Atlanta Falcons Franchise history

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons

Once a stadium, Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, was built, Atlantans felt the time was right to start pursuing professional football. One independent group which had been active in NFL exhibition promotions in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the American Football League and the NFL, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL.

With everyone running in different directions, some local businessmen worked out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise on June 7, 1965, contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from city officials. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had been moving slowly in Atlanta matters, was spurred by the AFL interest and headed on the next plane down to Atlanta to block the rival league's claim on the city of Atlanta. He forced the city to make a choice between the two leagues. On June 30 Rankin Smith and the NFL were the choice.

The Atlanta Falcons franchise began on June 30, 1965 when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle granted ownership to Rankin Smith Sr. The expansion team was awarded the first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft as well as the final pick in each of the first five rounds.[1] The Falcons drafted All-American Linebacker Tommy Nobis from the University of Texas with the first pick of the draft, making him the first-ever Falcon. The league also held the 1966 NFL Expansion Draft six weeks later in which the Falcons selected unprotected players from existing franchises.[1]

The Falcons had their first season in 1966, and their first preseason game on August 1, 1966, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles. They lost their first nine regular-season games and secured their first victory on the road against the New York Giants. The team finished the 1960s with only 12 wins. The Falcons had their first Monday Night Football game in Atlanta during the 1970 season. The 1971 season was their first with a winning record.

In the 1978 season, the Falcons entered their first playoff series and won the Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles 14–13. The following week, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27–20 in the Divisional Playoffs.

In 1980, after a nine game winning streak, the Falcons posted a franchise then-best record of 12–4 and captured their first NFC West division title. The next week, their dream season ended at home with a loss to the Cowboys 30–27 in the divisional playoffs. In the strike-shortened 1982 season, the Falcons made the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 30–24. Falcons coach Leeman Bennett was fired after the loss.

In 1989, the Falcons drafted CB Deion Sanders in the first round, who helped them for the next four years, setting many records for the franchise. "Neon Deion" (a.k.a. "Prime Time") had a flashy appeal and kept the Falcons in media circles which helped to establish a new, young fan base for the 90s. Sanders was also famous for playing on major league baseball teams (the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves) while simultaneously playing in the NFL.

In 1991, the Falcons drafted Brett Favre as the thirty-third overall pick. But the Falcons' season ended in a loss to the Washington Redskins in the divisional playoffs.

In 1992, the Atlanta Falcons opened a new chapter in their history moving into the newly constructed Georgia Dome.

In 1998, under recently acquired head coach Dan Reeves, quarterback Chris Chandler and running back Jamal Anderson led the "Dirty Bird" Falcons to their greatest season to date. On November 8, they won 41-10 over the New England Patriots, ending a streak of 22 losses at cold-weather sites. The team finished with a 14–2 regular season record and the NFC West division championship. On January 18, 1999, the Falcons upset the top-seeded 15–1 Vikings at Minnesota in the NFC Championship Game, 30–27 in an epic overtime victory. However, in their first-ever Super Bowl appearance, they were defeated 34–19, by the defending champion Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

In the 2001 NFL Draft, the Falcons orchestrated a trade with the San Diego Chargers, acquiring the first overall pick (which was used on quarterback Michael Vick) in exchange for wide receiver Tim Dwight and the fifth overall pick (used on running back LaDainian Tomlinson). Co-founder of Home Depot Arthur Blank purchased the Falcons franchise on December 6, 2001. Michael Vick saw minimal playing time in 2001, playing backup and learning the system under starting QB Chris Chandler. Vick was the named starting quarterback for the 2002 season. Setting many records and supplying the media with numerous highlights for the season, including rushing for 173 yards in an overtime win at Minnesota, the highest single-game rushing total for an NFL quarterback ever, Vick led the Falcons to the playoffs. During their ensuing playoff run, the Falcons were the first team in history to claim a playoff win over the Green Bay Packers 27-7 in Lambeau Field. Their season ended with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles 20-6 in the divisional playoffs.

On March 19, 2003, the Falcons presented their new logo. “The new Atlanta Falcons logo is fresh, strong and dynamic, and yet appreciates the tradition and history of this franchise,” said Falcons owner and CEO Arthur Blank. “The new logo depicts a more powerful, aggressive Falcon - one of fast movement. It is also representative of the evolution and direction of our team.” During the 2003 preseason Michael Vick broke his leg and missed the first twelve games of the season. After losing 7 straight games, the decision was made to release head coach Dan Reeves. Wade Phillips acted as interim coach for the final 3 games. Although the Falcons won 3 of their last 4 games after the return of Michael Vick, they ended up with a dismal 5–11 record that year.

New head coach Jim Mora was hired and Michael Vick returned for the full season, when the Falcons went 11–5, winning their third division title and earn a first-round bye into the playoffs. In the divisional playoffs, the Falcons defeated the St. Louis Rams 47-17 in the Georgia Dome, advancing to the NFC Championship, which they lost to the Eagles 27-10. The Falcons fell short again of achieving back-to-back winning seasons in 2005, going 8–8. In 2006, Michael Vick became the first quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, with 1,039. After finishing the season 7–9, however, coach Jim Mora was dismissed and Bobby Petrino, the University of Louisville's football coach, replaced him. Before the 2007, Vick was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after pleading guilty to charges involving dog fighting in the state of Virginia. On December 10, 2007, Vick received a 23-month prison sentence and was officially cut from the Atlanta roster. In the beginning of the 2007 season, the Falcons were forced to start Joey Harrington at quarterback. On December 11, 13 games into his first NFL season as head coach, Bobby Petrino resigned without notice to coach at the University of Arkansas, leaving the beleaguered players only a note in the locker room. Secondary Coach Emmitt Thomas was named interim coach for the final three games of 2007 on December 12.

On January 13, 2008, the Falcons named the former Patriots director of college football scouting Thomas Dimitroff General Manager.[2] On January 23, 2008, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coach and former linebackers coach for the 2000 Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens Mike Smith was named the Falcons' new head coach.[3] On March 2, Michael Turner agreed to a 6-year deal worth $30 million.[4] On April 26, Matt Ryan (quarterback from Boston College) was drafted third overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He started all 16 games in his rookie season and was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year.[5]

The Falcons finished the 2008 regular season with a record of 11–5.[6] On December 21, 2008, Atlanta Falcons beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–17 to clinch a wild card spot, earning a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Falcons would go on to lose in the wild-card round of the 2008 NFL playoffs to the eventual NFC champion Arizona Cardinals, 30–24.

The Atlanta Falcons hold the record among all major American sports leagues for the longest streak of seasons without consecutive winning seasons, a streak that lasted from 1966-2008. Though they failed to make the playoffs, the streak ended in 2009 when the Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-10 in the final game of the season to improve their record to 9-7. In 2010, with a regular season record of 13-3, their best regular season record since the 1998 Super Bowl season, the Falcons secured a third straight winning season, their fourth overall divisional title, and the top overall seed in the NFC playoffs; however, the Falcons fell to the Green Bay Packers, the eventual Super Bowl XLV champion, in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.