2022 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2022 season was the Atlanta Falcons' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), their sixth playing their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and their second under head coach Arthur Smith.
2022 Atlanta Falcons season | |
---|---|
Owner | Arthur Blank |
General manager | Terry Fontenot |
Head coach | Arthur Smith |
Home field | Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 7–10 |
Division place | 4th NFC South |
Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Pro Bowlers | G Chris Lindstrom |
AP All-Pros | G Chris Lindstrom (2nd team) |
Uniform | |
The Falcons matched their 7–10 record from the previous season, but failed to qualify for the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.[1] Despite the setbacks, the Falcons defeated quarterback Tom Brady for the first time ever in his career during the last game of the regular season, avenging their Super Bowl LI loss.[2] Also notable for the first time since 2007, long-time quarterback Matt Ryan was not on the roster as the Falcons traded him to Indianapolis on March 21.[3] The team signed former Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota as their new quarterback on the same day. Mariota was reunited with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who served as the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator during Mariota's tenure with Tennessee (2015–2019).[4]
Draft
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8 | Drake London | WR | USC | |
2 | 38 | Arnold Ebiketie | DE | Penn State | from Carolina via NY Jets and NY Giants[upper-alpha 1] |
43 | Traded to the New York Giants[upper-alpha 1] | ||||
58 | Troy Andersen | LB | Montana State | from Tennessee[upper-alpha 2] | |
3 | 74 | Desmond Ridder | QB | Cincinnati | |
82 | DeAngelo Malone | LB | Western Kentucky | from Indianapolis[upper-alpha 3] | |
4 | 114 | Traded to the New York Giants[upper-alpha 1] | |||
5 | 151 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | BYU | |
6 | 190 | Justin Shaffer | G | Georgia | |
213 | John FitzPatrick | TE | Georgia | Compensatory pick | |
7 | 231 | Traded to Buffalo[upper-alpha 4] |
Draft trades
- The Falcons traded second- and fourth-round selections (43rd and 114th overall) to the New York Giants in exchange for a second-round selection (38th overall).
- The Falcons traded WR Julio Jones and a 2023 sixth-round selection to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a second-round selection (58th overall) and a 2023 fourth-round selection.[5]
- The Falcons traded QB Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a third-round selection (82nd overall).
- The Falcons traded a seventh-round selection (231st overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for TE Lee Smith.
Name | Position | College | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Jared Bernhardt | WR | Ferris State | [6] |
Stanley Berryhill | Arizona | ||
Kuony Deng | OLB | California | |
Matt Hankins | CB | Iowa | |
Brad Hawkins | S | Michigan | |
Timmy Horne | DT | Kansas State | |
Tyshaun James | WR | Central Connecticut | |
Nate Landman | LB | Colorado | |
Bryce Rodgers | DT | UC Davis | |
Derrick Tangelo | Penn State | ||
Seth Vernon | P | Portland State | |
Tyler Vrabel | OT | Boston College | |
Leroy Watson | TE | UTSA |
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
|
Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
|
Reserve lists
|
Preseason
The Falcons' preseason opponents and schedule were announced in the spring.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 12 | at Detroit Lions | W 27–23 | 1–0 | Ford Field | Recap |
2 | August 22 | at New York Jets | L 16–24 | 1–1 | Metlife Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 28–12 | 2–1 | Mercedes Benz Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 11 | New Orleans Saints | L 26–27 | 0–1 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 18 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 27–31 | 0–2 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
3 | September 25 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 27–23 | 1–2 | Lumen Field | Recap |
4 | October 2 | Cleveland Browns | W 23–20 | 2–2 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
5 | October 9 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 15–21 | 2–3 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
6 | October 16 | San Francisco 49ers | W 28–14 | 3–3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
7 | October 23 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 17–35 | 3–4 | Paycor Stadium | Recap |
8 | October 30 | Carolina Panthers | W 37–34 (OT) | 4–4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
9 | November 6 | Los Angeles Chargers | L 17–20 | 4–5 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
10 | November 10 | at Carolina Panthers | L 15–25 | 4–6 | Bank of America Stadium | Recap |
11 | November 20 | Chicago Bears | W 27–24 | 5–6 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
12 | November 27 | at Washington Commanders | L 13–19 | 5–7 | FedExField | Recap |
13 | December 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–19 | 5–8 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
14 | Bye | |||||
15 | December 18 | at New Orleans Saints | L 18–21 | 5–9 | Caesars Superdome | Recap |
16 | December 24 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 9–17 | 5–10 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
17 | January 1 | Arizona Cardinals | W 20–19 | 6–10 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
18 | January 8 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 30–17 | 7–10 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saints | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 27 |
Falcons | 3 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 26 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,078
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 2: at Los Angeles Rams
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 27 |
Rams | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 71,802
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 10 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
Seahawks | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 23 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,773
- Referee: Tra Blake
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Cleveland Browns
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Browns | 0 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
Falcons | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 23 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 72 °F (22 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 69,435
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and Tiki Barber
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
Buccaneers | 0 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 21 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Clear, 83 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,299
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (Fox): Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
49ers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Falcons | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 77 °F (25 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 69,813
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Noah Eagle, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 7: at Cincinnati Bengals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Bengals | 14 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Date: October 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 73 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 66,158
