2011 Atlanta Falcons season

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

The 2011 Atlanta Falcons season was the franchise's 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) 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 the eventual Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants in the opening round.

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.

Offseason

Signings

Pos.	Player	2010 Team	Contract
DE	Ray Edwards	Minnesota Vikings	5 years, $27.5 million
OLB	Stephen Nicholas	Atlanta Falcons	5 years, $17.5 million
K	Matt Bryant	Atlanta Falcons	4 years, $10.7 million

Departures

Pos.	Player	2011 Team
WR	Michael Jenkins	Minnesota Vikings
DE	Jamaal Anderson	Indianapolis Colts
WR	Brian Finneran

2011 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2011 Atlanta Falcons draft
1	6	Julio Jones *	WR	Alabama	from Cleveland
3	91	Akeem Dent	ILB	Georgia
5	145	Jacquizz Rodgers	RB	Oregon State	from St. Louis
6	192	Matt Bosher	P	Miami (FL)
7	210	Andrew Jackson	OG	Fresno State	from Detroit ^[a]
7	230	Cliff Matthews	DE	South Carolina	from New England ^[b]
Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^{^[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	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 12	Miami Dolphins	L 23–28	0–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
2	August 19	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 13–15	0–2	EverBank Field	Recap
3	August 27	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 16–34	0–3	Heinz Field	Recap
4	September 1	Baltimore Ravens	L 7–21	0–4	Georgia Dome	Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 11	at Chicago Bears	L 12–30	0–1	Soldier Field	Recap
2	September 18	Philadelphia Eagles	W 35–31	1–1	Georgia Dome	Recap
3	September 25	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 13–16	1–2	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
4	October 2	at Seattle Seahawks	W 30–28	2–2	CenturyLink Field	Recap
5	October 9	Green Bay Packers	L 14–25	2–3	Georgia Dome	Recap
6	October 16	Carolina Panthers	W 31–17	3–3	Georgia Dome	Recap
7	October 23	at Detroit Lions	W 23–16	4–3	Ford Field	Recap
8	Bye
9	November 6	at Indianapolis Colts	W 31–7	5–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
10	November 13	New Orleans Saints	L 23–26 (OT)	5–4	Georgia Dome	Recap
11	November 20	Tennessee Titans	W 23–17	6–4	Georgia Dome	Recap
12	November 27	Minnesota Vikings	W 24–14	7–4	Georgia Dome	Recap
13	December 4	at Houston Texans	L 10–17	7–5	Reliant Stadium	Recap
14	December 11	at Carolina Panthers	W 31–23	8–5	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
15	December 15	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 41–14	9–5	Georgia Dome	Recap
16	December 26	at New Orleans Saints	L 16–45	9–6	Mercedes-Benz Superdome	Recap
17	January 1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 45–24	10–6	Georgia Dome	Recap

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

Week One: Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	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 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

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

Period	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

Period	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 or 31.7 °C (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

Period	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 or 14.4 °C (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

Period	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

Period	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

Period	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 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

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

Period	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 or 13.9 °C (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

Period	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

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

With the loss, the Falcons fell to 5–4.

Week 11: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Eleven: Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	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

Period	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

Period	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

Period	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 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

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

Period	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

Period	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

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

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

Period	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

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

NFC Wild Card Playoff Game: at #4 New York Giants

NFC Wild Card Playoff Game: Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	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 (6.7 °C), Partly Cloudy
Game attendance: 79,909
Referee: Carl Cheffers
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

ATL – Intentional Grounding Penalty on Eli Manning in end zone for a Safety, 13:44. Falcons 2–0.
NYG – Hakeem Nicks 4-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:47. Giants 7–2. Drive: 13 plays, 85 yards, 7:32.

Third quarter

NYG – Lawrence Tynes 22-yard field goal, 7:51. Giants 10–2. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:47.
NYG – Hakeem Nicks 72-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:44. Giants 17–2. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:32.

