2011 Atlanta Falcons season

2011 Atlanta Falcons season
Head coach	Mike Smith
General manager	Thomas Dimitroff
Owner	Arthur Blank
Home field	Georgia Dome
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	2nd NFC South
Playoff finish	Lost Wild Card Playoffs (Giants) 2–24
Pro Bowlers	Tony Gonzalez, TE, Roddy White, WR

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 has won 10 or more games in consecutive seasons.

Offseason

Signed LE Ray Edwards to a 5-year deal

Cut WR Michael Jenkins and LE Jamaal Anderson

2011 NFL Draft

Main article: 2011 NFL Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	6	Julio Jones	Wide Receiver	Alabama
3	91	Akeem Dent	Inside Linebacker	Georgia
5	158	Jacquizz Rogers	Running Back	Oregon State
6	192	Matt Bosher	Punter	Miami (FL)
7	210 ^[a]	Andrew Jackson	Offensive Guard	Fresno State
7	230 ^[b]	Cliff Matthews	Defensive End	South Carolina

^{^[a]} The Falcons acquired this seventh-round selection and a 2010 sixth-round selection in a trade that sent CB Chris Houston to the Detroit Lions.

^{^[b]} The Falcons acquired this seventh-round selection in a trade that sent T Quinn Ojinnaka to the New England Patriots.

Preseason

Schedule

The Falcons' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Final score	Team record	Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
1	August 12	7:30 p.m. EDT	Miami Dolphins	L 23–28	0–1	Georgia Dome		Recap
2	August 19	8:00 p.m. EDT	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 13–15	0–2	EverBank Field	FOX	Recap
3	August 27	7:30 p.m. EDT	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 16–34	0–3	Heinz Field		Recap
4	September 1	7:30 p.m. EDT	Baltimore Ravens	L 7–21	0–4	Georgia Dome		Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
Week	Date	Kickoff	Opponent	Final score	Team record	Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
1	September 11	1:00 p.m. EDT	at Chicago Bears	L 12–30	0–1	Soldier Field	Fox	Recap
2	September 18	8:20 p.m. EDT	Philadelphia Eagles	W 35–31	1–1	Georgia Dome	NBC	Recap
3	September 25	4:15 p.m. EDT	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 13–16	1–2	Raymond James Stadium	Fox	Recap
4	October 2	4:05 p.m. EDT	at Seattle Seahawks	W 30–28	2–2	CenturyLink Field	Fox	Recap
5	October 9	8:20 p.m. EDT	Green Bay Packers	L 14–25	2–3	Georgia Dome	NBC	Recap
6	October 16	1:00 p.m. EDT	Carolina Panthers	W 31–17	3–3	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap
7	October 23	1:00 p.m. EDT	at Detroit Lions	W 23–16	4–3	Ford Field	Fox	Recap
8	Bye
9	November 6	1:00 p.m. EST	at Indianapolis Colts	W 31–7	5–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Fox	Recap
10	November 13	1:00 p.m. EST	New Orleans Saints	L 23–26 (OT)	5–4	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap
11	November 20	4:15 p.m. EST^[1]	Tennessee Titans	W 23–17	6–4	Georgia Dome	CBS	Recap
12	November 27	1:00 p.m. EST	Minnesota Vikings	W 24–14	7–4	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap
13	December 4	1:00 p.m. EST	at Houston Texans	L 10–17	7–5	Reliant Stadium	Fox	Recap
14	December 11	1:00 p.m. EST	at Carolina Panthers	W 31–23	8–5	Bank of America Stadium	Fox	Recap
15	December 15	8:20 p.m. EST	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 41–14	9–5	Georgia Dome	NFLN^[a]	Recap
16	December 26	8:30 p.m. EST	at New Orleans Saints	L 16–45	9–6	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	ESPN^[b]	Recap
17	January 1	4:15 p.m. EST^[2]	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 45–24	10–6	Georgia Dome	Fox	Recap

LEGEND:

^{^[a]} The game was simulcast locally on WATL-TV.

^{^[b]} The game was simulcast locally on WSB-TV.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

Week One: Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
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 (Partly Cloudy)
Game attendance: 62,115
Referee: Ed Hochuli
TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Game information

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

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
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

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

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
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 (Rain)
Game attendance: 46,995
Referee: Clete Blakeman
TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick and Laura Okmin

Game information

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

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
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 (Partly Sunny)
Game attendance: 66,266
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (Fox): Craig Bolerjack and John Lynch

Game information

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

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
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

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

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

CAR –
ATL –

Top rushers

CAR –
ATL –

Top receivers

CAR –
ATL –

Top tacklers

CAR –
ATL –

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
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

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, 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

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
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 (Sunny,retractable roof open)
Game attendance: 65,218
Referee: Mike Carey
TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr.