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (Fox): Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 8: vs. Carolina Panthers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Panthers | 3 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 0 | 34 |
Falcons | 0 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 37 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: October 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 68,996
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 9: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chargers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
Falcons | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 69,299
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Carolina Panthers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
Panthers | 3 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 25 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: November 10
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Light rain, 60 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 72,029
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
Falcons | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 12: at Washington Commanders
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
Commanders | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 19 |
at FedExField, Landover, Maryland
- Date: November 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Rain, 49 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 53,864
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steelers | 3 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
Falcons | 0 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 16 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: December 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,325
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and James Lofton
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 15: at New Orleans Saints
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 18 |
Saints | 14 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcons | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
Ravens | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
- Date: December 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Clear, 17 °F (−8 °C)
- Game attendance: 70,467
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 3 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
Falcons | 0 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 1
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 69,269
- Referee: Alex Kemp
- TV announcers (Fox): Jason Benetti, Brady Quinn and Megan Olivi
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Week 18: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buccaneers | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Falcons | 10 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: January 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 69,276
- Referee: Land Clark
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Despite this game having no playoff implications for either team, the Falcons beat the Buccaneers 30-17, officially getting the franchise's first ever victory against Tom Brady.[7] The game featured several milestones for the Falcons rookie class. Quarterback Desmond Ridder threw his first (and second) career touchdown pass,[8] running back Tyler Allgeier passed the 1,000 yard rushing mark while setting the franchise rookie record, and wide receiver Drake London passed tight-end Kyle Pitts for the most receptions by a rookie in franchise history.[9] Following their victory and the rest of the Week 18 results, the Falcons secured the 8th spot in the 2023 NFL Draft.[10]
Division
NFC South | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 313 | 358 | L1 |
Carolina Panthers | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 347 | 374 | W1 |
New Orleans Saints | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 330 | 345 | L1 |
Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 365 | 386 | W2 |
Conference
# | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 14 | 3 | 0 | .824 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .474 | .460 | W1 |
2[lower-alpha 1] | San Francisco 49ers | West | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 6–0 | 10–2 | .417 | .414 | W10 |
3[lower-alpha 1] | Minnesota Vikings | North | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .474 | .425 | W1 |
4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .503 | .426 | L1 |
Wild cards | |||||||||||
5 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .507 | .485 | L1 |
6 | New York Giants | East | 9 | 7 | 1 | .559 | 1–4–1 | 4–7–1 | .526 | .395 | L1 |
7[lower-alpha 2] | Seattle Seahawks | West | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .462 | .382 | W2 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
8[lower-alpha 2] | Detroit Lions | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .535 | .451 | W2 |
9 | Washington Commanders | East | 8 | 8 | 1 | .500 | 2–3–1 | 5–6–1 | .536 | .449 | W1 |
10 | Green Bay Packers | North | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .524 | .449 | L1 |
11[lower-alpha 3] | Carolina Panthers | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .474 | .437 | W1 |
12[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] | New Orleans Saints | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .507 | .462 | L1 |
13[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] | Atlanta Falcons | South | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 6–6 | .467 | .429 | W2 |
14 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .517 | .341 | L2 |
15 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .529 | .368 | L7 |
16 | Chicago Bears | North | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 0–6 | 1–11 | .571 | .480 | L10 |
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5] | |||||||||||
|
Team leaders
Category | Player(s) | Value |
---|---|---|
Passing yards | Marcus Mariota | 2,219 |
Passing touchdowns | Marcus Mariota | 15 |
Rushing yards | Tyler Allgeier | 1,035 |
Rushing touchdowns | Cordarrelle Patterson | 8 |
Receptions | Drake London | 72 |
Receiving yards | Drake London | 866 |
Receiving touchdowns | Drake London MyCole Pruitt | 4 |
Points | Younghoe Koo | 129 |
Kickoff return yards | Avery Williams | 313 |
Punt return yards | Avery Williams | 296 |
Tackles | Rashaan Evans | 159 |
Sacks | Grady Jarrett | 6.0 |
Forced fumbles | Arnold Ebiketie | 2 |
Interceptions | Richie Grant Jaylinn Hawkins Mykal Walker | 2 |
Pass deflections | A. J. Terrell | 9 |
NFL rankings
Category | Total points | Points per game | NFL rank (out of 32) |
---|---|---|---|
Offensive points scored | 365 | 21.5 | 15th |
Defensive points allowed | 386 | 22.7 | 23rd |
References
- Brener, Jeremy. "Falcons Eliminated From Playoffs Following Loss vs. Ravens". Sports Illustrated Atlanta Falcons News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- "Falcons beat Tom Brady for first time as Bucs pull starters to avoid injuries". FOX Sports. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
- "Falcons trade Matt Ryan to Indianapolis Colts". atlantafalcons.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- "Falcons sign quarterback Marcus Mariota to two-year deal". Sportsnet. March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- "Atlanta Falcons trade Julio Jones to Tennessee Titans". ESPN.com. June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- "Falcons announce 13 undrafted free agent signings". atlantafalcons.com. Atlanta Falcons. May 2, 2022.
- "Tom Brady Record Vs Falcons". StatMuse. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- "Desmond Ridder 2022 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- "Tyler Allgeier, Drake London Break Falcons Rookie Rushing, Receiving Records". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- "Falcons first-round pick in 2023 NFL Draft now set". Atlanta Falcons Website. Retrieved January 9, 2023.