Fourth quarter

NYG – Mario Manningham 27-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:55. Giants 24–2. Drive: 10 plays, 85 yards, 5:38.

Top passers

ATL – Matt Ryan – 24/41, 199 yards
NYG – Eli Manning – 23/32, 277 yards, 3 TD

Top rushers

ATL – Michael Turner – 15 rushes, 41 yards
NYG – Brandon Jacobs – 14 rushes, 92 yards

Top receivers

ATL – Julio Jones – 7 receptions, 64 yards
NYG – Hakeem Nicks – 6 receptions, 115 yards, 2 TD

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.

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 T Boudreau
Assistant offensive line – Paul Dunn
Offensive assistant – Glenn Thomas
Assistant to the head coach/offense – Andrew Weidinger

Defensive coaches

Defensive coordinator – Brian VanGorder
Defensive line – Ray Hamilton
Linebackers – Glenn Pires
Defensive backs – Alvin Reynolds
Secondary – Tim Lewis
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 8 Chris Redman 2 Matt Ryan 4 John Parker Wilson Running backs 42 Mike Cox FB 22 Jacquizz Rodgers 35 Antone Smith 44 Jason Snelling 33 Michael Turner Wide receivers 12 Kevin Cone 83 Harry Douglas 11 Julio Jones 80 Kerry Meier 14 Eric Weems RS 84 Roddy White Tight ends 88 Tony Gonzalez 89 Reggie Kelly 81 Michael Palmer		Offensive linemen 72 Sam Baker T 63 Justin Blalock G 73 Kirk Chambers T 77 Tyson Clabo T 61 Joe Hawley C 62 Todd McClure C 75 Garrett Reynolds G 66 Brett Romberg C 74 Will Svitek T Defensive linemen 55 John Abraham DE 95 Jonathan Babineaux DT 71 Kroy Biermann DE 93 Ray Edwards DE 94 Peria Jerry DT 98 Cliff Matthews DE 91 Corey Peters DT 90 Lawrence Sidbury DE 99 Vance Walker DT		Linebackers 59 Spencer Adkins OLB 52 Akeem Dent MLB 51 Robert James OLB 50 Curtis Lofton MLB 54 Stephen Nicholas OLB 56 Sean Weatherspoon OLB Defensive backs 28 Thomas DeCoud FS 24 Dominique Franks CB 20 Brent Grimes CB 25 William Moore SS 21 Chris Owens CB 23 Dunta Robinson CB 36 James Sanders SS 39 Shann Schillinger FS 29 Darrin Walls CB Special teams 5 Matt Bosher P 3 Matt Bryant K 82 Joe Zelenka LS		Reserve lists 26 Kelvin Hayden CB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 79 Mike Johnson G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 34 Ovie Mughelli FB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 53 Mike Peterson OLB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Practice squad 85 Marquez Branson TE (Injured) 19 Drew Davis (football player) 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

Adams, Jay. "Falcons-Titans game flexed". atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
Adams, Jay. "Falcons-Bucs Game 'Flexed' to 4:15 Kick". atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2011.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[Titans-1] Adams, Jay. "Falcons-Titans game flexed". atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 8, 2011.

[TB-2] Adams, Jay. "Falcons-Bucs Game 'Flexed' to 4:15 Kick". atlantafalcons.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2011.

[a]

[b]

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
Culture	Rankin M. Smith Sr. Arthur Blank Freddie Falcon The "Dirty Bird" (dance) "2 Legit 2 Quit" Brian Banks Quarterback
Lore	Grits Blitz Gary Anderson's missed field goal Michael Vick dog fighting investigation Timeline 28–3
Rivalries	Carolina Panthers New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles
Wild card / First round berths (8)	1978 1982 1991 1995 2002 2008 2011 2017
Division championships (6)	1980 1998 2004 2010 2012 2016
Conference championships (2)	1998 2016
Ring of Honor	10 21 28 31 42 57 58 60 78 84 87
Current league affiliations	League: National Football League Conference: National Football Conference Division: South Division
Category