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL –
IND –

Top rushers

ATL –
IND –

Top receivers

ATL –
IND –

Top tacklers

ATL –
IND –

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
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

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

NO –
ATL –

Top rushers

NO –
ATL –

Top receivers

NO –
ATL –

Top tacklers

NO –
ATL –

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

TEN –
ATL –

Top rushers

TEN –
ATL –

Top receivers

TEN –
ATL –

Top tacklers

TEN –
ATL –

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

MIN –
ATL –

Top rushers

MIN –
ATL –

Top receivers

MIN –
ATL –

Top tacklers

MIN –
ATL –

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL –
HOU –

Top rushers

ATL –
HOU –

Top receivers

ATL –
HOU –

Top tacklers

ATL –
HOU –

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
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 (Sunny)
Game attendance: 72,680
Referee: Walt Anderson
TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Jr. and Drea Avent

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL –
CAR –

Top rushers

ATL –
CAR –

Top receivers

ATL –
CAR –

Top tacklers

ATL –
CAR –

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

JAC –
ATL –

Top rushers

JAC –
ATL –

Top receivers

JAC –
ATL –

Top tacklers

JAC –
ATL –

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan
NO – Drew Brees

Top rushers

ATL – Michael Turner
NO – Darren Sproles

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones
NO – Marques Colston

Top tacklers

ATL – Thomas DeCoud
NO – Jabari Greer

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
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

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

TB –
ATL –

Top rushers

TB –
ATL –

Top receivers

TB –
ATL –

Top tacklers

TB –
ATL –

With the win, the Falcons finished the season at 10–6 and captured the NFC's #5 seed.

Standings

NFC South
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
⁽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

Postseason

Main article: 2011–12 NFL playoffs

Schedule

Playoff round	Date	Kickoff	Opponent (seed)	Results		Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
Playoff round	Date	Kickoff	Opponent (seed)	Final score	Team record	Game site	TV	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	January 8, 2012	1:00 p.m. EST	at New York Giants (4)	L 2–24	0–1	MetLife Stadium	Fox	Recap

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
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, Partly Cloudy
Game attendance: 79,909
Referee: Carl Cheffers
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter

Top passers

ATL –
NYG –

Top rushers

ATL –
NYG –

Top receivers

ATL –
NYG –

Top tacklers

ATL –
NYG –

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.

Staff

Atlanta Falcons 2011 staff

Front Office

Owner – Arthur Blank
President/CEO – Rich McKay
General Manager – Thomas Dimitroff
Director of Football Administration – Nick Polk
Director of Player Personnel – Les Snead
Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Lionel Vital
Director of College Scouting – Dave Caldwell

Head Coaches

Head Coach – Mike Smith

Offensive Coaches

Offensive Coordinator – Mike Mularkey
Quarterbacks – Bob Bratkowski
Running Backs – Gerald Brown
Wide Receivers – Terry Robiskie
Tight Ends – Chris Scelfo
Offensive Line – Paul Boudreau
Assistant Offensive Line – Paul Dunn
Offensive Assistant – Glenn Thomas
Assistant to Head Coach/Offense – Andrew Weidinger

Defensive Coaches

Defensive Coordinator – Brian VanGorder
Defensive Line – Ray Hamilton
Linebackers – Glenn Pires
Secondary – Tim Lewis
Defensive Backs – Alvin Reynolds
Defensive Assistant – Mark Collins

Special Teams Coaches

Special Teams Coordinator – Keith Armstrong
Assistant Special Teams – Eric Sutulovich

Strength and Conditioning

Director of Athletic Performance – Jeff Fish
Strength and Conditioning Assistant – Jonas Beauchemin

Final roster

2011 Atlanta Falcons final roster

Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists

26 Kelvin Hayden CB (IR)
79 Mike Johnson G (IR)
34 Ovie Mughelli FB (IR)
53 Mike Peterson OLB (IR)

Practice squad

85 Marquez Branson TE (Injured)
19 Drew Davis WR
87 Tommy Gallarda TE
30 Matt Hansen SS/OLB
69 Andrew Jackson G (Injured)
67 Kyle Jolly OT
97 Carlton Powell DT
41 Suaesi Tuimaunei FS
65 Jose Valdez OT
86 Ryan Winterswyk TE

Rookies in italics
53 Active, 4 Inactive, 10 Practice squad

References

1 2 Adams, Jay. "Falcons-Titans game flexed". atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
1 2 Adams, Jay. "Falcons-Bucs Game 'Flexed' to 4:15 Kick". atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved 2011-12-24.

Atlanta Falcons

Founded in 1966 Based in Atlanta, Georgia Headquartered in Flowery Branch, Georgia

Franchise	Franchise Team history Seasons Players Quarterbacks Head coaches Expansion draft Draft history First-round draft picks

Stadiums	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium Georgia Dome Mercedes-Benz Stadium (under construction)

Culture	Rankin M. Smith, Sr. Arthur Blank The Dirty Bird Dance Freddie Falcon Michael Vick dog fighting investigation Cheerleaders

Lore	Gary Anderson's missed field goal

Rivalries	Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints

Division championships (5)	1980 1998 2004 2010 2012

Conference championships (1)	1998

Ring of Honor	10 21 31 42 57 58 60 78 87

Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: South Division

Seasons (50)	1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Atlanta Falcons seasons

1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Italics indicates Super Bowl appearance

2011 NFL season

East	North	South	West	East	North	South	West
Buffalo	Baltimore	Houston	Denver	Dallas	Chicago	Atlanta	Arizona
Miami	Cincinnati	Indianapolis	Kansas City	NY Giants	Detroit	Carolina	St. Louis
New England	Cleveland	Jacksonville	Oakland	Philadelphia	Green Bay	New Orleans	San Francisco
NY Jets	Pittsburgh	Tennessee	San Diego	Washington	Minnesota	Tampa Bay	Seattle

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