
Week 11: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week Eleven: Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Titans | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
Falcons | 7 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 20
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST[1]
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 68,164
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 6–4.
Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week Twelve: Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Vikings | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Falcons | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 68,115
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 7–4.
Week 13: at Houston Texans
Week Thirteen: Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Texans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,545
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the loss, the Falcons fell to 7–5.
Week 14: at Carolina Panthers
Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 7 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 31 |
Panthers | 7 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: December 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 43 °F or 6.1 °C (Sunny)
- Game attendance: 72,680
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 8–5.
Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Jaguars | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Falcons | 10 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 41 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 15
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 68,856
- Referee: Ron Winter
- TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the win, the Falcons improved to 9–5.
Week 16: at New Orleans Saints
Week Sixteen: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
Saints | 7 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 45 |
at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: December 26
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,086
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden and Suzy Kolber
Game information |
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First quarter - ATL – M.Bryant 34 yd. Field Goal Falcons 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:07.
- NO – P.Thomas 4 yd. run (J.Kasay kick) Saints 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 84 yards, 3:28.
- ATL – J.Jones 21 yd. pass from M.Ryan (M.Bryant kick) Falcons 10–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:54.
Second quarter - NO – M.Colston 8 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick) Saints 14–10. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 3:59.
- NO – J.Graham 9 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick) Saints 21–10. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:55.
Third quarter - NO – R.Meachem 24 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick) Saints 28–10. Drive: 6 plays, 86 yards, 3:15.
- ATL – M.Bryant 51 yd. Field Goal Falcons 13–28. Drive: 5 plays, 47 yards, 3:47.
- NO – J.Kasay 29 yd. Field Goal Saints 31–13. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:37.
Fourth quarter - ATL – M.Bryant 30 yd. Field Goal Falcons 16–31. Drive: 16 plays, 68 yards, 5:21.
- NO – M.Jenkins 30 yd. fumble return (J.Kasay kick) Saints 38–16.
- NO – D.Sproles 9 yd. pass from D.Brees (J.Kasay kick) Saints 45–16. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 2:17.
| Top passers - NO – Drew Brees – 23/39, 307 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
- ATL – Matt Ryan – 34/52, 373 yards, 1 TD
Top rushers - NO – Darren Sproles – 5 rushes, 67 yards
- ATL – Michael Turner – 11 rushes, 39 yards
Top receivers - NO – Marques Colston – 7 rec, 81 yards, 1 TD
- ATL – Julio Jones – 8 rec, 128 yards, 1 TD
Top tacklers - NO – Jabari Greer – 8 tackles, 2 assist
- ATL – Thomas DeCoud – 7 tackles, 3 assist
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With the loss, the Falcons fell to 9–6, but were able to clinch a playoff spot due to the Chicago Bears 35–21 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday night.
Week 17: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week Seventeen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 24 |
Falcons | 21 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 45 |
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 1
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EST[2]
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 68,167
- Referee: Scott Green
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton & John Lynch
Game information |
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First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter | Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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With the win, the Falcons finished the season at 10–6 and captured the NFC's #5 seed.
Standings
NFC South |
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| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
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(3) New Orleans Saints | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 547 | 339 | W8 |
(5) Atlanta Falcons | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 402 | 350 | W1 |
Carolina Panthers | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 406 | 427 | L1 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 307 | 494 | L10 |
Schedule
Playoff round | Date | Kickoff | Opponent (seed) | Results | Game site | TV | NFL.com recap |
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Final score | Team record |
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Wild Card | January 8, 2012 | 1:00 p.m. EST | at New York Giants (4) | L 2–24 | 0–1 | MetLife Stadium | Fox | Recap |
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Game summaries
NFC Wild Card Playoff Game: at #4 New York Giants
NFC Wild Card Playoff Game: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Falcons | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Giants | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: January 8, 2012
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (6.7 °C), Partly Cloudy
- Game attendance: 79,909
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
Game information |
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Second quarter - ATL Intentional Grounding Penalty on Eli Manning in end zone for a Safety (13:44)
- NYG Hakeem Nicks 4-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) (13–85, 7:32)
Third quarter - NYG Lawrence Tynes 22-yard field goal (11–72, 4:47)
- NYG Hakeem Nicks 72-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) (3–79, 1:32)
Fourth quarter - NYG Mario Manningham 27-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick) (10–85, 5:38)
| Top passers Top rushers Top receivers Top tacklers |
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The Falcons lost their Wild Card round playoff game to the New York Giants on January 8, 2012, by a score of 24–2. It is the first time in NFL playoff history that a team has scored exactly two points. The previous NFL team to score only a safety in a game was the 1993 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 15 against the New England Patriots.